cocktails and artichokes

It's been a loooooooooong time between blogs! Unfortunatly I have no pics for this one (although I have lots of pics of other nonrelevant foodie things that i have done and experienced over the last long while- maybe i'll save them for writers block!)

Tonight is Friday night and i have just been eating, drinking and making merry with the girls. I decided to make cocktails with the various leftover spirits in our cupboard (you know how there is always a few odd items left over after a party) In this case we were lucky- we had some Cointreau and Vodka (and gin and kirsch and a smidge of brandy and.....) and as i had been to Portobello Rd Market and picked up some delicious raspberries i decided to use these- it goes like this

RASPBERRY COSMOTINI

1 part Cointreau
2 parts vodka
a sqeeze of lemon
about 5 raspberries per person

Shake all ingrediants with ice in a cocktail shaker and pour into a Martini glass. Put a few of the by now pulped raspberries in the bottom of the glass for looks as well as taste........and enjoy-
Be careful- its a bit lethal

We had this lovely concoction with something else i picked up at the market- some lovely artichokes.
I had never cooked these before, and was surprised at how easy it actually was.
All you do is cut off their long stems and a few of the small leaves at the base , rinse and drain them
then put them in a pot so they all stand upright - stem side down
Boil some water and add lots of salt and a good squeeze of lemon
Put the wate rin the pot- about 3/4 of the way up on the artichokes and leave on a moderate stove to simmer fo 1/2 hour- 45 mins- until tender

To serve-make either, a tangy vinagrette or melt some butter with a big squeeze of lemon in it
Give each person their own Artichoke and a plate for discarded leaves.
Pull off each leaf and dip in your choice of sauce eating only the tender base of the leaf until you get to the very inside
Discard any pointy spiky hairy choke parts and then.....
devour the heart of the artichoke with a big drizzle of the sauce on it.

This is a lovely way to sit around with a cocktail or a glass of wine with friends and pick and gossip about the weeks events.
sigh- i have had a lovely evening and now am going to bed
I promise faithfully to be a Better Blogger from now on (until i slip again)
Goodnight