The Espresso Martini

       

I have a friend called Graham Clark who plays in a band called Brilleaux. This post has very little to do with him. Not much at all really. But since I figured it was time for Tuesday's Cocktail and I was looking for a little pick-me-up I naturally reached for an Espresso Martini, a drink that has become absolutely ubiquitous in restaurants and bars over the past few years. And that took me to Graham's son Jason.

Jason is one of the world's leading cocktail-makers. He has won competitions. He has had all sorts of amazing adventures representing brands of high-end spirits. Currently I think he is a world brand ambassador for Talisker. That's pretty high cotton whoever you are...

Amongst other achievements, Jason has also written the definitive book on coffee cocktails, The Art & Craft Of Coffee Cocktails. It's a fascinating exploration, written very approachably and anecdotally but also very seriously. Jason really knows his stuff.

Of course the book starts with the most famous of all coffee cocktails, The Espresso Martini.

Allow me to quote his introduction:

Originally called The Pharmaceutical Stimulant and the Vodka Esspresso, the infamous Espresso Martini was created at Fred's Club, London, in the late 1980 by Dick Bradsell. [...] When a model approached him and asked for "something to wake me up, and f*** me up," Dick's response was to combine vodka, fresh espresso, coffee liqueur and sugar, and shake it to a frothy mix of bittersweet invigoration, strained into an elegant glass.  

Just as every good cocktail-maker adds their own little touch, I have adapted Jason's recipe to suit my taste: he uses a sugar syrup made from brown sugar - I prefer my coffee with white sugar and my martinis too so I've used regular simple syrup. And I've tweaked the coffee liqueur by using Kahlua Salted Caramel Coffee liqueur which gives an extra hit of complexity to the final product. It's also just fine with regular Kahlua or other coffee liqueurs - experiment!

ESPRESSO MARTINI

Ingredients

• 40ml Vodka
• 30ml fresh espresso
• 20ml Kahlua Salted Caramel Coffee liqueur (or other coffee liqueur)
  
• 10ml simple syrup (50/50 sugar/water)
  

Method

• Make the coffee in advance and allow to cool
• Shake all ingredients with ice
• Strain into a martini glass

NOTE: Yes, make the coffee in advance so it's cold when you put it in the shaker.

ANOTHER NOTE: The traditional garnish is three coffee beans (like the picture on the book) but I can't see the point of inedible garnishes so have dispensed with them.

LAST NOTE: Since there is nothing fresh in this it keeps really well. So you can make a big batch of the mix (don't shake it) and keep it in the fridge. Litre milk bottles are very good for this - simply pour it out in 100ml lots and shake it whenever you need it! 

Sea Fever review

SEA FEVER (2019)

Director: Neasa Hardiman

Stars: Hermione Coerfield, Dougray Scott, Connie Nielsen

Runtime: 95min

 

I missed this when it came out late last year but films crop up all over the place these days and the other day it did for me. Essentially what you've got here is something heavily reminiscent of The Thing, with perhaps a touch of Alien, but set on a small fishing boat off the Irish coast. It's not going to change the world but it's a taught and engaging, if derivative little ride.

This is the very definition of "B-Movie", which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all. Scott and Nielsen are the "old-timers" on hand to run the ship and make selfish financial decisions that put everyone in danger, but the whole thing is anchored by the remarkably grounded performance of Hermione Coerfield as the new scientist on the boat. She is very low-key and her determination and solidly logical approach really gives the movie a believable central core.

Essentially a bunch of regular character types are on the fishing trawler when they get stuck to something in the sea. A creature? They free themselves but the bigger problem is some bright blue goo that is seeping through the hull and into the boat's water supply. And into the crew...

Soon bad craziness is occurring and they're devising tests - a la The Thing - to see who's infected. It is tense and claustrophobic and, thankfully, nobody does anything uncharacteristically stupid to drive the plot. It's a small scale but well-handled feature, breaking no new ground and slightly disappointing when it comes to the finale, but it does get an extra star for being Irish, which gives Sea Fever a slight but distinctively different feel to the many other outings in this genre.

