The Art of the Martini

So yesterday I went to the "Art of the Martini Party" class held at Shelley's Creative Catering. I've done this once before with my mother-in-law a few years ago. It's was really fun - both times. Yesterday I did it with a group of woman that I know from a community service group we are in together. I had a sitter yesterday since Kevin was also at a meeting - so I knew that I had to maintain myself as he wasn't going to be able to pick me up as he had done the previous time. I took the sit back and watch approach. There were 22 woman - I knew about half of them as our group was unable to fill all 24 spots (some of the gals invited friends). How this works is the group is divided into two groups, and then you partner up with someone. One group starts by making appetizers, the other group stays and makes Martini's. Then they switch and the ones from the kitchen go the the bar area and the one from the bar area head off to the kitchen. When it's all done - you have a party! We had the A group and the B group. Now the A group has special appetizers to make (they are harder), because by the time the B group comes in to make there appetizers - they've tasted 8 different martini's. Now I don't even like vodka, but I do enjoy trying the different ones. You really are only getting a taste - but keep in mind that a martini is really just vodka shaken over ice and then poured into a glass. Yes, we made Cosmo's, Lemon Drops, Apple Tini's and my fav - the Chocolate Martini. But prior to that we had Gin Martini's, Vodka Martini, Dirty Martini - and those are just straight booze! When our group finished in the bar area, we happily went to the kitchen to test our culinary skills. But first we giggled and laughed and giggled and laughed. Apparently we thought we were pretty funny. We did end up cooking, we decorated our table and got our food out to the table. Then we hooked up with the A group again - and this is where my watching people antenna came out. Now keep in mind that I am one of two in the room who is younger than all the rest by 15 to 20 years or more..... The gal that was my age (or younger) had proceeded, shall we say flirt with the bartender teaching the class, to keep drinking throughout the session. Somehow she was drinking from the martini glasses on display. We only sipped from disposable glasses. So anyway, it was funny to watch the A group interact and talk to one another. They had just finished there drinking and we had (well except the young gal and her partner) finished well over an hour or more like two hours ago. The thing that intrigued me most was that most of these woman were in there late 50's, early 60's - acting just like I might if I'd kept drinking.

At this point you can make a full size martini for yourself. And the A group was having a really hard time keeping the liquid in there glasses. It's funny to watch people who have had drinks when you are sober. And I'm sure they were thinking the same thing about us nearly two hours earlier. How all of a sudden we'd gone from the quite group listening to the guy in front of us, to the laughing, giggling group. But since I was driving - I opted out of the big martini - no big loss really - I don't even like martini's...But I'd take the class again - it's a kick! All the appetizers and drinks that we made yesterday are put into a booklet and you get to keep it. And I'd definitely make the "Wild Mushroom Pizza" appetizer again! And I signed up for some other cooking classes that Shelley puts on. I'm looking forward to it!