JessicaRulestheUniverse.com

I’m reading My Last Sigh, the autobiography of Luis Buñuel, and among his recollections of making Un Chien andalou and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, and of his friendships with Salvador Dali and Federico Garcia Lorca, is his recipe for a martini. I think we could all use one in this weather. It’s hot enough to frizz or straighten your hair, and with the constant barrage of political ads I expect people to run amok by the hour.

“The day before your guests arrive, put all the ingredients—glasses, gin, and shaker—in the refrigerator. Use a thermometer to make sure the ice is about twenty degrees below zero (centigrade). Don’t take anything out until your friends arrive; then pour a few drops of Noilly Prat and half a demitasse spoon of Angostura bitters over the ice. Shake it, then pour it out, keeping only the ice, which retains a faint taste of both. Then pour straight gin over the ice, shake it again, and serve.”

If you intend to copy this recipe (and there are many “copyists” out there), do acknowledge Buñuel.

Regarding the olive, Buñuel quotes a short poem by Garcia Lorca which he says was never published. (At least until it came out in his book.) For once, my 12 units of required college Spanish serve a useful purpose.

Cielo azul
Campo amarillo
Monte azul
Campo amarillo
Por la llanura desierta
Va caminando un olivo
Un solo
Olivo.

The copy of My Last Sigh came from the Lifetime Underachievement Awardee, who reminds me that it was written “with the help of” Jean-Claude Carriere, screenwriter on Discreet Charm, Belle du Jour, The Phantom of Liberty, and others.