Easy Recipe
She Who Must Be Obeyed and I ate at Tommy Bahama’s the other day and she had a killer grapefruit martini. So I had to take a crack at it. This is an easy and super refreshing summer drink.
Recipe serves 1
Ingredients
4 oz fresh squeezed red grapefruit
2 oz vodka
1 basil leaf – minced and ground
1 basil leaf for garnish
1/2 tsp simple syrup
Preparation:
For simple syrup: add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 C water to saucepan and heat on medium. Stir until the sugar dissolves, a couple minutes, and then remove from heat (there will be a great deal of simple syrup left over for other drinks).
Mince and grind one basil leaf.
To shaker add ice, vodka, squeezed red grapefruit juice, minced basil, and simple syrup. Shake and then pour through strainer into a martini glass straight up or on ice.
And that’s all there is to making an awesome summer drink.
(PS drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive).
OK that was so easy, how about my favorite shrimp dish ever! Easy Killer Shrimp
BONUS ENCORE EASY RECIPE
I make no claim to the following recipe. When our local Killer Shrimp shut down I began searching the internet for the recipe. I found it first in 2002 on Recipe Circus, and prior to writing this blog I found the same recipe on Copycat Recipes. It is out there, and I doubt anyone can claim it as theirs. Except, maybe you, if your friends are not scouring the internet looking for shrimp recipes.
EASY RECIPE
Before we start, make sure you have lots and lots of french bread beacuse you are going to need it. This recipe serves 4 easily. But, there is plenty of sauce, so if you have more people coming for dinner just throw in another 1/2 pound of shrimp or so.
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsps thyme
1 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 qts. clam broth (Better Than Boullon makes a great Clam Base, if that is not available you can use their Lobster Base, and if all else fails you could use chicken stock, but I wouldn’t).
3 oz tomato paste
1 stick butter
1 lb shelled shrimp
Lots and lots of sliced french bread (you will be dipping the bread in the broth and you will be loving it)
Make the clam broth per directions on whatever provider you use, add the stick of butter, tomato paste and all other ingredients except the shrimp. Bring to high simmer and reduce to low simmer.
When you are about to serve dinner, bring the sauce to a boil, drop the shelled shrimp into the pot, bring back to a boil, and then reduce heat and cook at high simmer for about 5 minutes.
AND STUFF
I have for many years held the belief that it didn’t matter how hot it was if you were in a pool and had access to cold drinks. She Who Must Be Obeyed and I put my theory to the test.
Last Sunday we drove to Palm Desert for a couple day break. The temperature each day ranged from 88 degrees in the early morning to 117 in the afternoon! That may be the hottest temperature I have ever experienced. When I walked out of the cool hotel lobby into the mid-day heat it was like opening the oven door to check the Thanksgiving turkey. I don’t know how people can work and function in such heat, but they do. Virtually every activity one would see anywhere goes on during the day. One local we were meeting with told us how she had gone for a hike up the mountain and back the day before in 108 degree heat!
Anyway, back to my theory. One of the benefits of going to the desert in the summer is great hotel rates. The rate at our hotel was at least 60% less then in high season. And better yet, I didn’t have to go to the pool immediately after waking up in the morning to stake out a spot. Nope, had a nice slow breakfast and then meandered out to the pool and took down two pool chairs on the edge of the pool.
As to my theory that a pool and cold drink makes 117 degree heat doable, there was need for a little tweaking. The theory held up for awhile but for extended fun in the sun one needs to roll an umbrella over for a little shade. With that minor adjustment my theory was perfected, and resulted in a fun, affordable, relaxing time in the blazing heat.
Good Eating and Table Talk,
Roger
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