My Only Recipe Book

Martini Tips

The measurement
"Be scientific. Use a jigger. If you don't know what a jigger is, use a measuring cup. 8 ounces = a cup. You figure it out. Record what works."

The vermouth
"Buy the smallest bottle of vermouth that will support your habit. Refrigerate after opening. After the bottle's been open more than a month, use it for cooking. Buy a fresh one for the bar."

The ice
"One often overlooked ingredient in the perfect martini is the ice that goes into the shaker. As we all know, ice absorbs the flavors around it. First, clean out the freezer. Give Aunt Edna's soup and everything else whose vintage is suspect the heave-ho. (Editor's Note: Jam a freshly opened box of baking soda between the frozen fish sticks.) Fill several children's ice pop molds with your favorite bottled water. Still water, not bubbly. I prefer the kind of long plastic mold that comes in a holder of six or eight. Three sets of this sized mold is enough unless you're having the House majority leader and his girlfriends over. Put a sheet of plastic wrap over the tops of the trays just in case your freezer is channeling the spirit of Aunt Edna."

"If you have a source for bagged party ice that you trust, go ahead and take your chances. I've always been wary of commercial party ice...is it tap water?...filtered water?...is it even clean water? It always tastes slightly metallic to me." (The Editor again: I recommend the Brita system for a quick tap water fix.) "Remember, you want the largest possible pieces of ice in the shaker. Do not use chipped ice. You'll pour out a martini that is about half water." (Egads!)

"This is a good time to frost some glasses. I douse them in water before I put them into the freezer. Filtered tap water works just fine for this purpose. Make sure you put them in upside down if you've used the water trick; otherwise, you'll end up with a little disk of ice in the bottom of the glass that will dislodge itself after the first sip, float to the surface of your drink, and paddle around staring at you."

"If, as a very last resort, you must use old ice, dump it all into a large bowl, fill with clean water and stir. Drain off the water and place the ice back in the freezer to 'set.' If the purity of your ice is suspect, use a few more drops of vermouth. Vow never to let it happen again."

The shake
Again, Flick Eggleston: "It's all about your own personal rhythm. I get sixteen shakes into ten seconds. That works for me. Don't shake too vigorously or too long or you'll break off shards of ice. They'll melt faster and dilute your drink. Much less than ten seconds doesn't get the mix cold enough. Experiment."