…my true love sent to me eight Bloody Marys.
I have never been a great one for New Year’s Eve, and with the addition of a fairly small child to the family, the thought of being woken any time from 6.45 a.m. make low key celebrations more likely than ever. However, I have almost unbounded enthusiasm for delicious brunch type food and several Bloody Marys to calm the nerves.
For the food element the very best place (if you can get a seat) is Ottolenghi. Make your way post haste to your nearest branch. If you don’t believe me trust Rachel Cooke one of the Observer’s top writers.
For the perfect Bloody Mary, if you can’t make it to Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, here is a recipe from the New York School of Bartending to make at home:
a healthy slug of good vodka (Grey Goose, Belvedere, Smirnoff Black, Uluvka all recommended)
tomato juice
1 dash celery salt
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash Tabasco
2-4 dashes of Lea & Perrin’s Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. horseradish
Dash of lemon or lime juice
Garnish with celery stalk
I am rather partial to a dash of dry sherry in mine, if you happen to have a bottle open around the house. This is really as good as it gets. Happy New Year.