By Times staff

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 18, 2000

deconstructing: explanations from the inside out

designer martinis

At the Lobby Bar in downtown St. Petersburg (upstairs from the Garden Restaurant, 217 Central Ave.; 727) 896-3800), designer martinis are the drink du jour. Head bartender Brad Dixon says that the framboise (that's French for raspberry) and chocolate varieties are the two most popular ways to get your drink shaken, not stirred. These martinis are made with vodka, not gin, and a purist would tell you they should be called "vodkatinis." Here's what is in the Lobby's hot drinks:

Framboise Martini

• 1 1/2 ounces Monin raspberry syrup
• 3 ounces Stolichnaya vodka (Stoli for short)
• Fresh raspberries
• The syrup and vodka are shaken with ice, then strained into a martini glass. Fresh raspberries are the garnish.

Chocolate Martini

• 2 ounces white creme de cacao3 ounces Stolichnaya vanilla vodka
• Godiva chocolate liqueur, white, dark or cappuccino as per customer request
• One Hershey's Kiss candy
• Creme de cacao and vanilla vodka are shaken with ice, then strained into a martini glass. Drizzle in small amount of chocolate liqueur, which will settle to the bottom. Seal with a Kiss.

constant comment

"Love and eggs are best when they are fresh." -- Russian proverb

this Web site cooks

http://www.ethnicgrocer.com

Dying for a bottle of Gundelsheim barrel pickles from Germany? Turkey's Ziyad rosewater? Datu Puti brand spiced wine vinegar from the Philippines? This retail site will quench your thirst -- and appetite -- for foods of the world.

Ethnicgrocer.com lets visitors browse items by country or by product and look for recipes. Recent best buys were Calbee potato veggie sticks from Japan (4-ounce bag for $2.29) and Tasso's blond olives in oil and red wine vinegar from Greece (13-ounce bottle for $4.99). Some of these products might be available in specialty or ethnic shops locally, but this site offers one-stop worldwide shopping.

cooking class

To cut calories, use prune puree or applesauce in place of shortening or butter in brownies, muffins and cakes. This tip comes from http://www.epicurious.com via cookbook author and barbecue guru Steven Raichlen. His tip is one of more than 1,000 by chefs, authors and other foodies that can be accessed on the site.

fancy finish

Gingham lids

When you put all that work into pickling and preserving, it's nice to add a country touch. Gingham lids, part of the Collection Elite from Ball Home Canning Corp., add a colorful topper to Ball or Kerr brand jars, dressing them up for the pantry or as gifts. A package of six lids is $2 to $2.25 at Target stores. They're also available online at http://www.homecanning.com.

going, going, gone

The Napa Valley Vintners wine tour comes to the Tampa Bay area Oct. 26 bearing gifts of great price: top wines for tasting and special bottlings of California's most sought-after wines for auction. They'll be sold in a silent auction as part of the Napa tasting hosted by Abilities of Florida. Among more than 30 lots of fine wines are bottles and magnums of Napa reds with near-cult followings:

• Cain (Five, 1996)
• Clos du Val (Stags Leap, 1992)
• Diamond Creek (Lake, 1991)
• Raymond Vineyards (Generations, 1996)
• Spring Mountain Vineyard (1994)

The tasting and auction will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium and will feature food from Salt Rock, SideBern's, Mise en Place and other top local restaurants. Tickets are $100 and are limited to 1,000 guests. They may be purchased by calling Abilities of Florida at (727) 538-7370, ext. 345.

it's diet in a landslide

Presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush are running neck-and-neck with voters and with their choice of soft drink. According to this month's Health magazine, Gore's favorite drink is Diet Coke, while Bush likes to quench his thirst with diet soda, apparently any kind. Their taste in food? Gore says his favorite food is brownies, and Bush likes Mexican cuisine.

so that's what it's good for

Plagued by split ends? Author Joey Green suggests you massage Cheez Whiz into dry hair, cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes, then shampoo and rinse. This "say what?" tip is just one of many offbeat uses of brand-name products in his book Clean Your Clothes With Cheez Whiz (Renaissance Books, 2000). Bothered by arthritis? Rub French's mustard on the affected area. If you run out of shoe polish, use A.1. Steak Sauce instead. Just don't be surprised if you have every dog on the block sniffing at your feet.

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