Cocktails of Note: Thanksgiving Martini

Thanksgiving is the time of year when we get together to thank our Creator for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us:  freedom, family, friends, food, farfegnugen (I'm not really grateful for that, it's just one of my favorite words that start with F.  I know most of you were thinking of some other word that starts with F, and your allowed to be grateful for that too.  If you're a guy, it's pretty much a given.  We're talking about Falafel, right?)

However, amidst all the things we express our gratitude for, there is one thing that anyone trying to create the "perfect" Thanksgiving Meal is grateful for: BOOZE.  (Wow, two posts and I've already degenerated to making jokes about sex and alcohol.)

So in honor of the forthcoming holiday, I offer unto you, gentle blog readers--

THE PUMPKIN DIVINE MARTINI

Equipment:  Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker and Martini Glass

Ingredients:
1 1/2  oz (a full shot glass is 1.5 oz, that's to the brim) Pear Vodka (Smirnoff runs about $12 a fifth, but you can use Absolut, Grey Goose La Poire, or infuse your own.)
3/4 oz Pumpkin Butter (Try Trader Joe's or Whole Foods)
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Spices: Pinch of Cinnamon, clove & ginger (all ground)
Garnish: Apple chip and a pinch of ground nutmeg

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add all ingredients. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with nutmeg and apple chip.

This martini is creamy (there's BUTTER IN IT!) and sweet (Simple sugar is 1 part water and 1 part sugar), and the pumpkin flavor is strong!  I recommend this with appetizers as you'll probably be drinking a nice Zin with your Turkey (Yeah, I just went wine-snobby.  I'll do my best to keep that at a minimum).  The other option is to finish everything and spend the rest of the evening nursing this cocktail as you lapse into a booze- and-triptophane induced Thanksgiving coma.

Enjoy.

Conan the Barbarian is listening to the Woman's Problems!

Movie Commentaries you have to Hear: Conan the Barbarian

 


Welcome to my first Blog entry ever.  So mostly this will be me posting about the things I find interesting and important about...snooooooze.  Sorry, you're already asleep?  Then let us begin with our first segment on Movies.

Okay, here's what you do: 
1.  Get a DVD/Blu Ray of Conan the Barbarian (If you're lucky, or a glutton for punishment get one that includes Conan the Destroyer).  Buy the Complete Quest
2.  Gather a group of friends that have seen Conan the Barbarian before.
3.  Get a six pack of beer...each.
4.  Watch it with the Commentary of John Milius and Arnold Schwarzeneggar
5.  Open your mouth in slack-jawed awe as the commentary begins with the deep voice of John Milius: "This is Arnold Schwarzeneggar and I starred in this movie" and the heavily-accented voice of Schwarzie "And this is John Milius and I directed this movie"  (pause...pause...pause) "And if you believe that, then...Richard Simmons Jr. is running around out there."  Then they laugh uproariously.
6.  Drink beer, and realize: THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

This is bar-none the craziest commentary I've ever heard, not only because of what they say, but they take it very seriously.  Conan the Barbarian is a gorgeous film, obviously inspired by John Ford's The Searchers (for which director Milius offers a very interesting commentary track), but let's be honest, THIS IS NOT HIGH ART.  It's not even true to Robert E. Howard's inspired invention of the embodiment of the wildness of man's nature. 

This commentary gave rise to the slogan for the Cheesy Movie Night viewing group to which I belong.  At one point Conan (Schwarzeneggar) is running across the screen and Milius blurts out, "Freedom is the Wolves."  THERE ARE NO WOLVES ON THE SCREEN!  What does this mean?  Oh wait, about five minutes later there are the wolves.  But really?  "Freedom is the wolves?"  I know that when I'm chased across a rugged terrain by a group of savage, carniverous, quadrapeds employing advanced pack hunting techniques I'm thinking, "Wow, this is real freedom.  Forging my own destiny.  No one tells me what to...Ooops!" Trip on rock; faceplant.  Now my pitiable muscle mass if filling the body-cavity of the evolutionary brother of a chihuahua.  Freedom is the chihuahua!  No, doesn't work.

Between Milius saying how amazing the film looks (A phenomenon which happens only every 35 seconds.  Do not play a drinking game to this) and Schwarzeneggar saying, "I know.  I'm looking at it now," you'll eventually hear Schwarzeneggar refering to Conan's inner monologue "This is where Conan is listening to the women's problems."

Overall, this is a 3 sword commentary (out of 5), but if you listen with friends: 5 swords.  I hope one day it will inspire "Conan commentary parties."  And always remember my friends:

FREEDOM IS THE WOLVES!