Food
The Internets hot uncle chats food and cocktails.
I sit down at the bar next toStanley Tucciand order an extra dirty martini.
He opts for theTanqueray No.
10 martini, a decidedly more simple recipe one that hes partial to.
Alright, Im going to have to try yours, he says to me.
Obviously, now Im known for making martinis.
I was before, but only within a very small community, he tells me.
Now the world knows.
I love making them and I love the ceremony of it.
His feed is filled with videos in which he walks viewers through something hes cooking.
In each one, hes really talking to his wife, Felicity.
But you still get an intimate feel from the clips; Tuccis charm cannot escape him.
Can you talk about the allure of the martini?
Martinis are a thing.
And Im not necessarily talking about the alcohol its all about the ceremony and aesthetic of it all.
And it makes you go, Yeah.
It transports you into another place.
Whats your ultimate martini recipe?
Well, its basically this [he points to his Tanqueray No.
10, which contains dry vermouth, a twist of pink grapefruit, and gin].
But it’s possible for you to interchange the grapefruit with lemon or an olive, sometimes a cucumber.
A cucumber and lemon pairing is nice.
How else do you play around with the classic martini?
Sometimes Ill make aVesper martini.
That contains gin, vodka, and fortified wine.
It was part of a James Bond thing.
Do you remember, was itCasino Royale?
His wifes name was Vesper.
What types of foods do you like to pair with a martini?
For me, I really like canapes, appetizers but also really simple stuff.
If you just did a grilled mozzarella sandwich with a martini… its so good.
Hard-boiled eggs and a martini.
I know that sounds funny.
Oysters, clams on the half shell.
I had Oysters Rockefeller that I just did onIna Gartensnew show.
Shes so interesting, and shed never had a martini before.
So you showed her how its done.
I know thats an impossible question.
It actually is impossible.
But Ill give you the three best number ones.
So thespaghetti from alla Nerano, which is from the Amalfi coast.
I had it at a place calledLo Scoglio.
The pasta carbonara at a place in Rome that is no longer there, unfortunately.
And then probably,pasta alla Norma, which is eggplant and tomato and just a little ricotta salata.
Theyre so simple, all of them.
What foods would you never pair with a martini?
For the most part, I feel my palate always tells me to have things with more protein.
I dont know why.
You dont want something too stodgy, right?
Too flaggy, like the British say, which is gross.
I think its good to have something thats of substance but that isnt huge.
You could have a steak and a martini.
Thats not so bad.
Whats the one thing thatll either perfect or ruin a martini?
Well the quality of the ingredients, number one.
Number two, the person who makes it.
If they dont know how to make it, its not going to work.
What are your thoughts on theespresso martini trend?
Its fun but its not what I would drink all the time.
I would have a martini and some food, and then Id have an espresso.
Whats your favorite atmosphere to drink a martini in?
Well, if its a good martini, anywhere.
But a nice, quiet, elegant bar.
Like a cool jazz club.
And then if youre drinking one at home, are you at the dinner table?
Are you watching something or listening to anything?
I put music on when I cook.
And before that, I usually make cocktails and then cook.
No, not hard-boiled eggs.
Thats just for me.
What music are you playing?
Usually some kind of jazz or Paolo Nutini, who we love.
Whats your earliest memory of drinking a martini?
My very first one was probably around Christmas time.
I remember the first time I had a scotch whiskey scotch and soda with my dad at Christmas.
I did have an uncle who used to drink martinis, so it was probably with him.
Hes still around, hes 100 years old.
And its still there.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
source: www.bustle.com
