Vermouth

I like martinis. This is not to suggest that a martini qualifies for "Dinner Tonight" (although I'd be happy to make a case for it) but rather that there's always a lot more vermouth hanging around the house than I need. So why not put it to use in an entree? Poaching -- cooking food by immersing it in just-simmering water -- is as easy and as fast as it gets. It's also a great way to prepare tender fish fillets. Flavoring the poaching liquid (aka water) adds oomph to whatever's being cooked; broth or wine are typical additions.

I'm a big-tent person, you know. Live and let live, I always say. Milk of human kindness by the quart in every vein. No accounting for tastes, so let people enjoy their innocent pleasures. Life's too short, &c., &c.  But my patience is sorely tried by an article at Westword in which one Jenn Wohletz, whom I take, from her vulgar but uninventive prose and untutored taste in drink, to be a young person, disparages the old-fashioned and the martini.  The old-fashioned is a drink for Old People, she says, and it's a pain for the bartender to make, and "when anyone under the age of 65 orders one, they're only doing it to look cool and impress people.

James Bond looked carefully at the bar man. "A dry martini," he said, "One. In a deep champagne goblet.""Oui, monsieur.""Just a moment. Three measures of gin, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice cold, then add a large, thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?"-- "Casino Royale" by Ian Fleming (1954).That was then. This is now:James Bond looks carefully at the martini menu in the martini bar. "Hmmm. So many different versions. How's the Oreo cookie martini?"

ROME -- "Mescolati, non agitati" is Italian for "stirred, not shaken," but to me it means a good martini is hard to find here - and in a lot of other places, for that matter. I went looking for one on the last Sunday evening in August, the nadir of the year in Rome. It was hot even at 7 p.m., and everything was closed because Romans linger at the beach as long as they can before returning to town to face September. On the Via Veneto, prime martini territory given its Fellini-esque "La Dolce Vita" connections, lobby bars in the grand hotels were shut tight, and maitre d's in oversize suits beckoned me into sad, empty sidewalk cafes.

STROLLING INTO the lobby of the Meyerhoff in anticipation of a fulfilling evening of Dvorak and Richard Strauss, I was stopped in my tracks by what appeared before me: A "martini bar." Well enough, I suppose, for those who like their martinis after dinner. Then I looked at the menu: For a confirmed traditionalist who earns his living (or tries) by knowing the precise meanings of words, this was like a parody of the Apostles' Creed or of "The Star-Spangled Banner." For 100 years, the martini, the world's most sophisticated cocktail, composed of a measure of gin, plus French (dry)

I AM NOT much of a martini maker, but if someone puts a perfectly made martini in my hand, I will happily sip the liquid and feast on the olives. "It takes the edge off," the martini makers say. Who am I to disagree? I have always associated a certain degree of edginess, tension and attitude with martini drinkers, at least when they are in their pre-imbibing state. My image of martini drinkers has been that they are smartly dressed world-beaters. They are tense types who, after downing their favorite elixir, become less tense, less driven and, in some instances, less dressed.

I'm a big-tent person, you know. Live and let live, I always say. Milk of human kindness by the quart in every vein. No accounting for tastes, so let people enjoy their innocent pleasures. Life's too short, &c., &c.  But my patience is sorely tried by an article at Westword in which one Jenn Wohletz, whom I take, from her vulgar but uninventive prose and untutored taste in drink, to be a young person, disparages the old-fashioned and the martini.  The old-fashioned is a drink for Old People, she says, and it's a pain for the bartender to make, and "when anyone under the age of 65 orders one, they're only doing it to look cool and impress people.

Don't dismiss orange juice as merely the breakfast beverage of choice. Imagine its vibrant juicy sweetness in a savory sauce. Married with a little spiciness, in this case, scallions and jalapeno chilies, and then enriched with cream and dry vermouth, orange juice makes a delectable sauce. Top a bed of pasta with the Valencia sauce, shrimp, fresh basil and crunchy pistachios and you have an irresistible entree prepared in less than 30 minutes.(For another meal one day, try orange juice as a replacement for part of the oil in a salad dressing or marinade.

