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CLASSIC DRY MARTINI
“The dry Martini is the ultimate cocktail and should be the benchmark for all drinks, as it is really the spirit of your choice come through,” explains Walker. To make it, drizzle a little vermouth over ice in a cocktail shaker. Twirl it around slightly so the glass is coated with vermouth. Then throw away the ice. Just a whisper of vermouth remains in the glass. Now, add about 75 ml of gin and stir it slowly a few times. Strain it into a chilled glass and serve.
SAPPHIRE SLIK
This is a simple drink that goes well with fresh fruits, as a desert. In an ice-filled shaker, add 50 ml of dry gin, 20 ml of dark chocolate liqueur and a little half-milk/half-cream. Shake it well and strain it into a chilled glass. Take a mint leaf spring and slap it hard on the palm of your hand. This releases the flavours and oils within the mint leaf. Put it in the glass as a garnish.
FRENCH MARTINI
In a shaker filled to the brim with ice, add 50 ml of gin, a touch of Classis (or any other berry liqueur for a slightly sweet taste) and fresh pineapple juice (always stir the juice before you add it to the cocktail as it tends to separate). Shake it well and pour the frothy drink into a chilled glass.
SAUCING UP THE SPAGHETTI
Arrabiata is a wonderfully simple but tasty tomato-based pasta sauce. It’s light and aromatic, and when accompanied with a green salad, it can make a delightfully healthy and satiating meal. Arrabiata means ‘angry’ in Italian, because the dish is quite fiery with a spicy tang. It takes about ten to fifteen minutes to rustle up, so all you impatient gourmands need not fret. One whiff of this delicious spaghetti and sauce, and you’ll be transported to a quaint trattoria in Rome.
Bring a large pan of water to boil. Heat four tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and add 2 cloves of garlic, some dried chilly and cook for two to three minutes until the garlic is golden. And 350 g of chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned ), 115 g of stoned black olive (you can choose to go without the olives as well) and a tablespoon of tomato puree to the mix. Stir well and keep it cooking over moderate heat. Add salt to the boiling water and put in 350 g of spaghetti. Stir and cook and drain. Turn the spaghetti into the sauce, raise the heat and cook for another three to four minutes, turning the pasta constantly. Finally, sprinkle with a little oregano and cheese, and you’re ready to serve four.
RUSTY NAIL
The Rusty Nail is a quintessential “old man” drink that sounds like it will knock you in the liver and send you on a trip to the gutters. The name alone is enough to make most look away. It does not evoke the scenery of Mint Julep or the sophistication of the Manhattan. On the contrary, when one thinks of the Rusty Nail, a hole in the wall bar serving drunken residents comes to mind.
It’s three part Scotch whiskey and one part Drambuie, poured into an old fashioned glass filled to the brim with ice cubes, and garnished with lemon twist. Usually served in an old fashioned glass. Depending on your taste preferences, you can also go with 1 shot Scotch and 1 shot Drambuie. It depends if you have a really good Scotch that you want to appreciate, or if you want to drown out your mediocre Scotch with the honey in the Drambuie.
The Rusty Nail is a Scottish drink that is a perfect cocktail for autumn or winter drinking, with its golden brown colour and hearty kick.
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