Shoes & Cocktails

Ups and Downs

Posted on September 11, 2009 by missmojito | 5 comments

Well, you win some and you lose some. Miss Mojito spent the long weekend with friends, with plenty of snacking and imbibing along the way. Of course, there were highs and lows in our drink and cocktail agenda for the weekend. Here’s a quick recap – maybe we can all learn from my failures (and successes)!

Starting to Wine at Keswick
Miss Mojito and pals brought some snacks to Keswick Vineyards, outside of Charlottesville, for a sunny afternoon of Viognier-sipping. The wine was sublime, the company delightful and the setting perfect.

Time for a Drunken Mule
Post-wine sipping, we gathered back at a friend’s house for even more good eats and cocktails. I was truly excited to prepare the Peach Donkey. Somehow, though, I convinced myself that the name of the drink was actually the Drunken Mule. Although neither makes much sense, I prefer the latter. It’s a mixture of peach purée, vodka, Domaine de Canton (a ginger liqueur) and ginger beer. I subbed club soda for the ginger beer and was less than pleased with the end result. Maybe the peaches weren’t peachy enough, or maybe the ginger beer is crucial to the success of this drink. I think it’s a recipe that’s worthy of some more experimentation, particularly now that I’m left with a practically full bottle of Canton (check back for more cocktail recipes inspired by this ginger liqueur).

Drunken Mule
serves one

1 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce Domaine de Canton (ginger liqueur)
3 ounces peach puree (Miss Menu peeled peaches and whizzed them about in a food processor with some lime juice to prevent discoloration)
1 ounce chilled ginger beer

Combine the vodka, Canton and puree in a glass. Stir. Top with ginger beer and serve.

Taking a Trip South
Miss Mojito was excited to hear about the Southside, billed as the gin-lover’s mojito. It combines mint, simple syrup, club soda, lime and gin. So on Sunday evening, we enjoyed a pre-dinner version of the cocktail, subbing agave nectar for simple syrup with delightful results.

Southside
serves one

1 1/2 ounces gin
1 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup or agave nectar
1 handful mint leaves, plus more for garnish
Club soda

In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint with the simple syrup or agave. Add gin and lime juice and shake thoroughly. Pour over ice and top with club soda. Garnish with more mint leaves.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

5 Comments

Posted in cocktails, gin, spirits, vodka

Tagged drunken mule, keswick, southside

Surf’s up

Posted on September 9, 2009 by msshoescocktails | Leave a comment

The Project Runway designers head to the beach for episode three. They are in California, after all. Their challenge — to create a surf-inspired look, and to work in teams of two. One would think experienced designers shouldn’t have too much trouble designing a bikini top and a sarong, so halfway through the show, Tim surprises the teams by asking them to create an additional piece — an avant-garde look to complement their surf wear design. Working in teams, a surprise challenge, and Mitchell still in that workroom — naturally, conditions are perfect for drama.

The big kahuna, Tim Gunn, on the beach in sunglasses, flip flops and a blazer.

A few comments/highlights:

Ra’mon is paired with Mitchell, and he looks like he is going to have a meltdown every three minutes. Mitchell, on-the-other-hand, is oddly carefree and seems to be amused that: (a) he has been in the bottom two each week, and (b) he can’t really sew.
Ra’mon’s neoprene hand-dyed dress wins. I like Ra’mon, I really do. But, I can’t believe he won. Was it a sympathy win for pairing him with the worthless Mitchell? I guess he should be given some credit for creating it in an hour, but I thought there were better avant-garde looks on the runway (Althea and Johnny in particular).
Epperson and Qristyl‘s collaboration was painful to watch, and even worse to listen to.
Um, not sure what Rachel Bilson added as guest judge. She basically just restated everything Heidi said. Where’s Michael Kors? We need him back stat!
Mitchell (“I picked Ra’mon to carry me in this challenge”) becomes the first winning team member to get kicked off. Aloha, dude.

Ra’mon’s surf-inspired, hand-dyed, avant-garde look was the winning design.

For the shoe pairing, I like these metallic sandals from Burberry. Ra’mon’s dress has some edge to it, and these extreme strappy sandals, with the cool spiked heel, should pair well with his tie-dyed look. Love the platform, the straps, the dark nickel color. Hate the price.

