I love a really good lemonade, especially during the summertime. When I went to Tangiers many years ago, I went to this cafe that served possibly the best lemonade I have ever tasted. I went to the bar and asked the bartender for the drink recipe. He gave me the recipe in Arabic and I translated it. My Arabic is limited, but I was able to get the recipe, or at least it tastes good enough from what I translated!
Mint + Lemon Drink (Limonana)
INGREDIENTS
1 lemon with skin and seeds removed
2-inch piece of ginger
1/3 cucumber handful of mint
1/4-1/3 cup honey, sugar, or another sweetener of your choice
1.2 litters of water
Put everything in a blender and blend for about two minutes or until finely blended. Put a strainer in a jug and pour the drink into a jug to separate the pulp. Best served chilled.
I just started reading Michael Twitty’s The Cooking Gene, and I wanted to do more research on the history of American cuisine through the foodway journeys of African Americans.
I love corn. I love casserole. When you put corn and casserole together, it’s a match made in my heaven (in my mouth). I usually buy the savory corn pie at Trader Joe’s, but it is a seasonal product only sold in the fall. I had to figure out a way to eat this treat year-round!
I have been wanting to do this recipe for a while, and finally got around to do it. It tasted really good! This version of corn pie is very popular in Trinidad, it is also vegan.
I’m a teetotaler, so sometimes it can be hard to go to holiday parties and there are no non-alcoholic options. When they do have non-alcoholic options, they are usually sodas and juice boxes for kids. I usually bring my own beverage to these parties! Here are some recipes I have used in the past.
Applejack Mulled Cider
Ingredients
1-gallon apple cider
2 peeled, but not sliced apples
3 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves (whole, not ground)
¼ cup dark brown sugar
Nutmeg
Instructions
Using a paring knife or apple corer, core your apples and place six cloves in the hollows you create. In a slow cooker, combine the apple cider, the apples, cinnamon sticks, and brown sugar. Cover and cook on low for four hours. Reduce heat to keep warm and serve directly from the slow cooker. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Pumpkin Pie Punch (17 8oz servings)
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 liters cream soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-liter ginger ale
1 750 mL bottle sparkling apple cider
Ice
Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and the cream soda. Pour into a punch bowl. Add the ginger ale, sparkling cider, and ice. Stir. Garnish with cinnamon sticks.
Apple Pie Punch (14 8oz servings)
Ingredients
32 ounces apple cider
16 ounces sparkling apple-pear cider
2 liters ginger ale
Ice
Sliced apples, cinnamon sticks, and star anise for garnish
Instructions
In a punch bowl, combine the apple cider, apple-pear cider, and ginger ale.
Add the ice and stir. Float sliced apples, cinnamon sticks, and star anise on the punch as a garnish.
Pink “Champagne” Mocktail
Ingredients
6 ounces sparkling cider, chilled
1-ounce raspberry syrup
Blueberries and raspberries for garnish
Instructions
In a Champagne flute, combine the sparkling cider and raspberry syrup. Stir. Garnish with blueberries and raspberries.
