I think it's pretty ironic that I'm writing this post when I've been fighting a raging headache for most of the day. No cocktails for me tonight.

This is not to say that I don't enjoy a cocktail, in general. I like cocktail hour a lot. Neel was drinking martinis before they were cool. Years and years ago he and my dad were martini guys. I'm a gin and tonic gal myself. Until lately. I have to temper myself a bit, because of the headaches.

I don't want you to get the impression that it's all illness and whatnot around here. Neel can make a mean martini. It's hard to resist.

Weeknights, if I have something with dinner or while I'm cooking, I tend to go for a glass of wine. I try to save the heavy duty stuff for weekend nights. But I love the ritual of the cocktail hour. And lately, a martini has been my request. Straight up. (I used to do the dirty kind, with olive juice, and I still like those. But I've been more of a purist lately.) We have quite a martini glass collection, (I'll take a picture of it someday) and I love seeing what glass he chooses. I'll tThere's such a satisfying clink of ice in the shaker and burble of liquid into the martini glass. You sip a martini instead of gulping, or at least you should. It slows you down. Slows you down to appreciate the night.

Neel's Vodka Martini: Put "some" vodka into a shaker with ice, shake and pour into glasses. Garnish at will.