Mojito with Minty Simple Syrup @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Having received both of our vaccinations and waited enough time for them to kick in, we’ve begun to slowly re-enter the world. What a joy to see friends and family after a year of fear and isolation. And we’ve been so thrilled to visit restaurants we love (still sitting outside) and sample Mojitos! (The one at the left is from Salute on the Beach.) One of my dear friends, Paulette, suggested that the secret to the best Mojito is in the use of the simple syrup. So I made my latest batch this way. And I share the results with you:

Ingredients for Five Mojitos

One lemon

5 to 6 key limes

One bunch mint

Rum

Club soda

1/2 cup sugar (I used Domino's golden sugar)

1/2 cup water

To make the simple syrup, combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a low boil. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Move the pan from the heat and add the sprigs of mint. I used two and I would double it next time. This infuses the syrup with a lovely minty flavor. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.

To make the Mojitos:

In a highball glass, add one lemon slice, several lime slices, and three-quarter ounce simple syrup. Muddle this (bruise it) using a pestle or wooden spoon. Add 1 to 2 ounces of rum, depending on how strong you want to drink to be. 

Fill the glass with ice, and then club soda. Float a mint sprig on top.

To make the drink nonalcoholic, simply omit the rum. Here’s to a healthier, happier year!

Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mysteries. #11, A SCONE OF CONTENTION, will be in bookstores near you on August 10. Follow Lucy on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter...

And if you are a Netgalley reviewer, Scone is available now!

 

Death on the Menu Mojito #recipe @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Before visiting Cuba a few years ago, I had never tasted a Mojito, never mind made one. But now it's one of my favorite drinks. And it's great for a celebration, such as the new cover for DEATH ON THE MENU! Isn't it pretty? I especially love the Harry S. Truman Little White House in the background.

In this eighth food critic mystery--coming August 7, we are introduced to a Key West/Havana conference that Hayley Snow's mother is catering (with lots of help from her friends!) One of the themes of the weekend is Hemingway, and mojitos are said to be one of his favorite drinks.

Here's my recipe. The key of course is the fresh mint--it helps to have a pot growing on the balcony!

Ingredients 

one lime, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
4 to 5 sprigs mint per glass
2 teaspoons sugar
1 to 2 ounces rum, depending on how strong you want the drink
Club soda
Ice
Bitters 






Start by crushing several slices of lime, several slices of lemon, the mint, and 2 teaspoons of sugar in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass. Add the rum and stir. Fill the glass with ice. Fill the ice with club soda or a sparkling water like Pellegrino. Mix and add a splash of bitters on top.

Here's a pre-order the book link from Amazon--and here's a link to preorder a hard copy from RJ Julia in CT, where you'll be able to get a signed copy. Or you can order it from Books and Books in Key West, or call Suzanne Orchard at Key West Island Bookstore ((305) 294-2904)--she'll be delighted to order you a copy! Or really, wherever books are sold...

Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mysteries--find them wherever books are sold! Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest--Instagram too...DEATH ON THE MENU will be in bookstores on August 7!

Ropas Viejas or Cuban Beef Stew or "Old Clothes" #recipe @LucyBurdette

Photo by John Brady

Trinidad ration store, photo by John Brady

LUCY BURDETTE: John and I had the privilege of visiting Cuba last November. Living in Key West, 90 miles from Havana, we are very interested in what's going on with this neighbor country. And imagine how excited we were to be back from the trip and three weeks later, hear the announcement about relations improving between US and Cuba. (If you'd like to read my blog post about things I learned, you can click here.)


But meanwhile, I know you want to hear about the food. The people of Cuba are not well off.  In fact, as it's a communist nation, everyone earns about the same amount of money, that is $20-$25 per month. Government ration stores still exist, where the citizens go to purchase their rations for the month, mostly dry goods like rice and oil. As you can see from this photo that my husband took in Trinidad, these ration stores are on the bleak side. 

We barely saw the kinds of markets that exist in other countries but here are a few farmers markets in Havana. Honestly they were not that appealing.
















 


One recipe that appeared on most of the menus, both government-run and private, was called Ropas Viejas otherwise known as "old clothes" or Cuban beef stew. Of course I had to try making it for you. 





