Recipe of the Month

Tomatoes with a Love Injection

Our friend Kevin Gould is one of those lucky folk who has managed, throughout a quietly determined food writing career, to make himself a cult figure in the food scribbling world: Jemima Khan has called Kevin a "food genius", and his cookery is always very provocative. None more so than the recipes collected, photographed and designed by Kevin in "Loving and Cooking. with Reckless Abandon" (a quote from the Dalai Lama, believe it or not!). Kevin's new book will be published in April, but we couldn't resist featuring this recipe - from the chapter entitled 'Kitchen Yoga' - in the run-up to Valentine's Day. Don't miss this book. We will certainly feature it again, and let you know when it's in the shops.

Tomatoes with a Love Injection

These 'Cherry Marys' make thought-provoking, mouth-exploding canapes, and are fine sharpeners when served at a Sunday brunch. You will be able to tell a great deal about your guests by the manner in which they eat these whole-food cocktails. Those who pop them immediately, unquestioningly, straight into their mouths, and are exhilarated by the dish, will generally make more spontaneous lovers than timorous nibblers. Mind you, there's much to be said for the occasional coy nibble.....

makes 12 tomatoes

preparation 25 minutes

a hypodermic syringe
12 perfect cherry tomatoes, brought up to room temperature for at least an hour
a good pinch of salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
200ml good-quality vodka
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon red or green Tabasco sauce

Hypodermic syringes are easy enough to buy from most pharmacies. Little 10ml syringes are sold over the counter to diabetics - it is better, however to have a larger syringe if possible. Ask nicely and explain that you're addicted to good living, as opposed to heroin. Make sure that whichever syringe you score has the largest possible diameter needle, as the spicy mixture can gum up the works.

Using an empty syringe, enter each tomato through its green head and remove as much juice as you are able. Keep the juice, if you like, to add to any soup or stock that you might be making.

Dissolve the salt in the lemon juice.

Mix this with all the other ingredients and stir very well.

Drain the mixture through a square of muslin or a double thickness of kitchen paper.

Fill the syringe with the filtered liquid and tap it a couple of times to remove any air bubbles and appear professional.

Inject a small amount through the green head into each tomato - take care, though, inject too much and the skin will split - you'll need less than you think.

Chill, if you have the time, for an hour or so, before your guest arrives.

- serve with small napkins, as the tomatoes can spurt alarmingly!

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