Eat Boutique

Forget orange, lime or even pomegranate juices. I’ve been head-over-heels for watermelon juice since the season started and found a glorious way to integrate it into my weekend cocktail hour.

You could buy a large melon, scoop out its meat and mash the juice from it. I opt for the easy path. My local farmer’s market has sweetly carved up the melon, packing the fruit in easy plastic containers to take-away. I grab a few tubs each week, as this fruit juice is quite refreshing during our hot summers in the northeast.

Tonight, I popped the fruit into a blender and kept my little finger on purify until there were no lumps to be seen. Next, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and all the ingredients below. Shake and pour, with ice, into a hefty glass, and decorate with a chunk of melon. Sure, I could strain out the ice and serve it straight up in a martini glass. But I wanted my husband to feel at home with a large, hefty glass, so I kept the ice

Watermelon Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 parts, watermelon juice
• 1 part, orange liquor
• 1 part, tequila
• 1/2 lime, squeezed into shaker

You could also choose to garnish with lime wedges, but I’m a design freak who believes in the power of the monochromatic, so it had to be a watermelon chunk. You may opt to make these super strong or fairly light; play around with the measurements to get a drink that suits your event. Today, I wanted something tasty but light. On an evening when one needs a little more punch to ease the nerves, you could certainly up the liquor ratio.

My husband and I have been married for less than three years, but he learned what makes me tick very quickly. Do I need fancy presents and posh tropical vacations to make me happy? Hardly - though I hear they don’t hurt! All I really need is a new kitchen (done) and a great cocktail.

I go back and forth on the great cocktail part. One week, all I want is champagne or a strong margarita. The next week, I’m all about light beer or perhaps a good Spanish white wine. However, my love for the ultimate cosmopolitan never wavers.

The cosmo and I are dear friends. When I take my first sip after long periods away, it feels like old times. We pick up precisely where we left off, totally into each other, totally content, totally at home.

A few weeks ago, I fell back in love with this pink goddess. I was celebrating that little movie (that did surprisingly well at the box office) with grilled summer pizzas, and decided to pair them with a cosmopolitan. I remember drinking these regularly way before the show made them popular again. In the early 90s, I used to indulge at Global 33, a little spot on 2nd Avenue in New York City, as they made the best cosmopolitans south of 14th Street. (And who really bothered with anywhere north of 14th Street back then?)

Upon meeting my husband, he quickly experimented with many different recipes and settled on this one. I wanted to share it as (1) it consistently puts a smile on my face and (2) Mark Bittman posted on cocktails last week so he inspired me to share. My husband’s recipe is easy and requires you to only remember ingredients, as the measurements are all the same. It’s also quite boozy to boot, so one cocktail will go a long way. (But who really bothers to stop at one anyway?)

Please be aware that my husband’s version of this cocktail is sweet, tart and quite strong, so keep that in mind as you take your first sip. He did the sweet-tart-strong thing on purpose. (Perhaps to make me forget about the lack of fancy presents and posh tropical vacations?!)

The Ultimate Cosmopolitan

• 1 part, vodka
• 1 part, cointreau or orange liquor
• 1 part, fresh lime juice
• 1 part, cranberry juice

Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with lime wedge, or however you see fit.

If you’re into something a little different, I make a version I call the “Jennifertini” where I substitute pomegranate juice for cranberry juice. It’s a little different and quirky, sort of like my sister, for whom I named the cocktail for her 30th birthday celebration.

There’s a great spot in London where life is always a beach. The Haymarket Hotel has a fancy bar right by the gigantic pool. We had drinks in a side room, but marveled at the vastness of the pool room, the luscious sofas, the beautiful colors and twinkling lights.

