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Thirst Quenchers

Cucumber Cilantro Gin Tonic

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Cucumber Cilantro Gin Tonic

This refreshing summer cocktail is crisp and light with a hint of Latin flair. To be honest, it’s a Gin Tonic more than a Gin AND tonic.

Cucumber, Cilantro, Gin, and Tonic water all blend together in a fresh, clean summery chiller. This bright libation is a mellow tonic for a steamy summer afternoon.

Looking for swap out ideas for the gin? Try tequila or vodka, if that’s more your liking. Spicy chili salt on the rim is a lip-smacking extra, if you go with tequila.

This tonic is a perfect drink for entertaining. Mix up a pitcher and serve with a platter of grilled veggie tacos or Mexican grilled shrimp.

Cheers to this fresh citrusy departure from traditional margarita faire.

Cucumber Cilantro Gin Tonic
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Cucumber Cilantro Gin Tonic

A refreshing summer cocktail that's crisp and light with a hint of Latin flair. It's a Gin Tonic more than a Gin AND tonic. Perfect served with grilled veggies or a platter of tacos.
Course Beverages, Happy Hour
Keyword Gin
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup London Dry Gin
  • ½ cup Persian or English cucumber, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • ⅛ - ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1 cup tonic water, chilled
  • 1 - 2 cups ice cubes
  • thinly sliced strips of cucumber, lime wedges and fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish

Instructions

  • Add gin, cucumber, cilantro and lime juice to a cocktail shaker. Muddle together very well, pressing into the cucumber to release all of the juices and flavor.
    Drop in 3 or 4 ice cubes. Cover and shake vigorously.
    Fill 2 cocktail glasses with ice. Pour in gin and cucumber mixture. Top off with chilled tonic water.
    Garnish and serve.

The Forager Cocktail

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The Forager

During the spring here in Los Angeles, the loquat trees explode with fruit. In fact, nearly every neighborhood in LA is filled with loquat trees, heavy with ripe fruit. The first year that I lived in my house I had no idea what these little golden fruits growing on my trees were. And I definitely didn’t know they were edible. The next year I didn’t want to spend endless days cleaning up the hundreds of loquats falling to the ground and sidewalks. So I started searching for ways to eat them and use them in recipes. Enter The Forager cocktail.

I love smooth southern cocktails, fragrant with bourbon and mint. And since loquats are a fruit found predominantly in the American south, it made sense to pair the flavors together.

You probably won’t find loquats in the grocery store produce section. Basically they just grow on trees in backyards and neighborhoods throughout sub-tropical regions. They fill local trees by the thousands, therefore many Angelenos forage the fruits from neighbors, parks and along the street. If you live in a region where you can’t find loquats, try using a combination of peach, mango and pear to get the same flavor. Or just come on out to the West Coast in the spring and forage some off the trees for yourself.

Sip an icy cold Forager on a hot summer day with a basket of spicy fried chicken or black-eyed peas and greens.

Loquat Trees
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The Forager

A loquat bourbon cocktail that is similar to a bourbon smash or mint julep. Plump sweet loquats are muddled together with mint leaves and fresh lemon for a refreshing spring/summer cocktail.
Course Beverages, Happy Hour
Keyword Bourbon, Cocktails, Drinks
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces ripe loquats, washed well about 20 loquats
  • 10-12 fresh mint leaves plus more for garnishing
  • 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice plus 1 Tbsp for simple syrup
  • 4 ounces Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (not rye) I use Four Roses, Bulleit or Makers Mark
  • ice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1½ Tbsp Blackstrap molasses
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Simple Syrup

  • Make the simple syrup ahead of time so that it is completely cooled or chilled when you mix up your cocktails.
  • In a small saucepan, dissolve 1 cup of sugar into 1 cup of purified water. Heat to just simmering and turn off heat. Stir to completely dissolve. Let cool a bit then add molasses, vanilla and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Allow to completely cool before using or refrigerate overnight.

Cocktail Recipe

  • Prepare the very well-washed and drained loquats by pinching them with your fingers to squeeze the seed(s) out of the center. Put the rest of the fruit, skin and all, into a small bowl. The final weight of the seeded loquats should be 8 ounces.
    Loquat Half
  • In the bottom of a large cocktail shaker muddle the mint leaves. Then add the loquats and muddle together with 2 Tbsp lemon juice and the molasses simple syrup.
  • Add bourbon and ice to the shaker and shake very well.
  • Pour into iced glasses. (if the pulp is too thick to pour through the strainer, use a coarse mesh strainer to do the job) Garnish with mint leaves and lemon zest.
    The Forager

Sunrise Glow Smoothie

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Sunrise Glow Smoothie

I love sweet Cara Cara oranges! In springtime in California the farmers markets are full of them. Eat them fresh by the slice or toss a few into a blender for a sunrise glow smoothie. Now that’s a happy start for any day.

Smoothies can be a quick healthy meal loaded with all the vitamins and nutrients you need for the morning.

This gorgeous glowing blend features seasonal fruits and gut-healthy ingredients that will keep you going till lunch. Carrots for luminous skin. Cara Cara oranges and strawberries, loaded with immune boosting vitamin C. Almonds, chia seeds and coconut milk provide essential fat and protein plus fresh pineapple and mango keep gut bacteria happy. Additionally, add a few tablespoons of maca powder the whole thing comes together for a wholesome and delicious morning mix.

