Cool as a Cucumber

Remember Mr. McNeedham's garden? Well it hasn't stopped growing. In fact, every day there are surprising discoveries, like giant cucumbers hiding under dense vines. And what does one do with said cukes? One makes margaritas, of course!

The recipe for these unbelievably refreshing adult beverages is really too easy--cucumbers are sliced up, then blitzed in the blender with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, your favorite tequila and a splash of triple sec. One sip of these will have you feeling cool as a cucumber too, no matter how hot it is outside.

I think this might very well be my next favorite cocktail....of course I say that about everything! And if you enjoy margaritas, may I highly suggest the purchase of the citrus squeezer? It's a real time saver, and as you know, when mommy needs a drink...time is of the essence.







Cucumber Margarita

This cool cocktail is a fantastic way to use up those rogue cucumbers sprouting in the garden. It is light, refreshing and is easily multiplied so that you can make a whole pitcher for your thirsty guests.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 drinks

Ingredients:

6 slices of cucumber (about 1/4 inch each), peeled and seeded if desired (good to do if it's kind of a big, home-grown cucumber)
4 ounces of tequila
2 ounces of triple sec
Juice from 2 limes
3 handfuls of ice
Salt and cayenne pepper

Preparation:

1. Place cucumber, tequila, triple sec, lime juice and ice in the blender. Pulse until blended.

2. Sprinkle salt and cayenne pepper on a plate. Rub the rims of 2 glasses with the squeezed limes. Dredge rims across the salt/cayenne mixture so they have an even coating of salt.

3. Pour blended margarita into the glasses. Serve immediately, garnished with additional cucumber slices if desired.

Tamarind Margatini

Last weekend, my husband took me to the fabulous Loteria Grill Restaurant in Hollywood, which was quite possibly, the best meal out I have had in a loooooooong time. If you live anywhere at all near Los Angeles, you must try either the full-scale restaurant (in Hollywood) or the smaller taco stand, located inside the Farmer's Market at the Grove. Their queso fundido was sublime, perfectly edged in crisp golden cheese and served with hand-made corn tortillas. A salad of nopalitos (cactus) followed, which was tender and tangy and lightly dressed. We also shared a sample platter of 12 bite-sized tacos, called probaditos (little tastes), topped with several of the best meat and vegetable stews I have ever tasted, inspired by the inimitable expert of Mexican cuisine, Diana Kennedy. All that food, and it was a lot, is available at their stand in the Farmer's Market--but what the restaurant has that the stand lacks is a scene (it is on Hollywood Boulevard after all), and liquor.

If you know anything about me at all, you know that I'd be pretty hard pressed to turn down a margarita, especially one made with premium spirits. So that night I had two (TWO!!) of their $12 Martini Tamarindos, which are made with Patron Silver, Patron Citronge, and tamarind paste (which is a sour, seedy fruit used in many tropical cuisines), shaken and served straight-up in a salt and chile rimed glass. They were the sexiest margaritas I have ever drunk, and not just because I might have been...drunk, that is. Smooth in the mouth, they were perfectly chilled and had the most intense and intriguing combination of flavors. The taste reminded me of those chile dusted dried mangoes I love so much. The sips alternately burned and cooled my lips and tongue, and made me thirst for more (which explains why I needed two...and why our bar bill far exceeded our food bill).

So, of course, I had to try to re-create the recipe at home. Since Patron is reserved for the most special of occasions, I made it with regular Jose Cuervo and Triple Sec, but it still tasted pretty darn good. I found the tamarind paste at an Indian market. It is black and thick like molasses, and quite sour--you just need a bit to pleasantly flavor and color the drink. And don't forget the chile-salt rim. All I can really say about this cocktail is, yes, yes, YES!

Tamarind Margatini

serves 2

3 oz. white tequila (best you can afford...but Jose Cuervo is fine)

1 oz. triple sec or cointreau

juice from 1/2 orange

juice from 1/2 lime

1 t superfine sugar

1 t tamarind paste (available at Indian or Mexican grocers)

1 t salt

1 t chile powder (I like Ancho)

Place all ingredients except salt and chile in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Mix the salt and chile together on a small plate. Wipe the rims of two martini glasses with lime and dip in the chile/salt mixture. Strain martinis out into the glasses. Salud!

It's "Happy Hour Friday!"

It used to be when my children were little, that the ladies of the neighbor-hood (our very own Desperate Housewives) would convene at the end of the block in front of my house to enjoy our own version of happy hour, as we celebrated the end of another week. With Margaritas or wine concealed in red plastic cups, we would lounge curbside, regaling each other with tales from our hectic week, as we perused catalog pages, freshly retrieved from our mailboxes.

Discussion varied from getting the baby to sleep through the night, what was for dinner, potty training, and handling temper tantrums. I'm not sure if we ever came up with any solutions to these life's problems, but it sure felt good to share and lend a sympathetic ear. Now those problems seem so inconsequential compared to the struggles our older children face today. Infancy and toddlerhood, while exhausting to parents, only helps prepare us for the greater challenges that lie ahead.

Sadly, the moms no longer gather on the sidewalk, as our children are all big enough to play outside unsupervised, have sports practices, or sleepovers with friends, but the tradition of "happy hour" still lives on. Sometimes we join each other at the kitchen table, and sometimes we just enjoy the time with our spouses, but we continue to celebrate week's end with a festive mood, good drinks, and good eats.

Mothers, no matter the ages of our children, need to take time to unwind with our friends, so invite the girls over for a Friday afternoon libation. Use the opportunity to complain, lament, or begrudge, but just for a little while, then enjoy each other's company, smile and tell some jokes, because someday, these days too will be but a memory.

Wickedly Strong Margaritas
Unless you want your children to see you dancing on the table, please enjoy only ONE!

2 shots (2 oz) of premium white tequila
1 1/2 shots (1.5 oz) of cointreau or triple sec
the juice from one lime

Place ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Pour into salt-rimmed highball glass over ice.


Rockin' Guacamole
Luckily for us Californians, avocados are almost always in season. Each week I pick up a few from the farmer's market.

2 large Haas avocados
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 C chopped cilantro
salt to taste
juice from half a lime

Occasionally, I will add a fresh tomato or diced jalapeno, but my Mexican friends tell me this is not "authentic." My favorite way to remove the flesh from an avocado is to slice it in half around the pit, remove the pit, then carefully make cross hatch marks with a knife all the way down to the skin. Then I use a spoon to scoop out the neat squares I have cut and place them in a bowl. Add sliced scallions, chopped cilantro and lime juice. Taste. I like salty guacamole, so I will usually add a large pinch of salt, but use your own discretion. The lime juice mimics the sensation of salt on the tongue, enhancing the flavor, and also prevents browning. Serve with tortilla chips, or vegetables for dipping.