Chaletmomma

My love of Chinoiserie started when Great Aunt Alice’s Cabinet came into our home when I was a child. It was the first thing you laid eyes when entering.

Great Aunt Alice’s Cabinet in the corner of the Livingroom in the Chalet

I enjoy sharing the history of color and design movements - The term Chinoiserie means an imitation of Chinese and East Asian arts - including architecture, decorative arts, garden design, literature, music and theater.

18th-century Chinese export porcelain, Guimet Museum, Paris

But, first came tea. Europeans were introduced to the China drink tee in 1610 by the Dutch East India Company. Tea drinking became popular, along with the porcelain cups the Chinese used. The Chinese porcelains were beautifully decorated with blue and thin in contrast to the thick, heavy earthenware of most Europeans. In 1709 one typical order required forty tons of China ware. These pieces are now known as Export China. These porcelains were expensive and the English potters wanted to manufacture and sell their own.

By 1790 a name we still know today - Josiah Spode developed a recipe that was easy to fire, decorate and known for it’s whiteness and durability.

1790 Spode Pattern

Boy on a Buffalo

Chinoiserie is the interpretation of the Chinese Culture and it gained popularity in the 18th century due to the rise in trade with China and France was the first embraced China and all her beauty. The dominant style at that time was highly decorative rococo – Asian motifs, ornaments and colors fit perfectly into this style. François Boucher’s artwork is a good example of Chinoiserie painting.

the Chinese Garden, Francois Boucher 1742

Lacquerware like my cabinet can be many different types of items: including containers, furniture and tableware. The surface is sometimes painted with pictures or has inlaid shells or carving before it is lacqured. True lacquer is not made outside Asia, but some imitations, such as Japanning in Europe or parallel techniques, are often loosely referred to a "lacquer."

This chest is in Peacefield the home of President John Adams outside of Quincy, MA.

These pieces are in the home of Anna Weaver a Chinoiserie lover.

some of my beloved blue and white ceramics

Both the designs above and below are modern. Chinoiserie can be anything today.

Schumacher

Spoonflower

Gorgeous Chinoiserie lacquerware furnishings.

chinoiserie_lacquer_panels_muse_des_arts_dcoratifs_paris.jpg

The Leicester Room at Chatsworth House, with 1830s Chinoiserie paper

Chinoiserie can be furnishings, wall coverings, fabrics and ceramics.

Til next time friends stay safe!

Images listed and linked when possible.

This my friends was the cocktail my father always ordered - his drink of choice a Gin Martini with a Twist of Lemon Up. In honor of what would be Jim’s 97th Birthday today - I’m sharing a bit of Martini history and some recipes! Cheers!

Harry Johnson's New and Improved Bartender's Manual (1888) lists a recipe for a “Martini Cocktail” that consisted in part of half a wine glass of Old Tom gin and a half a wine glass of vermouth.

Fill the glass up with ice
2 or 3 dashes of gum syrup
2 or 3 dashes of bitters; (Boker's genuine only)
1 dash of Curaçao
1⁄2 wine glassful [1 fl oz] of Old Tom gin
1⁄2 wine glassful [1 fl oz] of [sweet/Italian] vermouth
Stir up well with a spoon, strain it into a fancy cocktail glass, squeeze a piece of lemon peel on top, and serve.

The Marguerite Cocktail appears in the 1900 edition of Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Bartender’s Manual. This is believed to be a precursor of the Martini - because just a few years later in 1904 the recipe has been altered to a 2:1 mix of Plymouth dry gin and dry vermouth, with a dash of orange bitters.

The first dry martini is linked to Martini di Arma di Taggia a bartender who worked at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City. He created a drink made with gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, citrus bitters, orange bitters and garnished with a lemon twist in 1911. The lemon twist is the original martini garnish and olives may have become an option when vodka was introduced as a gin substitute.

GIN MARTINI:

2 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
Garnish with Lemon or Olives.
To make a Dirty Martini add olives and a bit of the brine from the olive jar.

The GIBSON is a twist on a classic gin martini - with a cocktail onion.

The key to a great martini is to start with quality ingredients - since there are only two - this is not a cocktail where you want to be frugal

Every Gin is different and unique - you may want to alter the ratio of ingredients and/or try a different garnish with different brands.

Also be aware that Vermouth has a short shelf life because it's fortified wine, not a distilled spirit. If your bottle has been open for longer than 3 months, it's time to toss it.

A bunch of newer cocktails have the word martini or the suffix tini in their title. They are named this way because they are served in a martini glass. Most contain vodka and don’t share very much with the original drink.

POMEGRANATE MARTINI:

Ice
2 ounces pomegranate juice
1 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
1/2 ounce club soda
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Frozen red grapes
Fill a shaker three-fourths full with ice. Add pomegranate juice, vodka, triple sec, club soda and lemon juice. Cover and shake 10-15 seconds or until condensation forms on outside of shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with red grapes.

COSMOPOLITAN:

Ice
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces cranberry juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
Orange zest
Fill a shaker three-fourths full with ice. Add the vodka, juices and Triple Sec. Cover and shake for 10-15 seconds or until condensation forms on outside of shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with orange zest.

ELDERFLOWER MARTINI:

1 ounce St. Germain's elderflower liqueur
1 ounce gin
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce lime juice
Pour the half-ounce of dry vermouth into a martini glass. Swirl the vermouth around in the glass coating the sides of the glass. Pour out the vermouth - do not use in shaker. Fill a shaker halfway with ice cubes add the St. Germain’s, gin and lime juice. Shake slowly until very cold. Strain the mixture into the vermouth-swirled glass. Garnish with lime peel.

the Martini Spoken Here sign belonged to Dad. — the ***Martini Spoken Here*** sign belonged to Dad.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner recently at the Black Forest Inn. I snapped a picture of a Black Forest Signature Martini and the Holiday Drink Specials with the five different martinis they offer.

APPLETINI:

Ice
2 ounces vodka
1-1/2 ounces sour apple liqueur
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
Green apple slice
Fill a shaker three-fourths full with ice. Add the vodka, apple liqueur and lemon juice. Cover and shake for 10-15 seconds or until condensation forms on outside of shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with apple.

RASPBERRY LEMON DROP MARTINI:

Ice
2 ounces citrus vodka
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce Chambord
Raspberries
Chill a martini glass. Fill a shaker three-fourths full with ice. Add the vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Chambord. Cover and shake for about 10 seconds. Strain into the chilled martini glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

CHOCOLATE MARTINI:

Ice
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces creme de cacao or chocolate liqueur
Chocolate truffle
Fill a mixing glass or tumbler three-fourths full with ice. Add vodka and creme de cacao; stir until condensation forms on outside of glass. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with chocolate truffle.

Stirring Versus Shaking

The Various James Bonds with their martinis

There's a lot of debate about whether martinis should be stirred or shaken. Most experts agree to the following rules:

If a martini contains only spirits - such as a classic martini or vodka martini - it should be stirred in a mixing glass with ice for about one minute. The idea is shaking will bruise the spirits.
If a martini contains fruit juices, it needs to be shaken in a cocktail shaker with ice for about 10 seconds to mix the ingredients properly.