The Project Runway Shoe Pairing is a reoccurring feature on the S&C blog, where we recap the previous week’s episode, and pair spectacular shoes with the winning design.

posted by Ms. S&C

Reporting for duty

Posted on September 8, 2009 by msshoescocktails | Leave a comment

Michael Voltaggio is on fire. Every week he is vying for a win on Top Chef. In episode two, Michael’s Golden Delicious inspired dessert was second best, losing only to his brother. In the most recent episode, he wins the Air Force Challenge, convincingly.

Let’s hope Michael Voltaggio isn’t burning too bright after
a red hot start in the competition.

A few highlights from last week’s Air Force Challenge episode:

The Quickfire competition challenges the cheftestants to create an “out of this world” potato dish. Guest judge is Mark Peel, who landed his first culinary job peeling vegetables for Wolfgang Puck. The challenge involves potatoes; his last name is peel — get the connection? I didn’t at first, but it’s clever all right.
Jennifer, who is also on fire, kicks ass and wins the Quickfire (with steamed mussels with lemongrass potato sauce), giving her immunity — and more importantly, total respect in the kitchen.
The Elimination Challenge has the cheftestants working as a team to prepare a meal for 300 airmen at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The menu includes hearty classics such as clam chowder, braised pork shoulder and potato salad, and chocolate bread pudding with peanut butter sauce.
Michael V stands out, making a more contemporary dish of braised pork belly with soy mustard, wrapped in lettuce and served with a peanut garnish.
Preeti is the chef sent home, because she was inexplicable in her defense of her and Laurine’s hodgepodge, yet unflavorful, pasta salad. I felt bad for Preeti. The dish was as much Laurine’s fault as her own. But someone’s gotta go.

Michael Voltaggio’s pork belly lettuce wrap is on the right.
Ignore Michael Isabella’s greek salad on the left.

For the drink pairing — over the weekend, I made my own version of Michael V’s pork belly lettuce wraps and served the dish with sake, a rice wine from Japan. Whole Foods has a good selection of inexpensive sakes, so Mr. S&C picked us up a 375 ml bottle of Fudo Myoo, for less than $6.00. The Fudo Myoo brand is fairly sweet (hints of banana and anise), and is best served chilled. The chilled sweet beverage is a nice counter balance to the richness (and absolute deliciousness) of the pork belly. Kanpai!

The Top Chef Drink Pairing is a reoccurring feature on the S&C blog, where we recap the previous week’s episode, and pair the winning dish with a cocktail, or other suitable alcoholic beverage.

posted by Ms. S&C

Dress boldly

Posted on September 4, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 5 comments

The goal for Ms. S&C’s fall wardrobe? To dress boldly. That means wearing color. And prints. Ms. S&C plans to brighten up her fall look with richly colored tights, footwear, and lipstick (in red, please). She’ll also add a dash of paisley and polka dots here and there. Read on for what has inspired Ms. S&C this season.

J.Crew’s fall collection has some of my favorite looks, including lots of vibrant-colored hosiery and footwear. Verdict is still out on the short neon socks though. Actually, no it is not, I don’t like them.

But, what fall trends are catching Ms. S&C’s eye?

Tights — the brighter, the bolder, the better. I have a few pairs leftover from last year: gray, black, and red (purchased originally for a holiday party), but I would like to add another bright color (maybe orange) and a textured or printed pair (like herringbone).
Shorter-length skirt — otherwise, what will you wear your tights with? This piece is primarily for weekend wear and travel, so get something that’s versatile, like this wool one I picked up at J.Crew. It goes without saying, it is easier on the wallet to buy one skirt and a few pair of tights, rather than vice versa.
Boyfriend/tomboy look — slouchy jeans, blazers, vests, long cardigans, and oxfords are still in. I already have a long, black cardigan and a gray vest (understand why I need color?), so I think I’ll invest in a new blazer. It will be good for work, good for the weekend, good for forever. It’s a classic piece. Now, only thing left to decide: corduroy or wool?
Biker chic accessories — this means studs and zippers. You’ll find them on outerwear, bags, belts, and footwear (like the awesome Jessica Simpson pumps shown below).

S&C Style Tip: When you’re talking about trends — less is more. Don’t go all biker or all boyfriend (i.e. don’t pair the studded shoes with the studded belt and the zippered pants.). Wear these things separately. I think you know this, but just in case. Trends, in my opinion, are best utilized sparingly, and when paired with classic pieces.

