Pimm's Cup

Happy Labor Day! Never had a Pimm’s cup? It’s a delicious refreshing drink that tastes a little like a cola with some sour and bitterness. Perfect send off to pool season. I like to add a little gin to my Pimm’s cup for the added herbal flavor, but if you want to make this a single liquor drink, you could skip it! This does take a lot of fresh juices, get yourself a citrus juicer if you are interested in fresh juices and juice cocktails.

Guacamole | Revisited

I pretty much stopped making this fully loaded guacamole I used to love. It required too many ingredients to make on the fly at home. Plus I’ve since learned authentic guacamole is much simpler yet doesn’t disappoint on flavor.

Blackberry & Lime Shrub

Shrubs. What to say about shrubs… A shrub is a Colonial way of preserving summer fruit. The fruit is mixed with sugar to macerate, creating a syrup. The syrup is diluted with vinegar which preserves it. Herbs, spices and a blend of fruits can be used to create a complex tart and sweet beverage base. More here. I made a cherry balsamic shrub once before and found it very heavy on the vinegar and difficult to enjoy. I do like vinegar, but it isn’t immediately appealing to drink it. I saw this Blackberry Lime shrub on Beehive Bitters Instagram account and it looked great. SO I gave shrubs another shot! This one does not disappoint!

Watermelon Jalapeno Margarita

Recently I was out with a friend at the restaurant Comida. Described to us as a fusion of southern food and Mexican food, it’s delicious. The real wow for me was the watermelon jalapeno margarita. I wasn’t so sure before I tasted it, but it was a great blend of sweet, spicy and sour. Add a little salt on the rim and it practically hits every flavor.

Mexican Ceviche

Ceviche is a fresh and bright dish where fish is “cooked” by marinating it in lime juice. If you haven’t heard of ceviche before, “cooking” without cooking does sound very strange but it works! (read this for more info). There are lots of types of ceviche out there, the kind I make most closely resembles the Mexican style. This is a great fresh appetizer to bring to a party. Equally as good enjoyed at home as a light meal or side dish.

Michelada Pop

One of the most memorable red beers I ever had was sitting on a rock in my bathing suit, next to a lake in the afternoon. Pouring V8 into a bottle of Labatt Blue. Even the inevitable overflow of beer and tomato juice couldn’t ruin in. Every beer and tomato juice cocktail since reminds me of that sunny afternoon. All the more reason to drink them on a snowy day and think of summer.

Homemade Mayonnaise | Three Ways

Get ready for some gratuitous mayonnaise pictures! I’ve been on a “Three Ways” trend for a little bit, but this ends the streak. I found this easy way to make mayo after discussing what a pain it is with some friends. They were doing Whole 30 which allows you to eat mayo if you make it yourself using olive oil. You have to use a super light olive oil (believe me, I tried regular olive oil and it’s very bitter) or for us non-Whole 30 folk, vegetable oil. It’s a great basic mayo and open to a lot of flavor combo options. Three of which I share below!

Ramos Gin Fizz

This is a complicated and, I’ll admit it, slightly bizarre drink. I really enjoy it, but it won’t be for everyone. You have to be ok with raw egg, ok with citrus and milk together and ok with floral notes.

It’s a dividing line.

Classic Daiquiri

When I thought of daiquiris I used to think of smoothie-like pink or green frozen treats for underage drinkers. So teeth achingly sweet and frozen, it was never anything that appealed to me. I have since learned that is not a daiquiri. Just like a lemon drop is NOT a martini. A daiquiri is a very simple drink. Light rum, lime and sugar. Almost similar to a margarita, but lacking the orange liqueur. Supposedly a variation of the classic daiquiri (adding some grapefruit and maraschino liqueur) was a favorite drink of Hemingway while in Cuba. I used this daiquiri recipe from Chow.

Margarita

My cousin and I have a saying, "every time I want a disappointment, I order a margarita". I have had a mostly miss relationship with margaritas. They are often too sweet or too sour, made from a horrible mix or from fresh fruit and waaaay over priced. I finally decided enough was enough I'd make a good one at home.

20 Minute Key Lime Pie

This really does take 20 minutes to make and bake. Then it can spend the meal cooling in the fridge to be ready for dessert! It can be put in the oven while you shower and start cooling while you dress! It's also surprisingly impressive. People seem shocked at how simple the ingredients are and swear you must have spent more time on it. The recipe comes from the back of the Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice and can be found here. The lime juice has a TON to do with this tasting so great. I highly recommend this one, it's strong tasting and tart so it doesn't get 'lost' in the custard! Don't throw away the plastic crust insert if you are planning to take the pie anywhere. If you flip it around it makes a perfect lid to keep your pie from getting squished!