Citrus Margarita with Lemon, Lime and Ginger Rim

We got spoiled by a few days of really beautiful weather last week. But just before I left for California, it started getting cold again and, when I returned, nothing had changed. It's pretty crisp out there. You don't mind a few minutes walking at a fast clip, but any more than that isn't much fun.  That didn't stop me from spending a little time in our garden. Mind you, I wasn't actually gardening. Just looking to see what progress had been made while I was away. Every time I look, something else starts to come up. I can't wait to see it all looks like at its peak.

Even though I swore that I'd take a day to recuperate from a weekend spent photographing the Potluck, I couldn't help but take my camera out to get some pictures. I've been playing around with different flavored rims for my margaritas and one of my favorites is this one that's made, very simply, by combining sugar with a ton of lemon and lime zest. I sprinkle that on a plate and add powdered ginger and a touch of Kosher salt. It just takes the whole margarita experience to a whole new level.

Speaking of margaritas... let's chat about that. When it comes to margaritas, I'm kind of a traditionalist. Well, most of the time I am. If using fresh juice, I'm open to interpretation. Store-bought mix, however, is off limits. Who needs it? Not me! Yes, yes, I know limes are expensive right now. So, if you want, use grapefruit. Just please don't use that cloyingly sweet pre-made mix. This one definitely isn't traditional, but it's just as refreshing and still the perfect balance of tart, sweet, and, with that special rim, just a little salty.

Citrus Margarita with Lemon, Lime and Ginger Rim

Source Makes 1 drink, but enough rim sugar for 4 drinks

Ingredients

For the rim Zest of two organic lemons Zest of one organic lime 1.5 cups sugar 1.5 tablespoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon Kosher salt

For the margarita 1  oz fresh pink grapefruit juice .5 oz lime juice .5 oz lemon juice 2 oz tequila blanco .5 oz Cointreau

Instructions to prepare the rim

1. In a bowl, whisk together sugar and citrus zest. Let sit for 1 hour before using.

2. Once ready to use, spoon a quarter cup of the citrus sugar onto a plate. Add the ginger and Kosher salt and give it a quick stir to disperse.

Instructions for the margarita

1. To rim the glass, moisten the rim of the glass with a lime wedge. Dab the rim with the sugar-salt mixture until it's coated.

2. For the margarita, add the grapefruit juice, lime juice, lemon juice, tequila and Cointreau to a measuring cup. Give a couple stirs. Fill prepared glass with ice and pour cocktail in.  Garnish with lime wedge.

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour from A Thought For Food

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour from A Thought For Food

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour from A Thought For Food

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour from A Thought For Food

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour from A Thought For Food

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour from A Thought For Food

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour from A Thought For Food

Life is beauty through and throughLife is sunny, life is coolLife is even easy tooBut if my word is to be trueLife is something to beholdBut if the truth is to be toldLet us not leave out any partDo not fear, it's safe to say it hereYou will not be called a weakling nor a fraudFor feeling the pain of the whole wide worldYou want to help but can't help the feeling you cannotAnd it's killing you while you're just trying to smile from your heartSo go on, say it, on the same knees you're prayingYes, life is hard

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour from A Thought For Food

Lemon Verbena Whiskey Sour

Ingredients

For the lemon verbena honey syrup (yield: approximately 1 cup) 2 tablespoons dried lemon verbena leaves 1 cup water 1/2 cup honey

For one whiskey sour Juice of a lemon 2 oz whiskey (can use Irish whiskey, bourbon or rye) 2 dashes angustura bitters 1 1/4 oz lemon verbena honey syrup

Instructions

1. In a small pot, bring the water to a boil. Add dried lemon verbena and turn off heat.  Cover pot and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain out lemon verbena leaves.

2. Add the honey to a mixing bowl and pour the hot lemon verbena tea over the honey, whisking to combine.  Let syrup cool.

3. Add lemon juice, lemon verbena syrup, bitters and whiskey into a large mixing glass. Add ice cubes, stir for 10 seconds and strain into serving glass.

Cranberry and Kumquat Sauce and A Thanksgiving Cocktail

Cranberry Sauce 1

You know those foods that leave a lasting impression?  The ones where you remember your first introduction... the exact place and time you had your first bite and exactly how it tasted and smelled?  Well, I had this with kumquats. Yes... kumquats. It was at the office of a documentary production company I had just started interning with (and would later work for) and one of my fellow interns was always bringing in foods I'd never heard of.  One day she brought in a bag of kumquats and I was amused by their shape.  What are those? What do they taste like?  She was quick to offer me one, explaining to slowly sink my teeth into the peel before continuing into the flesh. I did as instructed. Oh, it's sweet. Oh, it's tart! Oh, I want another!

This may or may not come as a surprise, but the inspiration for this sauce stemmed from a cocktail recipe I started working on a few weeks ago.  My mother in law, a cranberry sauce lover (she makes it all year long... not just around the holidays), left a container of her's at our apartment and, after tasting a spoon, I thought it'd be fun to incorporate it into a drink.  I wanted to keep it refreshing, so I went with gin, a bit of Aperol, some lemon juice and a little simple syrup to sweeten it up (despite what many cranberry sauce recipes say, the less sugar you add the better. Tart is the way to go).

I made this sauce for our Friendsgiving dinner last weekend and it was a huge hit... not as a side dish, but in the drink we served with appetizers.  Either way, folks will be pleased.  I mean, how can you go wrong with booze?

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Cranberry and Kumquat Sauce - A Thought For Food

Cranberry and Kumquat Sauce - A Thought For Food

Cranberry and Kumquat Sauce - A Thought For Food

Cranberry and Kumquat Sauce - A Thought For Food

Cranberry and Kumquat Sauce

Yield Approx. 1.5 cups

Ingredients 16 oz kumquats, seeds removed and quartered. 12 oz cranberries 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, place the the kumquats, cranberries, orange juice, cinnamon and sugar and set over medium heat.  Stir and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until the cranberries burst.

2. Add the vanilla bean.  Stir sauce. Once it thickens a bit, turn off the burner and let cool.

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Cranberry and Kumquat Libation - A Thought For Food

Cranberry and Kumquat Libation

Ingredients 1 tablespoon cranberry-kumquat sauce (see recipe above) 2 oz gin 1 oz lemon juice 1/2 oz Aperol 1/4 oz simple syrup 1/2 oz lemon-lime seltzer

Instructions

1. With the exception of the seltzer, place all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with three ice cubes.  Shake for 10-15 seconds to chill the drink.  Pour all contents, including ice, into a rocks glass.

2. Add another ice cube if preferred.

3. Add with lemon-lime seltzer and give the drink a stir with a spoon.