Toss any fruits you have on hand into the blender and make your own version of morning sunshine.

Sunrise Glow Smoothie
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Sunrise Glow Smoothie

Gut-friendly, skin glowing, anti-inflammatory smoothie. A refreshing drink for any time of day.
Course Beverages, Breakfast, Snack
Keyword smoothie, Snack, vegan
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2

Equipment

  • High Speed Blender or Magic Bullet

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh pineapple cut into chunks
  • 1 banana
  • 1 Cara Cara orange peeled and sectioned
  • 1 golden mango peeled and cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cup carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 1 cup coconut cream
  • 1/3 cup raw slivered almonds
  • 2 Tbsp maca powder
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to the blender with the most tender ingredients on the bottom. If you like a chilled smoothie, add a couple of ice cubes to the blender.
  • Turn on blender and blend for 1 minute.
  • Pour into glasses and enjoy

Three Day Ginger Beer

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Three Day Ginger Beer

Discovering ginger beer prompted one of those “aha” moments for me. There are so many brands on the market to choose from.  But if you’re looking for a unique flavor, grab a couple of bottles and make your own brew. It’s so much easier than you think and the flavor possibilities are limitless.

Three Day Ginger Beer
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Three Day Ginger Beer

Fermented foods and fresh ginger get together to deliver a delicious one-two punch in the gut. Perfect on its own, poured over ice or mixed with your favorite vodka with a squeeze of lime.
Course Beverages
Cuisine American
Keyword Cocktails, Fermented, Ginger Beer
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
3 days
Total Time 3 days 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings 10
Author How Did You Cook That
Cost $4

Equipment

  • Plastic 2 Liter Bottles OR glass water bottles with rubber stoppers
  • 1 large pot for boiling water

Ingredients

  • 9 cups pure filtered or spring water
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar or baking powder
  • 3/4 cup fresh ginger Grated. Add more for a stronger ginger flavor
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast

Instructions

  • Pour 4 cups of spring water into pot. Add cream of tartar, grated ginger and lemon juice to the pot. Bring to a boil.
  • Turn the heat down to low and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved.
  • Turn off heat and add the remaining 5 cups of cool water. Allow mixture to cool to a
    temperature at or below 75°
  • After the mixture has cooled add the yeast and stir into the brew. If the water is too hot the yeast will die and the ginger beer will not ferment and become carbonated. The yeast does not dissolve. Just mix well for about 30 seconds.
  • Cover with a towel and place the pot in a dark corner for 3 hours.
  • At the end of three hours strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve and into a large pitcher. Discard ginger bits. Ginger bits.
  • Using a funnel, pour the brew into clean bottles. Leave extra room in the bottle for the brew to expand as it builds up gas.
    Note: I personally use glass bottles because I like to keep my brew clean and free of plastics while it undergoes fermentation. IF you choose to ferment in glass bottles, do so at your own risk! I release the gasses from the bottles very frequently to prevent the bottles from exploding. About every 3-5 hours. The bottles will explode, if you do not release the gasses, breaking the glass everywhere. Be sure to point the bottle away from your face EVERY TIME you release the pressure.
  • Place the bottles in a dark, warm room for 2-3 days releasing the pressure every few hours. The longer it ferments the more sugar is consumed by the yeast. 2 days will make a sweet brew. 3 or more days of fermenting will yield a lighter and less sweet beverage.
  • After 3 days, store the ginger beer in the refrigerator. This will slow the fermenting process but you will still need to release some pressure every day or so. Your brew will not go flat. It stays bubbly for a long time.
  • Serve over ice with fresh fruit or lime wedges. Make a Dark and Stormy by adding rum. Make a Moscow Mule by adding vodka. Or just enjoy as a fresh treat to cool you off and make your tummy delightfully happy.

Home Roasted Coffee

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Home Roasted Coffee Beans

How do you take your coffee? I take mine home-roasted with a little cream.  Since I discovered roasting my own beans at home over the stove, my morning ritual has never been the same.

I’m always up for re-purposing little-used kitchen items.  I experimented with a vintage Jolly Pop stove top popcorn popper and it worked like magic!

The lid of the Jiffy Pop has a nifty little crank handle that turns a slim bar inside the pot that shuffles the beans as they roast. The result is a perfect, even roast. Adjust the heat of the stove as necessary in order to get one, two or three “cracks” from your beans. If you’re impatient like me, cheat a little and open the lid to peek inside and check the color of the beans. Shake the pot occasionally in order to prevent the beans from burning. There’s nothing worse than a burned tasting cup of Joe.

The entire roasting process takes about 15 minutes but you get the best tasting brew 3 days after roasting. Roasting and brewing on the same day will not deliver an ideal cup of coffee. Patience is key here.

In California, I buy my beans locally from Kean Coffee, a roaster in Orange County. If you do a little searching, you can find distributors online who will ship green coffee beans directly to your house.

My little coffee experiment turned into a passion and I didn’t spend a fortune getting into it. The Jiffy Pop fits my hiking and camping lifestyle too. It travels with me, entertains the heck out of me over the camp stove and usually gets a chuckle out of the barista and coffee roaster when they ask what kind of roaster I use.