"That was a good Manhattan, John," a lady friend remarked one evening several years ago, as we were heading for the dinner table.

If you want the recipe I threw about five ice cubes into a cocktail jug, poured in two slugs of whiskey and sweet vermouth and added a dash of bitters.

But it poured out the color of weak tea and I decided maybe the ice cubes had melted too quickly.

That's what I thought until I started to mix a cocktail a week later.

"What's this water doing in my cocktail mixer?" I asked my wife.

"It isn't water," she replied. "It's fish fertilizer for my house plants."

I never had a complaint from the aforementioned dinner guest and I'm pretty sure the statue of limitations has expired regarding fish fertilizer cocktails.

I'm not sure about the appropriate penalties for wives who mix fertilizer in their husband's cocktail shaker.

I mentioned this incident several years ago in an edition of my Intermediate Eater cookbooks.

And I still wonder.  Was it a really good Manhattan cocktail?  And is this the way some great discoveries  evolve?

An acquaintance named Bill Doner, who once ran Seattle International Raceways, claims to have been an eye witness to the invention of the Harvey Wallbanger.

It was discovered during a lengthy cocktail party when the participants discovered that the only bottles that had not been emptied contained gin, Galliano and orange juice.  So it all went into the same tub.

The concoction won the approval of all the guests except for one gentleman named Harvey, who began banging his head against the wall.

I suppose a fitting name for a Manhattan made with fish fertilizer might be a "Coho cocktail."   You probably would not want to down too many of them for fear of developing damp root.

An appropriate snack to serve with cocktails would be:

 

 

 

Gold Medal Munchies

 

1 package round tortilla chips

2 ripe avocados

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 medium roma tomato

cayenne pepper

1/3 pound small cocktail shrimp

 

Mash the avocados with a fork and add the salt and lime juice. Chop the tomato into small pieces and add to the avocado mixture. Add cayenne to taste.

I prefer Sesame blue chips but you can use any corn tortilla rounds.  Spread the avocado mixture over each chip and top with three or four tiny shrimp.

 

Tortilla Bean Dip

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic pureed

1 1/2 ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 can (16 ounces) vegetarian refried beans

cayenne pepper

 

In a pan saute the onion, garlic, salt and spices in the olive oil for a minute.  Add the tomato sauce and cook another two minutes.

Stir in the beans and when combined with the other ingredients add cayenne to taste.

Serve at room temperature with taco chips or crackers.