Skip to main content

Shaken Not Stirred

When my son was nine or ten, he discovered James Bond and was desperate to see the latest film. I, as the parent who was still hoping that Disney films would suit his fancy, suggested that he be introduced to Bond the right way by starting with the original, Sean Connery. In the back of my head I was hoping the older films might just be a little more tame, a little more suitable for a pre-teen. That, it turns out, was wishful thinking. But once we viewed Dr. No, there was no turning back. My son was destined, at the ripe old age of ten, to understand the finer points of making a martini a la Bond -- shaken not stirred.  Little did I know that my son would be led astray on the finer points of making a martini because only drinks containing citris should be shaken. The martini, a spirits-only brew, should technically be stirred. Sorry 007.


Now my sister, purveyor of all fine things, helped me learn (by accident I believe) that there are two ways to shake a drink containing citrus -- using a cobbler shaker or a Boston shaker. The cobbler shaker is usually all metal and has two tops, one of which acts as a strainer. Add your ingredients, secure the tops, shake, and then strain your drink into a glass. The Boston shaker, although appearing to be far more simple, is the one that takes skill and finesse; it's also the one that is far more fun to watch. The Boston shaker containers two tumblers, one that is metal and one that is glass. Ingredients are poured into the glass tumbler, and then the metal tumbler is inserted, upside-down, onto the glass. Finesse comes in getting a good seal and then being able (more importantly) to break the seal so that you can serve the drink. A Boston shaker made its way into my Christmas loot this year from my sister. The first attempt at using it left liquid spewing all over the kitchen and then found me pleading with both tumblers to break their tight bond. I'm sure in time I will become an expert with my Boston shaker, but it may be a while before I choose to prepare a drink with it in front of anyone.


We celebrated my birthday at the Steelhead Diner right near Pike Place Market, following up on a visit to Benaroya Hall to see the Seattle Men's Chorus. My son, who's now fully ensconced in teenagedom, would have much preferred a Bond movie, but he was a good sport to the wishes of his mom. I toasted with a "General Practitioner", a fabulous drink made with Indio blood orange vodka, melon liquer, fresh grapefruit and cranberry juice. I have no idea what the proportions are -- you'll just need to make a trip to the Diner to sample this tasty concoction.




Now in honor of Bond's arch nemesis, Blofeld, I give to you the recipe for a Moscow mule. Not only does it include bitters, but one of its main ingredients is ginger beer, a refreshing drink all by itself. If you're really authentic, you will find yourself a copper mug to serve this drink in, preferably one with some Russian writing on it.

Moscow Mule:

1 1/2 ounces vodka
Juice of 1/2 lime
Add ice cubes and fill with ginger beer.
Dash or two of Angostura bitters
Add a lime wedge for decoration

Stirred. Not shaken. Za vashe adorovye!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cheaper by the Dozen

Beautiful, aren't they? There's something about farm fresh eggs that almost makes me want to quit my day job and become a lady farmer. Almost. For now I will settle for my son's occasional post as head keeper of a friend's menagerie, which happens to include ten chickens. Fortunately for me, these chickens are prolific producers, so when our friends go on vacation, we are the happy recipients of many  beautiful eggs. At first we revel in the most scrumptious omelets and scrambled concoctions. By day four or five, however, I admit to often having egg overload. Not this time. As soon as these eggs started appearing, I began thinking about Ramos Gin Fizzes because when made the old fashioned way, they contain an egg white. If you're like me, this news would normally bring a halt to my experimentation. But my new stock of farm fresh eggs gave me reason to carry on because they came from chickens that I have watched cluck and roost, and that makes all the differen...
Post a Comment
Read more

State of Mind, State of Body

Many years ago I competed in triathlons, and one race always sticks out in my mind. Actually, it's one moment from one race. I was on the bike leg, which for me was always my strongest. As I was riding along and happily gaining ground on all the folks who were stronger swimmers, another woman came up alongside and said, "Hey, nice bike." We chatted for half a minute about the finer points of Cannondale bikes, and then she sped off. When I looked down at her calf muscle and saw the permanent pen markings that indicated her age, I read five zero, fifteen years my senior! Humbled? Yes. Impressed? Very much so. I have long been drawn to older, fit folks. If you've been a longtime reader of my blog, you might remember when I wrote about George Garside and the Auckland Cycle Touring Association . This was a group of incredibly fit 60, 70, and 80 year old men I was privileged to ride with once, and the experience definitely left its mark. These men took their fitness serio...
6 comments
Read more

Getting To the Root of the Matter

Curcuma longa is the botanical name for a plant whose rhizome harnesses incredible healing power. We know it as turmeric, the bright orange spice that is produced from the plant's root, and it has been used for over 4,500 years as an important part of Ayurveda, one of the world's oldest forms of medicine. Like snow to the native people of Alaska, turmeric has over a hundred different terms in the Ayurvedic world. Jayanti , one victorious over diseases, relates to the lengthy list of health maladies this powerful spice has been used to fight: inflammation, cholesterol, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, digestion, gallstones, cuts and burns, colds and sore throats, and (my favorite) leech bites. Matrimanika , beautiful as moonlight, is another name for the versatile spice and refers to its historical use in Indian wedding ceremonies where the bride and groom rub a paste with turmeric all over their bodies, providing them each with a special glow and promise of matrimonial pr...
2 comments
Read more