I would suggest that if you're looking for sea-bound thrills in the Alien vein you might also want to go further underwater and try exactly that - Underwater with Kirsten Stewart, which has a considerably bigger budget and really is worthwhile. I found that one to be a lot of fun despite low expectations going in. It was easily good enough to meet them and keep me well amused on a wet afternoon, with both enjoyable character interplay and inventive creature work: the Big Bad was ultimately 1000 times better than in Sea Fever.     

 

His House reivew

HIS HOUSE (2020)

Director; Remi Weekes

Stars: Sope Dirisu, Wunmi Mosaku, Matt Smith

Runtime: 93min

 

His House is the feature debut of director Remi Weekes and marks him out as someone to watch. There is a calm assurance about the direction which means that even as events in the film spiral out of the protagonists' control the story is still clear and controlled. This is a very impressive piece of work.

The story centres on a Sudanese refugee couple Rial and Bol who are given asylum in Britain. They are still effectively on "bail" so have strict conditions including not working and not leaving the house which is assigned to them. There are tensions from the unfriendly reaction of locals. A group of black street kids tell her to "go back to Africa".

Even before the couple move into their house your heart has been broken by their situation, making the slow reveals that the film springs on you even more potent. 

We have already learnt from the incredibly concise and well-handled opening that they have a dead daughter. Both seem to be suffering PTSD from the terrible conditions in their homeland and the brutal journey. And the couple seems to have brought something with them on their travels as the two are tormented inside the run-down house by ghosts and apparitions who live in the walls but can inflict real physical harm.

Using elements of Sudanese myth the couple are haunted by an ‘apeth’ or ‘night witch’ who has risen from the ocean and wants them to atone for their sins. Or is it their imagination? There is a twist and there is a real examination of guilt going on as the film keeps its delicate balance between the internal and external, the real and the supernatural.  

There is so much to admire here. The cinematography is subtle and outstanding; the direction, the blocking, the sparse yet potent dialogue, are all spot on. Even the colour schemes add to the effect, with a brief shopping centre trip being as unnerving with its white sterile strangeness as an early Cronenberg film.

Bottom line: excellent stuff. From a pure horror perspective it may not shock and scare the way a film like Hereditary did but this is little gem of a story. I can't wait to see what Remi Weekes does next.

Lunch at the White House

WHITE HOUSE RESTAURANT

Cuisine: New Zealand
Address: 15E Minden Road, Te Puna 
Phone: 07 552 4443
Website 
Drinks: Fully licensed
Reservations: Recommended

 

Owners Jo and Penny have been in hospitality around this area for what seems like ages. 30 years? Dunno. It must be around that long. First, if my mouldering memory serves, over at Blue Biyou in Papamaoa, and most recently taking over Phil's Place from its original AC/DC drumming owner. In between there was a lodge in the Papamoa foothills and other ventures.

 

What's been clear in each case is that they know the area and people's tastes and have a no-nonsense approach to food. Nothing weird, good fresh ingredients not messed with too much and cooked properly. And personal welcoming service. Their latest venture in Te Puna is opposite the Nourish cafe up on a small hill. It is wooden and white, with a light open European feel and serves food and drink from midday every day except Monday.

 

Jim, of the most excellent Finer Wines in Katikati, has half a dozen wines from there on the White House winelist so suggested we join him for lunch the other day. He's a bit of a seafood fiend and had been raving about their bouillabaisse. 

 

As it happened we ended up going the full fish monty, all of us eating naught but our tasty little fishy friends. It turned out the pan-fried fish of the day was John Dory - my favourite fish in the world - and the fish and chips fish was Gurnard which Jan loves, so we had those and all shared a plate of squid to start...

 

Salt & Pepper Calamari (GF) $19

resting on julienne salad garnish with aioli

Seafood Bouillabaisse (GFO/DF) $39

mussels, prawns, scallops & fish in a tomato & fennel broth served with toasted ciabatta

Fish & Chips $32

beer battered fish, served with beer battered chips & fresh salad

John Dory $?? (I forgot)

pan-fried fish, sweetcorn cake, fresh vegetables, spicy tomato salsa

And everything was cooked just right. Every bit of fish was moist and not overcooked. Jim reported that the Bouillabaisse was again brilliant. The chips were crisp, the vegetables still with the right amount of crunch. The calamari was unusually tender and perfectly cooked while the little salad accompanying it had a fantastic curry oil dressing, transforming it from a throwaway plate-filler into something quite special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

(The only thing that didn't sit for me was the salsa with the John Dory which I thought clashed with the corn cake, but the fish was so good I wasn't really worried...) 

