Tag: vermouth

The Caviartini – A Luxurious Twist on the Classic Gin Martini

Caviartini

🍸 Caviartini 🍸
with
🫒 Caviar & Crème Fraîche Stuffed Olive 🫒

The classic gin martini has long been celebrated for its simplicity and timeless elegance, but imagine taking this revered cocktail to new heights. Enter the “Caviartini” – a sophisticated twist that introduces Green Chartreuse, and Caviar & Crème Fraîche Stuffed Olives. This transformation takes the familiar to an unparalleled level, creating a sensory journey beyond the ordinary.

The addition of Green Chartreuse to the classic gin martini introduces a subtle layer of herbal complexity. To push the boundaries of opulence, the Caviartini is garnished with an olive stuffed with caviar and crème fraîche.

To complement the Caviartini experience, indulge in the perfect nibble – Vegetable Chips with a Caviar Crème Fraîche Dip. The crispiness of the chips paired with the creamy dip and briny caviar provides a delightful counterpoint to the martini’s juniper and botanical notes.

So, take a sip, relish the flavors, and let the Caviartini redefine your perception of the iconic gin martini.

How To Make A Caviartini

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Julia Child’s Upside-Down Martini

Julia Child's Upside-Down Martini

Julia Child’s Upside-Down Martini

Joyeux Anniversaire Julia Child! Today would have been Julia’s 108th birthday. It has been a tradition to celebrate her birthday on Taste With The Eyes for the past several years.

This year, let’s raise a toast to Julia with one of her favorite cocktails, the Upside-Down Martini also known as a reverse or “wet” martini, made with five parts vermouth to one part gin. We are going to craft Julia’s special drink with exclusively French alcools.

Noilly Prat was a favorite of Julia’s, a fine vermouth, beautifully crafted by the sea in the South of France. It is made with 14 global herbs and spices such as chamomile and coriander from Morocco, bitter orange from Tunisia, and orris root from Italy.

Diplôme Dry Gin has been produced in France since 1945 from a selection of the finest natural botanicals including genever berries, whole lemons, angelica, saffron, and fennel seed. The original recipe was perfected during WWII in the City of Dijon. At the end of the war, the original recipe became the official gin for the American Army stationed in Europe.

With naturally less alcohol than a traditional martini, Julia would say, “The best thing about a reverse martini is that you can have two of them!” (Full upside-down martini recipe below).

Julia Child Birthday
Rouen, France – Novembre 1948

A Historic Re-Creation

Please join me as I re-create Julia Child’s very first meal in France, one that she experienced with her husband Paul Child. The story takes place in Rouen, France in November of 1948.

I originally wrote this post back in 2007. I resurrect it in August, sometimes with a new recipe, to celebrate Julia Child’s birthday. This year I am including a drink that she especially liked, the Upside-Down Martini.

The text is as she describes her meal to us in My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme, published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2006.

The re-creation photographs are ones that I have taken on my travels; some are from France, others from California, a couple are shot in my own home. I use the sepia tone to give the images the feel of a single place over 70 years ago.

Come, let’s travel back in time and enjoy French food and revel in its perfection via Julia…

Julia Child’s First Meal in France

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Penne with Clams

Penne with Clams

Penne with Clams
Chickpea and Red Lentil Penne
Littleneck Clams, Tomato, Fennel
Vermouth Garlic Butter Sauce

The old-world classic dish, linguine with clams, gets a gluten-free update thanks to my friends at Explore Cuisine. This irresistible pot of penne with tender briny fresh clams includes licorice-y fennel and bright cherry tomatoes in an aromatic sauce of vermouth, garlic, and butter.

Penne with Clams Recipe

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My Exquisite French Martini, Macaron Garnish

My Exquisite French Martini, Macaron Garnish

My Exquisite French Martini, Macaron Garnish

St-Germain Liqueur is created in the artisanal French manner from freshly hand-picked elderflower blossoms. Its sublime taste hints at pear, peach and grapefruit, yet none of them exactly. It is a flavor as subtle and delicate as it is captivating. Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry is made of fine wines and botanicals found in the Alpine meadows above Chambéry. Together they impart a fresh and elegant nose, with a subtle and complex palate. Each batch of Grey Goose Vodka begins with soft winter wheat grown on farms of Northern France, using the same wheat used in the finest French breads and pastries. After the wheat grain is fermented and distilled into a high-proof spirit, it travels south to the Cognac arrondissement where it is blended with the remarkably pristine water found there. The result is a vodka with an elegant floral and citrusy nose, and a soft smooth palate with a hint of almond, and a fresh bright finish.

Now, I ask you – with these three fine French ingredients, is there any way to improve upon this cocktail? Yes, I can think of one…Garnish it with a fabulous French macaron! Exquisite, indeed.

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