EGGNOG MARTINI

I accidentally poured eggnog into my coffee the other morning, thinking it was half & half. It was not good.

This cocktail, however, is delicious! I poured the eggnog on purpose this time. No traditional rum. This is lighter.... a "girlie" drink.

EGGNOG MARTINI:

3 oz Vanilla Vodka

5 oz Eggnog

Light shake of Cinnamon (optional)

Candy Cane or Chocolate Pretzel garnish

Add ingredients into shaker, add ice. Shake. Pour into martini glass. Drink :)

Memories from the Hotel Bel-Air

There are a few "Old Hollywood" Hotels here in the Los Angeles area that hold a gold mine of history ... and the Hotel Bel-Air is one of them. Famous guests like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly hung out there and took shelter in the privacy the hotel provided.

That was long time ago though, and let's face it, styles have changed a lot since the 1940's. I guess that is why the Hotel Bel-Air has chosen to close down for two years and do a complete remodel. And when they say complete, they mean complete! Everything down to the doorknobs were removed from the hotel and moved to a location in Santa Monica for a "mega garage sale" of sorts. They sold everything; art, furniture, linens, shower heads, beds ... and all the KITCHEN STUFF! Silverware, napkins, dishes, pans, teapots. EVERYTHING. The professional stuff too! I got to the sale a bit late, but I did manage to score a huge (and very heavy) awesome stainless steel industrial stock pot, a mandoline, and this sterling silver cocktail shaker....

Now, every time I make a martini or chicken broth -- I'll daydream and wonder if the same pot made soup for Jackie Gleason, or if the same shaker made a martini for Cary Grant? You never know...