Ginger Pear Martini
Our Ginger Pear Martini marries the tastes of spicy, crisp ginger and smooth, sweet pear. After lots of searching for a ginger vodka which had a ginger-forward but not sweet taste, we tried and succeeded in producing our own. Unlike most commercial brands we do not add any sugar, making it ideal to mix with liqueurs and other sweet spirits or to be enjoyed chilled and neat. A Ginger Pear Martini is a lovely accompaniment to Tuna Tapenade prior to dinner, the spicy sweet cocktail acting as a delightful foil for the rich appetizer. The crystallized ginger will absorb some of the cocktail and become a soft, besotted candy treat to be enjoyed once the drink has been consumed… time for another Ginger Pear Martini.
Total Time: 5 minutes. Serves 2.
Support Cook and Eat at Home. Purchase a PDF of the Ginger Pear Martini recipe for $1.00.
Dirty Martini Pasta Sauce
Inspired by the dirty martini cocktail, Dirty Martini Pasta Sauce is luscious, rich and surprisingly simple to prepare. The shallot and garlic melt into the sauce and the gin and dry vermouth are reduced to their herbaceous essences yet not lost in the final thick, creamy sauce. Dirty Martini Pasta sauce pairs well with pasta shapes which can hold the sauce, we recommend penne rigate, rigatoni, cavatappi, gemelli, or radiatore. We suggest an appetizer of Fresh Figs and Prosciutto or Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad, followed by Dirty Martini Pasta Sauce with one of the recommended pastas, accompanied by a lovely, dry New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Buon Appetito!
Prep Time: 20 minutes, Total Time: 40 minutes. Serves 2.
Support Cook and Eat at Home. Purchase a PDF of the Dirty Martini Pasta Sauce recipe for $1.00
(more…)
Sake Martini
We were first introduced to the Sake Martini at La Maison Japonaise restaurant in New York City in the 1980s, with its vibe of Art Deco Paris and Tokyo. Every time we make one, we think back on the restaurant’s fabulous fusion of Japanese and French elements, in the kitchen and at the bar, way before fusion cuisine became a “thing”. While the bartender wouldn’t divulge his recipe, we think that we’ve faithfully recreated it here. Be sure to use a really clean and dry sake, likewise avoid a dry vermouth which is too forward or overly herbaceous. We like to think that the vermouth is just kissing the sake on the cheek; it’s more of a memorable flirtation than a date with a significant other.
Our Sake Martini is clean, crisp and easy on the alcohol compared to its gin cousin; it’s the perfect post-work, pre-dinner cocktail, whether you’re the one preparing dinner or just keeping the chef company. Enjoy a Sake Martini with Tuna Tapenade, one is crisp and dry, the other is complex and rich; your palate will thank you. Go ahead, have a Sake Martini, or two, and think of James Bond sipping one in the Ginza or maybe in Harajuku these days.
Prep 2 minutes, Total Time: 5 minutes. Yields 2 cocktails
Support Cook and Eat at Home. Purchase a PDF of the Sake Martini recipe for $1.00
