After a week of eating flavorful yet indulgent meals like barbecue, pizza, and chicken Parmesan, I'll be lighting up the grill for a simple, unembellished fillet of wild salmon for dinner tonight.
If you haven't had fish with lime zest before, give the technique a try: it lends a clean, bright note that enhances the freshness of the fish. Get grilling when you read more
It may be the dead of Winter, but this past weekend, San Francisco felt like pure Summer, with clear skies and balmy temperatures. I decided to celebrate with a drink that couldn't be more appropriate: the Caipirinha.
This drink, is made with limes, as well as a special liquor called cachaça, which incidentally happens to be the national liquor of Brazil. Over the past five years, cachaça has developed a large fan base in the United States. Like rum, it's made from sugarcane, but while rum is made from distilled molasses, cachaça is the product of fermented sugarcane juice. To make this cocktail, you can choose any brand, but I used Água Luca ($28.99), a premium variety of cachaça that's filtered a whopping 12 times.
On the nose, it resembles tequila, and it has a light, clean flavor with a slightly sweet finish. Although Água Luca can easily be enjoyed by itself on the rocks, its sweet-tart flavor is incredible when used in a caipirinha. To transport your palate to Brazil, read more
I buy lots of limes, mostly because I make guacamole as though I were getting paid for it. But in body-care products, lime is tons of fun as well. It provides a jolt of citrus scent that always wakes me up before I go-go, and it always leaves me feeling refreshed after a shower. If you're a fan of eating the fruit, why not put it on your skin? Here are some ideas.
When one hears the words "tailgate" and "drinks," the first thing that comes to mind is beer. And lots of it. At my tailgate, I'll supply guests with a selection of cold brews and an updated version of the shandy, a classic beer cocktail. Tailgates always get a little rowdy, so I won't serve hard alcohol.
It's a good idea to have sodas, water, and a couple bottles of chilled white wine on hand. Before heading to the stadium, don't forget to stock up on ice. There's nothing worse than warm beer on a hot afternoon. To look at the refreshing recipe for the beer cocktail — at my party it will be poured into Cal cups! — read more
Overcome by a cookie craving, I baked up something light and summery to suit the season. These cookies are perfect for hot months when chocolate-laden desserts are too heavy. Flavored with lots of lime, these scrumptious cookies are sweet yet sour with a light, crumbly texture. The bite-sized treats are the ideal finish to a picnic or BBQ.
The recipe is simple, but be sure to bake the cookies to a light golden perfection, otherwise, the zesty lime flavor is lost to the buttery shortbread. To learn how to make these shortbread cookies with a refreshing lime twist read more
With their tart, sorbet-like outside and smooth center, I love classic orange creamsicles. As I continue my popsicle obsession, I decided to experiment with my own variation. Using mangoes and lime, I made creamsicles with a tropical twist!
The tartness of the lime zest perfectly complements the sweetness of the mango and the creaminess of the vanilla ice cream. Replicating the ice cream center of a creamsicle proved extremely difficult (believe me I tried!) so instead, I opted for a swirl effect by alternating layers of mango-lime puree and ice cream.
If you love the flavor of fresh tropical fruit and want to learn how to make these exotic creamsicles, read more
When a recipe calls for cilantro, I'm always forced to buy way more than I'll ever need, which leads me on a search for even more cilantro-centric recipes. That was the catalyst for today's 'Wich of the Week, which features an unorthodox combination of mango and avocado on healthy multigrain bread.
This vegetarian sandwich has a refreshing tropical flavor that's alternately tangy and mild. The creamy avocado balances out the zip of the lime and the sweetness of the mango. I decided to make two versions: one vegetarian and one with ham for the hardcore meat eaters. But we all agreed that the sandwich was better without the ham, since the cold cuts overpowered the more delicate fruits. I do recommend you add some clover sprouts for added texture; just steer clear of the recalled ones!
To get the recipe and step-by-step photos, read more
At all of my parties I like to provide guests with a sweet treat even if it is only a small bite. At my half birthday — besides filling bowls with M&Ms which is signature to all my events — I will make one refreshing dessert: white chocolate and lime cheesecake bars.
Instead of cutting the bars into squares, I'll use a cookie cutter to cut out circles making mini cheesecakes. To emphasis the half theme, I will cut the circles in half and serve mini half cheesecakes! For the recipe, read more
