Drink and a nosh: Pear martini and pear crostini

I tried this cocktail during a cozy evening out with friends at Marin's bar and thought I'd see if I could replicate it at home. The bar menu listed the ingredients, so that was a good start, and the St. Germain site gave further clues. To go with it, I tried the pear appetizer so I could have a pairing of pears. (And no, I can't help that kind of thing.)

Peartree martini cocktail
Adapted from St. Germain's website.

Ingredients

1 ½ ounces pear vodka

1 ½ ounces St. Germain

½ ounce fresh lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)

½ ounce simple syrup

Method

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.

Rating: Wondrous. Quite possibly the best cocktail I've ever made. The St. Germain site used a dash of bitters instead of simple syrup, which I might have to try next for comparison purposes. Now if only my basement was as cozy as the book-shelf lined nooks of Marin's lower level bar. Or if it least it didn't inspire me to drink.

 

Pear crostini with honeyed ricotta
Adapted from cookingforkeeps.com

Ingredients
1 mini baguette
2 ounces ricotta (I used Calabro's)
½ tablespoon honey, plus more for drizzling
1 pear
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

Method
Slice mini baguette into 3/8-inch slices. Toast for about 5 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Set aside.

Mix ricotta with honey. Spread a generous amount on each crostini.

Peel and core pear. Slice in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thin slices.

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add pear slices and saute over medium heat until pear is tender and has picked up color. Place pear slices on top of ricotta. Sprinkle on nuts. Drizzle with honey.

Rating: I tend to think of appetizers as having at least some savory component, so it's a different sort of appetizer. But whatever you want to call it, it is highly tasty. Paired with the pear martini, it would make a fabulous post-concert drink/nosh, because it has sort of a dessert element. And if you gave me one of these and a Bellini as part of a brunch buffet, I might never leave.

Play along: To match the spirit of things, put on "Get Happy" by Jenny Lin, et al, a recording of jazzed-up versions of classic show tunes, somehow appropriate as we lead up to a potential "La La Land" Oscar fest.