Kate Spade’s fall clothing line is funky and fun, but falls in the category of “aspirational-and-quite-possibly-unattainable buy.” However, I may be willing to trade my first born for the polka dot shirt and the quirky owl bag. I feel like I could channel my girl crush, Zooey Deschanel, with those pieces.

As for fall footwear, boots are still e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. Ankle boots, suede boots, western boots (I’ve loved red cowboy boots ever since I saw them on Katie Holmes in Wonder Boys—Lucky Brand are pictured below), biker boots (these tall, and affordable, ones in black from Nine West are great), over-the-knee boots (a trend I plan to ignore by the way). However, we cannot live on boots alone, so other footwear can be embellished with ruffles and bows, studs, and straps (the Miz Mooz pair below have it all–color, interesting criss-cross straps, perfect rounded toe).

Ms. S&C wants to know: What do you think of these fall trends? Love ’em? Hate ’em? Never wear ’em? Would love to hear what new items you plan on having in your closet this season.

posted by Ms. S&C

5 Comments

Posted in shoes

Tagged booties, boots, fall 2009, S&C style tip, trends

Bun in the Oven

Posted on September 2, 2009 by missmojito | 2 comments

The first few episodes of Project Runway are always a bit hard for me to jump right in to. There are so many designers, and we only get to hear the critique of about half of them. It isn’t until episode four or five, at least, that I start to develop favorites. So one thing that I like about this season is that, at MyLifetime.com, you can view videos of the extended judging, as well as more footage of Tim Gunn’s critiques! So far, this is one benefit that Lifetime has over Bravo. Now, on with the show.

Here’s a quick recap of highlights (and spoilers!) from last week’s episode, the Pregnancy Challenge, with guest host Rebecca Romijn.

I love a good pregnancy challenge as much as anybody, but can we address the prosthetic baby bumps for a moment? To my eye, they didn’t seem to create an entirely accurate representation of a pregnant woman’s body. To start with, you’re putting a huge bump on an otherwise stick-thin model, who hasn’t gained baby-poundage in any other area. More often then not, this resulted in the creation of a bowling-ball-tummy.
Leggings seemed to be the easy answer for most of the designers, who were new to pregnancy wear. Four out of the 15 designers opted for the legging route.
One designer who strayed away from the leggings – in a most unfortunate manner – was Mitchell. While I liked the styling of his outfit (check out these boots!), his ridiculous, balloon-meets-diaper shorts should have sent him home, but instead . . .
Malvin goes home. And who can say it’s a surprise? This is the same designer who mentioned, in Episode 1, that a vocabulary has not yet been invented that can describe his clothing. In my opinion, that says it all. Malvin’s bird-egg-inspired get-up sent him packing.
In the end, I was rooting for the first-runner-up. I thought Althea’s navy gown with the detailed neckline was classy and fun and a little bit sexy. But Shirin’s red-wine-shaded gown seem to have an excellent fit, PLUS she made a (lined) coat to go with it. She had it in the bag.

Shirin’s winning design in Project Runway’s Pregnancy Challenge episode

Clearly, the shoe pairing for the winning outfit should be one that values comfort asmuch as fashion, keeping _5762479 mom-to-be in mind. I’ve heard a lot about Cole Haan‘s collaboration with Nike for a shoe line that marries comfort and fashion – at a price. These peep-toe pumps, with a Mary Jane styling and cushioning in the heel and forefront, would be the perfect partner for Shirin’s gown – but at $275, they’re definitely an investment piece!

Posted by Miss Mojito.

2 Comments

Posted in shoes

Tagged cole haan, peep-toe pumps, project runway shoe pairing

The brothers Voltaggio

Posted on August 31, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 2 comments

The second episode of Top Chef was typical Vegas – dice rolling, shots, bachelor and bachelorette parties. They even threw in a battle of the sexes. Though the episode focused on men vs. women, it looks like the season is shaping up to be Voltaggio vs. Voltaggio.

Todd English appears the second episode of Top Chef as a guest judge

The show started with the Quickfire Challenge, where the cheftestants rolled the dice and had to create a dish with the same number of ingredients (as shown on the dice). Michael V won with a nitro [liquid nitrogen] gazpacho, compressed cucumbers and toast point.

