Chocolate and alcohol.
Apparently mix very well thank you.
As Cakes was off doing secret boy stuff for most of Saturday, I was left to my own devices. I only have one word to say on the matter: Shopping.
I popped in at Condon Barr, a local restaurant supply store I have been meaning to visit for, oh, about 12 months now. I pounced on and purchased, totally impulsively, six gorgeous little double-handled soup bowls. They are now sitting prettily in my glass fronted cupboard. Expect a soup recipe soon.
I supplemented the soup bowls with a few other trinkets, but after 20 minutes, I ran out of stuff to look at. Condon Barr's selection of small wares is well…small. Most of the space is taken up by industrial restaurant dishwashers and other big metal stuff that I find boring.
I was just about on my way to the cash register and out the door when a kind lady stopped me to ask if I would like a chocolate martini. Really. I recalled that this was the weekend of their advertised "bar wares sale". Apparently, their promotion involved plying their customers with full-size, yummy, yummy chocolate martinis. The martini was very good. And chocolaty. And alcoholic. At 1 pm on a Saturday afternoon. Maybe these people are Australian.
Because I had just drunk at least 2 ounces of alcohol, and hadn't eaten a thing all day, I thought I'd better stick around and see whether I would be okay to drive. Big mistake. So there I was: unchaperoned, slightly drunk, a wallet full of plastic, and trapped, for at least 20 minutes, in a store selling kitchen thingies. Predictably, the small collection of items in my shopping basket swelled. I bought things I didn't know I needed. I bought things I didn't recognize and probably won't ever be able to figure out how to use.
Note to self: Hide bill from Cakes and swear no more drunken shopping.
The martinis were divine though. Try them. You'll see. Just don't do any shopping for at least an hour after drinking one, lest you find yourself kitted out with a Peruvian frog-leg skinner or 6-foot pink fiberglass whisk.
Condon Barr's Illegal Chocolate Please-Buy-More-Random-Kitchen-Gadgetry Martinis
Serves 2
- 3 oz. chilled vodka
- 1.5 oz chilled clear crème de cacao
- 1/4 oz Cointreau
- 2 chunks milk chocolate (CB used Hershey's Kisses, but I think Hershey's Kisses are foul… although, it is at the bottom of a martini, and I don't recall any hesitation on my part in eating the kiss after drinking the booze!)
I may well be drunk every single day until the end of the spanky new bottle of clear creme de cacao in my cupboard...
P.S. As I've had a bit to drink I feel comfortable pointing out that there was a fancy article about me in a fancy newspaper on June 15th. Shhhh.
Have another martini, darls.
oh wow, now you've got me googling at 12 am for where i could order me some clear creme de cacao.... that sounds like such a yummy drink! and i'm not even a vodka person.
Posted by: stef | June 20, 2005 at 10:20 PM
mmmm
Chocolate Martinis
I dont think there's anything wrong with CM's at midday, afterall I am Australian :P But beer for breakfast is better ;)
I hate hershey's kisses too, yuck why spoil an awesome drink with something gross like that.
Posted by: clare eats | June 20, 2005 at 10:28 PM
Stef
Be warned. You may never be sober again.
Clare,
Boo Hersheys. Yay Cadburys.
Posted by: Lyn | June 20, 2005 at 10:31 PM
Holy crap, Lyn! That is fantastic!
I don't think anyone in Tennessee even knows what a food blog *is*.
It was wonderful, and of course you came off sounding so very clever...
Posted by: Stephanie | June 20, 2005 at 10:58 PM
Hi Lyn, sounds like a great shopping day. Love the post and I'll definitely have to try the martini. If all your shopping experiences are that much fun then I want to go shopping with you!
Posted by: Michele | June 21, 2005 at 04:10 AM
Yum - chocolate martinis! Must - have - some!
Posted by: Sweetnicks | June 21, 2005 at 05:47 AM
famous, you're finally famous! good choice with the Cadbury's vs. the Hershey's. need to tell you again how wonderful the Tomato Edam tart was. Must go buy ingredients for Chocolate martini. Who knew this was just what I needed?! xoxo
Posted by: mireille | June 21, 2005 at 06:50 AM
Love your writing! Hysterical story! Thanks so much for the laugh. Just please tell me you didn't actually buy a frog-leg skinner. . .
Posted by: Farmgirl | June 21, 2005 at 09:11 AM
I'm mania for chocolate. Your posting stimulates me. Although I don't like alcohol, sometimes, chocolate that alcol is reasonably added make us regain our vigor.
Posted by: Chocopie | June 21, 2005 at 09:30 AM
Cadbury's Cadbury's Cadbury's !!!!
Posted by: clare eats | June 21, 2005 at 10:43 PM
Woo Hoo! Fabulous article - congrats! Fame and fortune awaits.
And is that a square of Cadbury I see in your martini glass??
Posted by: Niki | June 21, 2005 at 11:23 PM
oh no, bloglines has let me down again and just notified me of this entry - fantastic post(!), but the link to the newspaper doesn't seem to work anymore... i wanna read what they said about you!!!
Posted by: Melissa | June 23, 2005 at 05:46 AM
A manly hmph to chocolate martinis.
Posted by: anthony | June 24, 2005 at 02:06 AM
Anthony
Perhaps I shall invent a beef martini esp. for you.
Posted by: Lyn | June 24, 2005 at 08:46 AM
I just had a wonderful martini....The Baba-tini, signature drink at Baba Budan's espresso bar in Cincinnati, Ohio. I came home tonight and starting looking for recipes. It's a mixture of vodka, kahlua, godiva liquor, with a shot of cold espresso and a chocolate rim...YUMMMMMMMYYY!
I have seen many things on your site, that I will be trying!
Posted by: thegirl | December 04, 2005 at 10:15 PM
I too have tried the Baba-tini at Baba's in Cincinnati and have to agree with you it is YUMMMMYYY! Your sites awesome keep up the good work
Posted by: anthony | January 25, 2006 at 08:29 PM
Thegirl & Anthony:
I must try this baba-tini. It sounds divine!
Posted by: Lyn | February 02, 2006 at 03:09 PM
Wow! Great info. I wish, I could have such a writing skills.
Posted by: Amien | June 05, 2007 at 01:56 PM