We had guests for dinner the night I made this stew, including one friend whose mother was Cuban. He told me mine turned out to taste almost exactly like his mother's, which I took as a high compliment. 

Ingredients

3 lb. flank steak
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
6 oz. tomato paste
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. dried oregano
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups beef stock
1 (28-oz.) can peeled tomatoes, crushed
½ cup halved, stuffed green olives
1 small jar sliced pimiento peppers
3 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Season steak with salt and pepper and cut it into large pieces. (You will shred this later, so size isn't crucial.) Working in batches, cook until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes; transfer to plate. 

Add onion and peppers; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, cumin, oregano, garlic, and bay leaf; cook until lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add wine; cook, scraping bottom of pot, for 1 minute. 

Return steak to pot with stock and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until steak is very tender, 2–3 hours. Remove steak, and shred; return meat to pot with olives, pimientos, capers, and vinegar. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in cilantro before serving.

 



The Cuban eateries we visited always served this dish with black beans and white rice, so that's how I served it too.

 

Are you wondering what to drink before dinner? Worry no longer, the answer is always "Mojito!" You can find my recipe here.

Lucy writes the Key West food critic mysteries:

 DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS is here now!

Follow Lucy on Pinterest.

Or Twitter.

Or Facebook.

How to Make Virgin Sangrias and Virgin Mojitos from Cleo Coyle for a Happy #July4th!

Got overripe fruit?  Waste not! This virgin sangria is a nice way to make use of it. 

Why virgin? 

A white wine sangria is delicious, and one of my favorite drinks, but on a workday, I prefer that my fingers hit my laptop keyboard rather than my forehead, which means no firewater until the day is done. 

A virgin sangria is also a good solution for households with kids because the drink can be converted into an adult beverage at the time it's poured, which means one pitcher can conveniently serve drinkers and non-drinkers.

Want a Happy Hour Cooler? 

Spike it...

To turn this drink into an adult beverage, Marc and I recommend mixing the virgin sangria in a glass with a generous splash of port, sherry, brandy, grappa, cognac, or your favorite fortified wine. Fruit liqueurs (and amaretto) work well, too. 

The virgin sangria will dilute the alcohol, which is why a more concentrated choice works better for mixing this cooler than using a standard red, white or sparkling wine (although your mileage may vary). 

While we’ve never tried vodka, it should work well, as should rum. Unfortunately, as I’ve written in the past on this blog, white rum sends me to the dark side, so it’s a non-starter for me. That’s why I drink a virgin mojito.

To get my Virgin Mojito recipe (pictured above),
see my "Tale of the Virgin Mojito" post by clicking here.

For my Virgin Sangria recipe,
scroll on down...

Cleo Coyle's 
Virgin Sangria - Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

- 1 (11.5 fluid ounce) can of frozen
   white grape juice concentrate
- 1 quart bottled or sparkling water
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
- 4 to 5 peaches or nectarines, chopped
- 2 cups chopped watermelon

MIX IT: Empty concentrate into your pitcher or container and stir in the water. When the concentrate is melted into a smooth liquid, add in the fruit. Stir well, cover, and chill for several hours or overnight. The fruit will fortify the white grape juice, making it refreshingly delicious. It will also blush the color from an unappetizing dark yellow to a pretty shade of deep pink. 

SERVE IT: Serve chilled in a frosty cold glass and garnish by a triangle of watermelon or small strawberry (see photo above for ideas).

SPIKE IT, IF YOU LIKE: This is a versatile drink for a household with children or one with drinkers and non-drinkers. To serve this drink as an adult beverage, simply mix half a glass of the virgin sangria with a generous splash of port, sherry, or your favorite fortified wine. Brandy, grappa, cognac, vodka, rum, and fruit liqueurs are other possible ways to spike this refreshing summer cooler. (A concentrated wine or hard alcohol will give you better results than standard wines or sparkling wines, which may taste too diluted by the virgin sangria.)

And to all of our readers in the USA...

Happy July 4th!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author of

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Yes, this is me, Cleo (aka Alice). 

Friend me on facebook here.

Follow me on twitter here. 

Visit my online coffeehouse here.