Both Voltaggio bros end up preparing the top two dishes of the Elimination Challenge. In the Elimination Challenge, it was men vs. women, and the chefs created dishes for a joint bachelor/bachelorette party, with the food complementing one of three shots: the Moscow Mule, tequila, and something called the Golden Delicious (which one chef described as sweet, gooey, and disgusting).

Michael V reworked the ingredients (fresh ingredients, of course) from the Golden Delicious, and made an apple and ginger sorbet with a goat cheese cookie. The judges loved it, but his big bro Bryan V won with his sweet and sour macaroon, filled with guacamole, corn nuts and corn puree, which he paired with tequila. His dish was a modern version of the all-time favorite Mexican appetizer — chips and guacamole.

Bryan Voltaggio’s sweet and sour macaroon, with guacamole
and corn puree, paired with tequila

For the drink pairing, S&C is hot-to-trot over tequila lately. Recent blog posts have highlighted watermelon margaritas and a modified cantarito. We’ve also shared recipes for cranberry margaritas, the pink panther, and a Q-cumber fizz. Using the categories on the right-hand side, you can search for all blog posts featuring tequila.

Because Ms. S&C recently drank a great Paloma at Bar Pilar in DC, she’ll share a new tequila drink, to go with Bryan’s macaroon (otherwise, she may have picked Miss Mojito’s cantarito). The traditional Paloma drink is made with grapefruit soda (same as the one at Bar Pilar — and similar to the cantarito), but the below recipe uses freshly squeezed white grapefruit juice and club soda, to add fizz. It was featured in a great article on tequila, from the Washington Post’s spirits columnist, which was recapped by S&C last year.

Paloma
serves one

Ingredients:

Ice
2 ounces blanco or silver tequila
3 ounces freshly squeezed white grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce agave nectar
Sea salt, to rim the glass
1 lime wheel, for garnish
Club soda

Directions:

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice and add the tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and agave nectar. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled collins glass rimmed with sea salt. Garnish with the lime wheel and top with a splash of club soda.

Recipe Source: The Washington Post, from Apothecary in Philadelphia. Photo: Julia Ewan for The Washington Post.

posted by Ms. S&C

2 Comments

Posted in cocktails, spirits, tequila

Tagged agave nectar, paloma, top chef drink pairing

A Citrusy Celebration

Posted on August 28, 2009 by missmojito | 5 comments

Miss Mojito’s good college pal just started medical school in Norfolk, and a trip east was in order to help her friend explore a new town. We chatted over champagne, enjoyed a few tapas and indulged in the kind of reminiscing that old friends do so well.

Of course, a weekend of good times isn’t complete without a signature cocktail. To celebrate our friend’s accomplishments, tequila was the drink of choice. As August comes to an end, my goal is to make the most of summery drinks while I still can! I’ve been reading about the Cantarito, a citrus and tequila drink that uses grapefruit soda, and decided that this weekend was as good as any to give the delectable mix a test run.

Unfortunately, grapefruit soda proved harder to come by than I had hoped. (I hear a Mexican market might be my best bet for finding this particular beverage, so I’ll report back on grapefruit soda cocktails once I’ve put my hands on a bottle.) I improvised with grapefruit juice for flavor and agave nectar syrup for sweetness. What this drink lacks in fizz it makes up for in flavor.

Since our friend just moved into her (stellar) apartment only a week ago, she was a bit short in the housewares department. So, as you can see from the photo, plastic cups came to the rescue!

A Modified Cantarito
Serves two.

1 oz. fresh lime juice (about 1 small lime)
1 oz. lemon juice (about 3/4 medium lemon)
1 oz. orange juice (about 1/2 orange)
1 oz grapefruit juice (Miss Mojito recommends Simply Grapefruit)
1 teaspoon agave syrup
4 oz. tequila
Orange slices, for garnish
Ice

Pour all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour over ice and serve with orange slices.