AT THE TEHRAN conference in 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin to the gin martini."How do you like it?" FDR asked."

ROME -- "Mescolati, non agitati" is Italian for "stirred, not shaken," but to me it means a good martini is hard to find here - and in a lot of other places, for that matter. I went looking for one on the last Sunday evening in August, the nadir of the year in Rome. It was hot even at 7 p.m., and everything was closed because Romans linger at the beach as long as they can before returning to town to face September. On the Via Veneto, prime martini territory given its Fellini-esque "La Dolce Vita" connections, lobby bars in the grand hotels were shut tight, and maitre d's in oversize suits beckoned me into sad, empty sidewalk cafes.

STROLLING INTO the lobby of the Meyerhoff in anticipation of a fulfilling evening of Dvorak and Richard Strauss, I was stopped in my tracks by what appeared before me: A "martini bar." Well enough, I suppose, for those who like their martinis after dinner. Then I looked at the menu: For a confirmed traditionalist who earns his living (or tries) by knowing the precise meanings of words, this was like a parody of the Apostles' Creed or of "The Star-Spangled Banner." For 100 years, the martini, the world's most sophisticated cocktail, composed of a measure of gin, plus French (dry)

I like martinis. This is not to suggest that a martini qualifies for "Dinner Tonight" (although I'd be happy to make a case for it) but rather that there's always a lot more vermouth hanging around the house than I need. So why not put it to use in an entree? Poaching -- cooking food by immersing it in just-simmering water -- is as easy and as fast as it gets. It's also a great way to prepare tender fish fillets. Flavoring the poaching liquid (aka water) adds oomph to whatever's being cooked; broth or wine are typical additions.

The market may have taken a dive since the horrifying events of Sept. 11 (a trend only lately reversed, and we shall see how long that lasts). But if you had your money in liquor futures you should be sitting pretty. According to The New York Times last week, imbibers have been packing the saloons of the city in unprecedented numbers. "At a few places - a diverse list including Pravda, the Regency Hotel and McSorley's - liquor sales were 25 percent higher last month than they were in November 2000," the Times reported.

I AM NOT much of a martini maker, but if someone puts a perfectly made martini in my hand, I will happily sip the liquid and feast on the olives. "It takes the edge off," the martini makers say. Who am I to disagree? I have always associated a certain degree of edginess, tension and attitude with martini drinkers, at least when they are in their pre-imbibing state. My image of martini drinkers has been that they are smartly dressed world-beaters. They are tense types who, after downing their favorite elixir, become less tense, less driven and, in some instances, less dressed.

James Bond looked carefully at the bar man. "A dry martini," he said, "One. In a deep champagne goblet.""Oui, monsieur.""Just a moment. Three measures of gin, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice cold, then add a large, thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?"-- "Casino Royale" by Ian Fleming (1954).That was then. This is now:James Bond looks carefully at the martini menu in the martini bar. "Hmmm. So many different versions. How's the Oreo cookie martini?"

Low-fat, fast and multipurpose, this sauce can be used on almost any variety of grilled, broiled, baked or sauted fish or even on chicken. Make the most of the farmers' market by serving an abundance of produce such as broccoli and corn on the cob with the fish.For the finale of this low-fat meal, offer a refreshing peach Melba with fresh ginger: Top a scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt with sliced fresh peaches.Combine some fresh raspberries with a drizzle of orange juice and a pinch of grated ginger.

Maryland's busy cooks often rely on "family favorite" recipes for those nights when it's no mean feat to get dinner on the table. But many of them also have developed clever strategies for entertaining when time isn't plentiful.Here are some of the dishes and menus readers shared with us.*The first is from Brenda Sands, full-time paralegal and mother of three. She writes, "The kids like the name as much as the meal!"Poor man's dinner from Hobo AlleyServes four to six1 pound ground beef1/4 cup chopped onion1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes (including liquid)