Posted by Lucy Baker, June 30, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Summertime is cocktail time. When the weather heats up, who wants to be weighed down by dark, heavy beers or glasses of lukewarm wine? Icy, blended drinks made from high-quality spirits and exotic fruits such as lychees, Asian pears, and kumquats are much more appealing.
This week's Cook the Book selection, Margaritas, Mojitos, & More by Jessica Strand, is full of tempting recipes for classic summer cocktails with a twist. Author Jessica Strand shows you how to make any drink your "signature" by mixing and matching flavored vodkas, spices, and garnishes like fresh rosemary and sliced black plums. In addition to the lethal libations, there is a chapter dedicated to Calming Coolers—nonalcoholic drinks such as Blended Peach Creams and Pomegranate Tingles—that are perfect poolside refreshers for children of all ages.
Just in time for your 4th of July celebration, we'll be excerpting a tantalizing cocktail recipe from Margaritas, Mojitos, & More every day this week. Forget about boring brews and white wine spritzers—it's time to bust out your blender and shaker and get the party started.
Win 'Margaritas, Mojitos, & More'
For a chance to win one of five copies of Margaritas, Mojitos, & More tell us in the comments section below: what is your favorite cocktail garnish? (Mine is olives, and lots of them!)
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from among eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, July 7 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Jen Maiser, June 23, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Sometimes, it takes being away from my hometown farmers market for a week or two to really appreciate the turn in season.
I spent last week in Portland and visited the PSU Farmers Market, one of my favorite markets in the country. The PSU market was full of piles of porcini mushrooms, rhubarb and berries. The market vibe in Portland is like no other—a combination of completely relaxed mixed with a serious foodie vibe. I browsed through the market eating a Sol Pops paleta: cucumber, chile and lime-flavored.
Returning to San Francisco this week, I noticed that our market had switched from spring into early summer. Gone are most signs of spring, replaced with an abundance of early summer fruit.
I was most excited to find figs at the market. The figs were available from Knoll Farms, a farm in Brentwood that is about 60 miles from the market.
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Posted by Leah Greenstein, June 9, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Blackberry sorbet made with blackberries from Burkart Organics.
For a former New Yorker there's a lot to get used to about Southern California life. For the first eight years I lived here I felt like a winter kale wilting in the summer sun. It took leaving and moving all over the country before I figured out that there's something truly special about Southern California. Rest assured it's not Lindsay Lohan.
While to most people California is a postcard of beaches and palms trees, much of the Golden State is actually farmland, a fact that is reflected by the more than 50 certified farmers' markets in Los Angeles County alone. Perhaps the most famous of these markets is the one held on Wednesdays in downtown Santa Monica, where you can spot the city's top chefs picking through dandelion greens and squash blossoms.
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Posted by Alaina Browne, May 21, 2007 at 12:06 PM
Helen Jane is blogging on the theme of warm weather entertaining this month. I hosted a party for some friends this weekend and my spread included her cherry tomatoes, basil, tiny mozzarella balls and croutons skewers and a couple pitchers of her lemon fizzy lifting drink. These were both as described: super easy to prepare crowd pleasers.
Thanks, Helen Jane! I'm already planning my next get-together around your white sangria recipe.
Photo of Helen Jane's skewers by Helen Jane
