What Nibble Goes With Which Guzzle?

[MiguelCardoso]

Here are some time-tested combinations to submit to your appreciation, in the hope you may be coaxed to share your secret pairings:

1) WITH salted, roasted almonds (must be freshly peeled and oven-roasted, with good sea salt and black pepper and just a little butter to help the salt and pepper to stick to the nut):

a) Scotch or Irish Whisk(e)y and Perrier in a highball, lots of ice;

b) Cold tulip of manzanilla or very dry and young "fino" Xerez (N.B. In parts of Spain pan-fried almonds are used);

2) WITH pimento-stuffed green Manzanilla olives (desalted in water and then resalted with flecks of "fleur du sel"):

a) Gin and tonic;

3) WITH perfect, fresh gigantic Manzanilla green olives:

a) Gin or Vodka Martini (pure, no olive juice);

4) WITH roasted, salted peanuts in their shells (freshly oven-roasted or a tin good old Planter's):

a) Marguerita;

b) Beer;

5) WITH oven or pan-roasted, salted, peppered pine-nuts:

a) Negroni;

b) Campari and soda;

6) WITH roasted, salted hazelnuts (skins scrubbed off):

a) Screwdriver.

All these pairings work wonders. I am still looking for the perfect combination for black olives; Kalamatas; Picholines and all the other olives; roasted pecans, walnuts and macadamias; figs; raisins; lupin beans (apart from beer); dried roasted pumpkin seeds ("pevides" in Portuguese); fried, salted fava beans; et caetera et caetera...

[beans]

Nice list!

Roasted walnuts -- a cap cod?

dried, roasted pumpkins seeds -- something with tequila?

Hmmm. This is going to take some thought and field experiments.

[Verjuice]

I love to luxuriate in the company of a gigantic bowl of roasted, salted pistachios when I'm guzzling prosecco. With Kir royales,which I drink less often, pistachios are even better; I think it must remind me of the Middle Eastern pistachio/sour cherry combination I find so delectable in desserts .

I also adore Marcona almonds with fino sherry.

Pecans freshly toasted and spiced accordingly are great with cocktails. I think.

A big bowl of black walnuts in the shell and a bottle of Belgian beer, like Chimay. The pronounced bitterness works really well with the astringency of the nuts, and they're both so meaty and luscious.

Honey-roasted macadamias and Myer's rum? Maybe not.

How about cashews? And brazil nuts? Perhaps with something similarly big and buttery. Exceot I hate that crap, and I love cashews and brazil nuts.

[Stigand]

One that shouldn't work, but does.

Spanish pickled chilli peppers (guindillas) - I like the Delicias brand, which is available in the UK at Sainsbury's with... Champagne.

The vinegar in the chillis (and they are intensely vinegary) ought to spoil the taste of the champagne, but for some reason, they complement each other amazingly.

[jld]

I'm a fan of carmalized walnuts with dark ales.

[ludja]

Black Pepper-Sugard Pecans with a Bourbon Manhattan... mmm, is it noon yet?

[marie-louise]

I'm serving a spicy Feta cheese/ yogurt dip w/ olives and pita tonight. I'd love to serve a cocktail. Suggestions?

[Behemoth]

Arak would be perfect. One part Arak to two parts water, then add ice after it has gone white. Arak goes really well with feta and olives, very palate-refreshing.

But you probably don't have any -- raki would of course work just as well. You could try Sambuca or pernod but I think they tend to be a little sweeter.

Other than that, I would probably drink a beer or crack open a Cotes du Rhone -- which is produced with grapes very similar to those used in lebanese wines and goes well with that kind of food.

Scotch is also nice with that kind of stuff -- stong enough to stand up to feta. That used ot be my dad's fave (after Arak, of course ).

But for future reference, see my little, erm, diatribe here:

Arak

[marie-louise]

Arak would be perfect. One part Arak to two parts water, then add ice after it has gone white. Arak goes really well with feta and olives, very palate-refreshing.

But you probably don't have any -- raki would of course work just as well. You could try Sambuca or pernod but I think they tend to be a little sweeter.

Other than that, I would probably drink a beer or crack open a Cotes du Rhone -- which is produced with grapes very similar to those used in lebanese wines and goes well with that kind of food.

Scotch is also nice with that kind of stuff -- stong enough to stand up to feta. That used ot be my dad's fave (after Arak, of course ).

But for future reference, see my little, erm, diatribe here:

Arak

I do have Pernod. I've never drank it-I just use it for various fish recipes I have. This could be fun. Thanks.

[marie-louise]

I had Pernod w/ water. First 5:1, then added a little more water. It did go very well w/ the Feta, but, uh, Pernod is what you would call an acquired taste, eh?

[Katherine]

How about cashews? And brazil nuts? Perhaps with something similarly big and buttery. Exceot I hate that crap, and I love cashews and brazil nuts.

Something big and buttery, like hot buttered rum?

[Behemoth]

I had Pernod w/ water. First 5:1, then added a little more water. It did go very well w/ the Feta, but, uh, Pernod is what you would call an acquired taste, eh?

Pernod is stronger-tasting than Arak. I drink it sometimes but don't like it as much. If you don't like anise flavor, of course, all bets are off. I grew up with Arak, and given what I've been told was my childhood tendency to swipe drinks at parties, I must have developed a taste while still in diapers

Sorry you didn't care for it. (Though glad you agreed it complemented the food )