'Tails Tuesday

On a hot summer day, after a particularly grueling day at work, nothing hits the spot like a chilled beverage, served in the perfect glass. Lately, I've been very into the fresh, fragrant hint of basil added to my cocktail of choice, the martini. This recipe from Food & Wine back in 2007 is one of the simplest and best around.

Aside from the fact that I wasted the time and effort to straighten my hair last night without reading the forecast first, I've fared pretty well in the heat (for someone who sweats in the dead of winter and perspires before my sneaker hits the pedal on my new elliptical, which took me 90 minutes to assemble last week). So hair up, skip the flat iron, and enjoy a refreshing twist on a classic cocktail tonight.