To go with that, or at least to drink alongside it since we all felt like something red despite the pescatarian nature of the meal, we had one of the wines Jim supplied for the winelist.

Infame Carmenere Reserva Chile 2018    $49

 

It was seriously good, with terrific aromatics - lots of berries on the nose. The flavour was also berry, with smooth integrated tannins and a touch of spice but without any of the darker chocolate notes you sometimes get, a really well-structured wine with lovely texture. (You can of course get it direct from Finer Wines.)   

All in all it was a very pleasant afternoon. As I said earlier, Jo and Penny know their audience. This is essentially hearty fresh food for middle New Zealand and its popularity attests to how well it is judged and executed  All the meals are of a decent size - essential for the Kiwi mindset - and, like I said earlier, feature good ingredients cooked and presented simply and well. 

This rustic approach is in many ways this is the exact opposite of Clarence Bistro in town where I ate a couple of weeks back, which has a very small menu (last time we were there it didn't feature lamb, pork or chicken at all) and leans towards carefully plated fine-dining presentation, each ingredient carefully curated, with options for food starting at $69 for two courses. 

I don't say that to suggest that Clarence is overpriced, just that there is a minimum spend. You could certainly drop that same amount for 2 courses at White House Restaurant - and some might think that overpriced for such "casual" food - but there are also many other options...

White House has a huge menu that includes an extensive list of snacks and light meals, sharing plates, pizzas, main meals and desserts. There's also a separate vegan menu and children’s menu. They are set up for anyone, whether you want lunch, an afternoon glass of wine and nibble of pate (they do very good pate) or a full dinner. Relaxed and laid-back, this is already very popular and will no doubt continue to be a  hit over these increasingly sunny summer months.

Penny & Jo

White House at night

Gin & Bitter Lemon - 2 Ways

Bitter lemon was always a staple soft drink when I grew up in England. Schweppes Bitter Lemon. It was a common drink and as a kid I remember it being “too sour” for me. Later I discovered that you could use it with gin to make a low-rent Tom Collins. That's before I learned to make “proper “ cocktails.

However, like cheese 'n' onion crisps (yes, I know – they're called chips in NZ) it's an English thing that never caught on in New Zealand. Until now. Soft drink maker StrangeLove now make bitter lemon, as well as a couple of other groovy soft drinks (Hot Ginger Beer anyone?).

So today we have bitter lemon with a couple of different gins in a couple of different ways. Both are refreshing options for the hot summer months that are no doubt approaching. And they don't require shaking – it's just a simple stir. How easy can you get?

 

FOUR PILLARS BLOODY SHIRAZ GIN & BITTER LEMON

Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz is made by steeping Shiraz grapes in gin for eight weeks and then combining them with Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin. The result is a fruity, spicy gin, 38.9% ABV. Each year's batch is different, depending on the Shiraz harvest. Four Pillars describes the gin's character as containing "fresh pine needles, citrus and spice, and distinct peppery, dense raspberry notes. The palate is lovely and sweet with a long juniper and spice character on the finish."

Ingredients

• 60ml Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin
  
• 120ml StrangeLove Bitter Lemon
• Orange wedge

Method

• Fill a glass with ice
• Pour in the liquids
• Garnish with orange

 

LONDON DRY GIN & BITTER LEMON

Bitter lemon also picks up beautifully on the citrus and spicy notes in most London Dry gins. The extra touch of lime or lemon juice adds to this. I used Haymans here because it's our “house gin” - high quality, very classically London dry and surprisingly reasonably priced. 

Ingredients

• 60ml London Dry gin
• 120ml StrangeLove Bitter Lemon
• 10ml fresh lime or lemon juice
• lime or lemon wedge

Method

• Fill a glass with ice
• Pour in the liquids
• Garnish with orange

So there we go. Two ways with gin and bitter lemon. The second one is a little more "sour" so those of you with a sweeter tooth might like to add a little simple syrup. Big kudos to StrangeLove for finally introducing Bitter Lemon to New Zealand - Cheers!