What shoes did I wear while Cantarito-concocting, you might ask? Well, it’s a pair that has absolutely nothing to do with the Cantarito, but I’m so utterly obsessed with them that I had to share. I got these brown leather peep-toes at Target for a steal at $30. But, lucky you, they’re now available on Target.com for $14.98! I promise you’ll find yourself creating excuses to wear these Frye-inspired, Mossimo sandals. Plus, they’re a stellar transitional shoe as we head into September: the peep-toe sandal styling screams “summer” while the brown leather nods to fall. And despite the 3.75-inch heel, they were just comfortable enough for some nightlife exploring in Norfolk.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

5 Comments

Posted in cocktails, shoes, spirits, spring/summer cocktails, tequila

Tagged cantarito, transition footwear

Roll out the red carpet

Posted on August 27, 2009 by msshoescocktails | Leave a comment

The TV-show-drink-and-shoe-pairings are in full swing over here at S&C. Project Runway is finally back from its hiatus, and the Project Runway Shoe Pairing has been resurrected. If you are new to S&C, the Project Runway Shoe Pairing is a reoccurring feature on the blog, where we recap the previous week’s episode and then pair spectacular shoes with the winning design. (Yes, S&C has an embarrassment of riches, in fresh content, right now.)

Project Runway is back and on Lifetime

The new season of Project Runway premiered last week. The show has not only moved from its home at Bravo to Lifetime, but from New York City to L.A. Fortunately, the PR family members are still in tact, with the delightful Tim Gunn, smashing Heidi Klum, snarky Michael Kors and under-appreciated Nina Garcia. Here are a few thoughts on episode one, also known as the Red Carpet Challenge:

Was it me, or was the first episode a bit over-the-top in the drama department? I mean, it is way too early for a designer breakdown, isn’t it? And, a breakdown over the Red Carpet Challenge? Every designer should come already prepared for one evening gown look. It is a gimme.
So glad that Tim Gunn and Michael Kors have not lost their sense of humor, and continue to deliver the best lines of the night. Faves include: Gunn describing one dress as “cruise-line cocktail,” and another as a “halter-diaper.” Kors describing Mitchell’s disaster as “a nightgown to wear at home with a glass of brandy.”
Biggest surprise may have been a calm, stable Lindsay Lohan, serving as guest judge, and contributing intelligent and thoughtful remarks.
There wasn’t a lot of time spent on the final runway designs (too many contestants), but Christopher wins (which seems about right), with his elegant yet sharp, hard on top and soft on bottom, perfect balance of edgy and pretty dress. I like it.
Off-the-wall Ari is out. Actually, I’m kind-of surprised they didn’t keep her around longer just to see more of her unconventional, highly-conceptual design methods. (That sounds a lot better than it actually is.)

Now, for the shoe pairing. Borrowing heavily from the judges’ comments (they described it better than I ever would), the dress is edgy and soft. Modern and classic. Pairing it with booties is the way to go.

With the high-style and contrasting textures, the dress feels like it was practically made to wear with hard-to-wear booties. If on the red carpet, a premium footwear designer is not out of the question. So, these satiny Gucci’s are my picks. I like how the shiny texture complements the upper material of the dress. Other top options include these asymmetric patent booties from Dolce and Gabbana and these caged open-toe ankle boots from Giuseppe Zanotti. Shoes, I can’t afford — oh, how I’ve missed you.

posted by Ms. S&C

http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446221979&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574492711161&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395222441&bmUID=1251313133426&ev19=2:26

Vices that inspire

Posted on August 25, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 7 comments

We’re excited as all get out that Top Chef is back. The show premiered last week — and you know what that means? It is time for the Top Chef Drink Pairing! The Top Chef Drink Pairing is a reoccurring feature on the S&C blog, where we recap the previous week’s episode and then pair the winning dish with a cocktail, or other suitable alcoholic beverage.

Season six of Top Chef is taking place in the city of extreme indulgence — Las Vegas, and we’ve been promised high-stakes play. I’m assuming when Tom and Padma repeatedly mention high-stakes, they are referring to the cooking, competition, and drama — where there’s a lot to be won, and a lot to be lost. Highlights from episode one:

There are two DC-area cheftestants: Michael Isabella from Zaytinya and Bryan Voltaggio from Volt Restaurant (whose younger bro is also a contestant on the show). First impression: The cute Voltaggio bros are easy to like. Isabella has an overbearing and slightly annoying personality, and let’s hope he reigns it in soon so he doesn’t go the way of Teddy ala The Next Food Network Star.
The Quickfire Challenge is the relay challenge, where the chefs work in teams to shuck clams, clean prawns, crack lobsters, and French-cut a prime rib. There’s one team who spent the entire challenge shucking clams, and it was painful to watch.
Winning relay team members square off for a challenge amongst themselves, with Jennifer (I’ve made men cry in the kitchen) Carroll‘s clam ceviche winning.
The Elimination Challenge has the chefs creating a dish based on their personal vices, and we know a little something about vices as inspiration. :) It comes as no surprise that drinking, scotch, bourbon, beer, and the overindulgence of spirits are the primary vices of our cheftestants.
Wolfgang Puck is guest judge for the Elimination Challenge, and he is funny. I like him and his Austrian accent.
Kevin Gillespie, who reminds me a little of Zach Galifianakis, wins with his procrastination-inspired Arctic Char with Salsa Verde of Turnips.

TC_arctic-char

Kevin Gillespie’s winning dish, Arctic Char with Salsa Verde of Turnips

Since the prevalent flavors in this dish include fennel and star anise, I recommend a French pastis, or anise-flavored liqueur, for the drink pairing. Pernod, whose distinct licorice flavor is often used as a cooking ingredient, as well as before-dinner beverage to stimulate the appetite, is a good choice. Pernod has a crisp, sweet flavor that makes it a favorite in the summer (a French favorite that is). Purists prefer the traditional French aperitif, the Pernod Classic. But, you know me — bring on the champagne and the French Fizz. Recipes courtesy of Pernod Richard USA. À votre santé!

Classic Pernod

1 part Pernod
5 parts water
Ice

Pour 1 part Pernod in a glass. Add 5 parts water. Add ice to fill glass. Serve in a highball glass.

French Fizz

1 part Pernod
5 parts champagne
Lots of ice

Pour Pernod and all of the other ingredients into a tall glass over lots of ice. Mix well. Serve in a white wine glass.

Shoes & Cocktails wants to know: What personal vice inspires you?

posted by Ms. S&C

7 Comments

Posted in cocktails, pernod, spring/summer cocktails

Tagged champagne goes with everything, french fizz, pernod classic, top chef drink pairing

Lakebound

Posted on August 19, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 1 comment

One of Ms. S&C’s favorite escapes of the year is just days away. Every August, (for the past six years or so), Ms. S&C joins some of her best friends in the world for an extended weekend getaway at Seneca Lake, Ny. Activities include: canoeing, horseshoes, lots of cooking, daytime drinking, nighttime drinking, trashy magazines, laughing, party games (Celebrity and Apples to Apples are faves), bonfires, plenty of shenanigans. Hell, it is just a lot of fun sitting on the dock or on the porch (both overlook the water).

Seneca-Lake-Bench.002

As you may expect, there is always a well-stocked bar at the lake. Last year, popular cocktails included Pimm’s Cup and S&C’s Watermelon Lemonade. Surprisingly, Ms. S&C has yet to drink a watermelon cocktail this season (though she did have a great watermelon agua fresca at Oyamel recently). So, she is going to bring back the-fruit-that-was-destined-for-cocktails (plus, a great option when serving a crowd of 10 or more), and make Watermelon Margaritas and Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges.

Watermelon Margaritas
adapted from the Food Network recipe, serves four

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 ounces tequila
2 ounces Cointreau or Triple Sec (orange flavored liqueur)
1 1/2 cups ice
Lime wheel or watermelon wedge, for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. Garnish rim of glass with a lime wheel or a watermelon wedge and serve immediately.

Optional: For frozen margaritas, place cut watermelon in a plastic bag and freeze for a minimum of 2 hours.

Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges
courtesy of Martha Stewart, serves four

Ingredients:

1 small seedless watermelon, red or yellow, quartered and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec
2 limes, halved or cut into wedges
Flaked sea salt or coarse salt

Directions:

Arrange watermelon in a single layer in two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes. Bring sugar, water, tequila, and Triple Sec to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly. Pour syrup over watermelon wedges, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Remove watermelon from syrup, and arrange on a platter. Squeeze limes over melon, and season with salt.

Note: The longer the watermelon soaks, the more flavorful it becomes — one reason to save any leftover slices. Yeah right, leftover slices.

posted by Ms. S&C

1 Comment

Posted in cocktails, cointreau, spirits, spring/summer cocktails, tequila

Tagged drinking during the day, lake trip, watermelon