Word of the Month (or Moment) - August 2010

For the month of August, I have chosen the word "martini".  Yes, that is pronounced "mar-ti-ni", as in "It is so hot I could use a martini as big as my leg."  Or "I have never met a martini I didn't like as long as it is shaken, not stirred."

The martini is "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet," as described by H.L. Menken and E. B. White called it "the elixir of quietude."

Martinis are all the rage right now.  No, not your vermouth and gin with an olive martini.  Martinis now come in a wide range of combos and flavors:  apple, blueberry, spicy jalapeno, chocolate, lemon, cranberry, vanilla, basil, eggnog (nothing says the holidays like an eggnog martini!), watermelon, key lime, and basalmic vinegar (though for the life of me I can't think of why anyone would want one of these), to name a few.  I have a friend that makes a KILLER - as in "to die for" - pomegranate and orange martini that comes in very handy at a scrapbook crop. 

To drink a martini, one must have the proper glassware or somehow it just loses its sophistication and mystique.  There are many martini glasses to choose from these days. 

Somehow, the conical shape of the glass is a prerequisite to being a martini glass.  I once made the grave mistake of calling a margarita glass a martini glass while shopping with my daughter, upon which she enlightened me.  Consider this a lesson should you ever be at a cocktail party and be tempted to make the same faux pas as I!

 Last year there was an ad for a local catering company which highlighted that they served "turkey-nis".  I couldn't quite believe that someone would want a mixed drink that tasted like turkey.  It dawned on me one day that they were serving turkey and dressing in martini glasses as appetizers for the holidays, not meat flavored drinks.  It was such a relief!

So there you have the WOTM for August.  It is subject to change, but if the remainder of the month is this hot I may use it frequently!  Of course, I am up for changing it for a foreign word or phrase...say....pina colada...   Paige, get the glasses chilled...I will be there in a couple of weeks!