Valentine’s Day may be a commercialised celebration of love and romance, but it is a celebration none the less. I’m never one to miss out on festivities of any sort, and February 14th is no exception. In fact, I think there’s something rather - well, lovely – about the way the nation goes a bit soppy for a few days: stern-looking commuters hurrying off the train with bunches of flowers; love sick teenagers picking out heart-filled cards in Clintons; and M&S shoppers filling their baskets with steak, champagne and gooey chocolate desserts.
I also love to see the special menus appearing in restaurant windows, filled with aphrodisiacs and heart-shaped fancies. This year we’re staying in for our dinner a deux, which means a chance for me to try out my cocktail-making skills on Mr B!
Love-Heart Mary cocktail
My husband loves a classic Bloody Mary, but I find it just a bit too savoury – a bit like pasta sauce in a glass. This is my alternative which balances the savoury notes of the tomato with a little sweetness from a seasonal blood orange.
Makes 2
50 ml vodka
175 ml tomato juice
1 blood orange, juiced (or half a normal orange and a squeeze of lemon)
a few drops hot chilli sauce
a pinch of salt and pepper
To serve:
4 cherry plum tomatoes
2 cocktail sticks
ice cubes
- Put all of the ingredients into a jug and stir well.
- Taste the cocktail to check the balance of flavours and adjust as necessary.
- Add a few ice cubes to each glass then pour in the cocktail.
- To make the heart-shaped garnish, cut the end off each tomato on the diagonal then press the cut sides together.
- Spear the tomato hearts with the cocktail sticks to hold them in place and make a small slit in the bottom, then slide them onto the side of the glasses.
You can pick up all the ingredients for this recipe at M&S in Festival Place.
Happy nibbling!
Fiona B x
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