After drinks, we headed next door to an absolutely divine Indian restaurant. Mint Leaf is dark, exotic and oddly familiar. Contrary to Hakkasan (scroll down), Mint Leaf felt more established, more comfortable in its own skin, less inclined to show off. I loved it and we lingered a long while. Of course, the lingering could have had something to do with the seven porn stars that graced our table. Porn star cocktails, that is. This tart mix of vanilla vodka, passion fruit, passao and a side shot of champagne nicely complimented all that spicy food. The photos don’t do it justice. Floating in the martini glass was a little shot of passion fruit puree mixed with brown sugar. Our server recommended we eat the fruit puree, sip the champagne and then sip the tart vodka-passion fruit drink. I wish I could convey the tart, freshing taste. I’ll have to crack the recipe and make them at home.

This past weekend was my Mom’s 70th birthday party. It was quite the extravaganza. First, it was a total surprise. Family visited from as far as Philadelphia, some with significant others in tow, and all stayed at my home, squished into three bedrooms, somehow. We were all tightly packed but happy to be so; it reminded us of our early years when we all lived in a multi-family house in Jersey. There were so many parties in my childhood home, and it’s always great to party together again.

My Mom is from Honduras, so we’re all Latin and I opted to throw a Latin-themed fiesta jam-packed with salsas, a fish and vegetable soft taco bar, margarita ice cream and a homemade dulce de leche cake. The food was well-received and perfect for such a diverse crowd. My family is packed with vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, non-dairy, non-butter, non-cream folks… the list goes on and on. A soft taco bar permits everyone to create their own meal. Choose fish, shrimp or sauteed peppers and onions and then add all the fancy fixings - cilantro, chopped onions, sour cream, salsas, scallions, chives, watercress, cabbage and a fresh squeeze of lime. Everyone was happy; and it felt nice not to have to worry as there was something for everyone.

The highlight of the event was the opening cocktail. Whenever I throw a fancy, special party, I always make a drink to salute the guest of honor. Tonight’s opening cocktail was “The Normarita.” Its name is a collaboration of my Mother’s name (Norma) and her favorite drink (a Margarita).

My sister, also known as my co-host, and I spent most of the afternoon the day before scheming up unique ways to combine tequila, triple sec, lime juice, sweet and sour mix and grenadine. We wanted it to be a light red, though it looks slightly pink in this photo. We found the perfect combination, with the right amount of picante, as my Mom would say. We rimmed the glasses with lime and kosher salt, or I should say, my very helpful cousin (also a chef) did this ever so perfectly the day of the party. I made a large batch, poured just enough into each glass and garnished with a slice of jalapeno. Jalapeno, because, well… my Mom is what we call very spicy. And a spicy personality is very hard to explain, either you get it or you don’t. And my Mom is very, very spicy.

I made three batches of this cocktail mix for the entire room before we all moved onto red and white wines. It’s nicely tart with a touch of sweetness from the grenadine. It tastes basically like a fancy Margarita. Needless to say, it’s quite strong (again, like my Mom), so drink wisely. Below I’ve included the recipe, along with everything written on the drink card that folks grabbed as they left the next day. Whenever I have a fancy party, I like to give a few takeaways, as reminders of a fun evening. After this party, folks left with a drink card and bottles of very, very spicy hot sauce, as a reminder of my Mom.

The Normarita

A freshly made Margarita served straight up in a martini glass, garnished with coarse salt and a slice of jalapeno, to represent Norma’s spicy personality. This recipe makes two cocktails, as she never likes to drink alone.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup, Sauza Tequilla
• 1/4 cup, Triple Sec
• 1/4 cup, Rose’s Lime Juice
• 1/8 cup, Sweet and Sour Mix
• 1/8 cup, Grenadine
• Limes, cut into wedges
• Coarse Sea Salt, poured onto plate
• Jalapeno, cut into slices

In a shaker, add ice, Tequilla, Triple Sec, Rose’s Lime Juice, Sweet and Sour, and Grenadine. Shake well. Rub lime wedge around edge of ice cold martini glasses. Dip edge of glasses in coarse sea salt to get a complete coating. Pour contents of shaker, without ice, into martini glasses. Place jalapeno slices in martini glasses, serve and “get happy”!