"martinis" news and stories

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• Greek yogurt experiences a revival

• A tour through Oxford's pubs

• A meat eater sings tofu's praises

• What is a mangosteen?
  

• Need some spice? Try piri-piri sauce

• When you get a craving for noodles and cannoli ice cream cones...

• Forget chocotinis, these are the real deal

Is that a cucumber in your market totebag or are you just happy to see me?

I would say that more so than any of the other phallic foods, the straighter, thicker cucumber is probably the most, in my humble opinion of course, accurate. However, shape and size aren't the only things that matter when it comes to turning on a woman with a cucumber. Aside from its phallic shape, the scent of cucumbers is believed to stimulate women by increasing blood flow to the vagina.

That must be why so many of us love those cucumber melon scented bath products!

You know that on Halloween, it's all about candy for the costumed kids, but for those of us who are beyond the age of trick-or-treating (but not beyond dressing up!), the treats come in the form of drinks. Specifically for Halloween, we are talking about what my friends and I call "Booze Candy" -- cocktails made from candy- and chocolate-flavored liquors that are inspired by candy.

The Almond Joy Martini is something I've posted about before, but since it's Halloween, thought I'd bring up the drink named after one of my favorite candy bars. The cocktail mixes chocolate, coconut, and nutty flavors, resulting in a ridiculously delicious drink that could double as a dessert. I suppose if you left out the nutty liquor, you'd have a Mounds Martini since sometimes, you don't always feel like a nut!

Shake 1 oz. each of coconut-flavored rum (Parrot Bay or Malibu), Frangelico, Godiva or other chocolate-flavored liqueur, Hershey's chocolate syrup, and vodka. Add 4 oz. half and half or light cream, shake with ice, then strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with shredded coconut.

• Here's an interesting idea: let's get rid of restaurant menus!
• The Best New Wine Lists of 2007.
• A list of products and trends you'll see in the kitchen in the next few years.
• Three interesting burgers to try this July 4th.
• Speaking of the 4th, a French chef shows you how to grill a steak.
• Heading to Richmond, VA? Check out this guide to the city.
• If you're not going to Richmond, how about Paris?
• How to preserve summer flavors.
• This month's recipes: Blueberry-Lemon Parfait, Summer Melon with Crab, Potato Salad with Bacon and BBQ Sauce, Tuna with Provencal Vegetables, Almond Ice Milk, and Cucumber-Basil Martini.

Most of these "what _____ are you?" quizzes you find online are often inaccurate but a fun way to waste a few minutes of your day. And they often reinforce some aspect of yourself that is true, or maybe you wish was true, and you get a little icon to put on your web site to make other people think you're that way too.

This one asks you a bunch of questions (though not enough, I feel) to find out what type of drink you are. Are you a hard drink like whiskey? Are you a drink with a little umbrella in it? Are you a martini person? Or maybe you're not an alcoholic person at all. The questions revolve around what activities you do when you drink (playing quarters? lying down? vomiting?), what snack you like to eat when drinking (peanuts? olives? nachos?), and the type of taste that appeals most to you.

For the record, the quiz said I'm a beer person. Which is odd, since I rarely drink beer.