The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling

works of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark

Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the

13 titles includes the added bonus of recipes. 

GET A FREE
TITLE CHECKLIST
(with mini plot summaries)
by clicking here.

 

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Simply write an e-mail that says
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This will also enter you in my weekly
Free Coffee Drawings.
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* * * 

Billionaire Blend
*Starred Review - Kirkus

The hardcover bestseller
is now in paperback!
See the Recipe Guide
by clicking here.

*** 

Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries
Free Title Checklist,
with mini plot summaries,

click here.

 

The Ghost and
Mrs. McClure

Book #1 of 
The Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries, which Cleo writes
under the name Alice Kimberly
To learn more, click here.

How to Make a Virgin Sangria While Amusing Your Cat by Cleo Coyle

Got overripe fruit?  Waste not! This virgin sangria is a nice way to make use of it. 

Why virgin? 

A white wine sangria is delicious, and one of my favorite summer drinks, but on a warm day, I prefer that my fingers hit my laptop keyboard rather than my forehead, which means no firewater until the workday is done. A virgin sangria is also a good solution for households with kids because the drink can be converted into an adult beverage at the time it's poured, which means one pitcher can conveniently serve drinkers and non-drinkers.

Want a Happy Hour Cooler? 
Spike it...

To turn this drink into an adult beverage, Marc and I recommend mixing the virgin sangria in a glass with a generous splash of port, sherry, brandy, grappa, cognac, or your favorite fortified wine. Fruit liqueurs (and amaretto) work well, too. The virgin sangria will dilute the alcohol, which is why a more concentrated choice works better for mixing this cooler than using a standard red, white or sparkling wine (although your mileage may vary). While we’ve never tried vodka, it should work well, as should rum. Unfortunately, as I’ve written in the past on this blog, white rum sends me to the dark side, so it’s a non-starter for me. That’s why I drink a virgin mojito.

To get my Virgin Mojito recipe (pictured right), see my "Tale of the Virgin Mojito" post by clicking here.


For my Virgin Sangria recipe,
scroll down...

Cleo Coyle's 
Virgin Sangria - Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:


- 1 (11.5 fluid ounce) can of frozen
   white grape juice concentrate
- 1 quart bottled or sparkling water
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
- 4 to 5 peaches or nectarines, chopped
- 2 cups chopped watermelon


MIX IT: Empty concentrate into your pitcher or container and stir in the water. When the concentrate is melted into a smooth liquid, add in the fruit. Stir well, cover, and chill for several hours or overnight. The fruit will fortify the white grape juice, making it refreshingly delicious. It will also blush the color from an unappetizing dark yellow to a pretty shade of deep pink. 

SERVE IT: Serve chilled in a frosty cold glass and garnish by a triangle of watermelon or small strawberry (see photo above for ideas).


SPIKE IT, IF YOU LIKE: This is a versatile drink for a household with children or one with drinkers and non-drinkers. To serve this drink as an adult beverage, simply mix half a glass of the virgin sangria with a generous splash of port, sherry, or your favorite fortified wine. Brandy, grappa, cognac, vodka, rum, and fruit liqueurs are other possible ways to spike this refreshing summer cooler. (A concentrated wine or hard alcohol will give you better results than standard wines or sparkling wines, which may taste too diluted by the virgin sangria.)

Amuse Your Cat... 

Yes, as I was taking photos for this post, our newest adopted New York Stray, Durango Quick (aka “Rango” or “Mr. Quick”), decided that a peach also makes a very good beach ball. And, of course, after playtime, he decided to take a taste of the delicious water droplets shimmering on the edge of my watermelon garnish. So…

Cheers to all you thirsty
cats out there!

Drink with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To get more of my recipes, enter to win

free coffee, or learn about my books, including
my bestselling Haunted Bookshop series, visit my online coffeehouse: CoffeehouseMystery.com

The Coffeehouse Mysteries are national bestselling

culinary mysteries set in a landmark Greenwich Village 

coffeehouse, and each of the ten titles includes the 

added bonus of recipes. 

 

The Ghost and
Mrs. McClure

Book #1 of 
The Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries, which Cleo writes
under the name Alice Kimberly
To learn more, click here.