Cappuccino on the Rocks is the way to bring all the chocolate notes out of your coffee beans! Pour the hot espresso directly on big ice cubes, add a bit of cold milk foam and voila! This Cappuccino on the Rocks is an excellent start on a hot summer day. All the elements of your favourite cappuccino are in there, with a few extra ice cubes. Strangely, dropping the espresso shot directly on ice cubes brings out the chocolate aromas from the coffee grains. Making ice latte, nitro, or cold brews doesn’t bring out this chocolate touch as this technique does! The only rule about this version is to sip it up rapidly, not to dilute your coffee into the melting ice. The Technique Foaming Cold Milk Dropping directly on Ice First, foam the milk for about 20 seconds with those affordable manual milk frothers (the ones with a round spiral at the…
An autumnal cocktail to warm up and keep it fun and fizz. Try this Spiced Apple Spritz with spiced rum, sparkling apple juice (or cider), cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. There are zillions of great summer cocktails, but not as many Fall ones. Let me introduce you to this lovely spiced-up cocktail called Spice Apple Spritz. It is ultra simple to prepare and easy to turn into a grown-up punch, too, with extra apple pieces. Rum Choice This recipe comes from a Jamaican descendant friend, so she recommended a mix of a white overproof Wray& Nephew and brown rum. For those who don’t know what an Overproof rum is, it has more than 50% alcohol. It is 60% in this case, which is a bit scary for some people. I kept the drink a bit softer and used spiced rum instead, which works wonders. If you want the real Jamaican deal,…
White Sangria with Berries is a simple, delicate and made-on-the-spot drink filled with all kinds of berries and a splash of Brandy to keep it authentic and loads of ice to keep it ultra fresh! White Sangria with Berries is a delightful and refreshing twist on the classic red sangria. This fruity, vibrant drink is perfect for summer gatherings and can be customized with various fruits. In this recipe, we’ll rapidly infuse the sangria with a medley of juicy berries to create a visually appealing and flavorful beverage. So grab your pitcher, gather some fresh berries, and let’s get started! On the Spot Sangria vs. Macerated Ones A traditional Sangria would need a few hours of fruit maceration, which needs good planning, time-wise and quantity-wise. This white version you can easily make on the spot, no worries, and the strawberries will macerate or give its flavour in less than 10…
Great way to use your leftovers of watermelon, a quench thirst punch! Try this sunny Watermelon punch with iced kiwis for rehydrating this summer by the pool! So summer is almost here… we’ll need to rehydrate ourselves with delicious juices… This watermelon punch is unavoidable for the summer, but I’ve pimped it up with iced-up kiwis and lime. This punch is the way to go if you have a brunch, pool event, or BBQ. You can add fresh sparkling water next to it for the ones who like theirs with bubbles… In my childhood, my favourite bubblegum was those big soft rectangular watermelon and kiwi flavoured ones. Today, as a grown-up, I find healthier ways to mix those two ingredients. These fruits are a great way to fill your body with vitamin C and hydrate during those hot summer days. I’ve frozen the kiwi pieces to serve as ice cubes…
Tamarind Iced Tea or juice is the new lemonade to quench your thirst this summer! It is served with extra lime, cilantro and many ice cubes to make it chilled! Homemade Tamarind iced tea is the drink to quench your thirst this summer. The hardest part of the recipe is to figure out a place where to buy those brown beans that look like fruits. Then it’s soaking them and squeezing the pulp to make this fantastic iced tea. Tamarindo has a particularly sour taste, just like lemon or lime. And just like them, tamarind needs some sugar to balance its acidity resulting in this famous ‘sweet and sour’ dynamic duo we all love. Where is Tamarind From? The tree comes from Africa, although now it grows everywhere from Asia to South America. Meaning this fruit is popular in those continents as well. In Mexico, they call this drink ‘Agua de Tamarindo’,…
This summer, brighten your tastebuds with Almond & Pineapple Gazpacho! A fruity yet nutty cold soup also called gazpacho. This vegan soup will be all you’ll need to make an impression for your next summer feast! Almond & Pineapple Gazpacho is based on the original gazpacho recipe, “Ajo Blanco,” which contains almonds, garlic, bread and a bit of vinegar. The traditional one doesn’t have pineapple, but sometimes grapes are used. A traditional and ancestral Spanish recipe with a touch of fun pineapple! Gazpacho History Gazpacho existed way before tomatoes were imported into Europe from the New World. The Arabs imported them and later cultivated them in Spain. Back in the day, Spaniards used to make “cold soup” gazpacho with almonds and vinegar. They are quite a few excellent recipes using them in Spain. Often used in the “Picada” last aromatic touch at the end of cooking. Plus, it thickens sauces…
This traditional german drink is magical… especially outdoors; the famous Glühwein (mulled wine). Spiced aroma and heart warming holiday drink perfect to forget the cold. This warm and spiced wine is made to be taken outside, at the christmas market but it could also just be outside after a winter activity or to welcome guests over with this heart warming drink. My husband is German and his whole family enjoy every year going to the christmas market while sipping on that warm and spiced up wine. It makes you forget about the cold and dipping your nose into the cup (yes… a cup) makes you think of those perfect christmas memories. In Germany, they always use cups to serve the gluhwein, this way you can hold it better. Taste, taste, taste The secret to a good gluhwein finds itself into the spices. I suggest some mix here, with lots of cardamom but you could…
This is the “new” cool drink of the summer, already up, in Germany, and I’m spreading the good news here… Well the original version is from the north of Italy and it contains prosecco, elderflower, lime and mint. In my Spanish version, I’ve used a nice Cava instead of prosecco, and it taste fantastic! Last week we add some company over from Germany, and they told me about this drink. Which, they say, is everywhere in South Germany this spring. I already had some elderflower syrup in the fridge, since I am a big fan of those “Holunder Schorle” Austrian drinks, which is made of sparkling water and elderflower syrup. I couldn’t get enough of that simple drink! This Hugo drink is light, elegant and bubbly, perfect for those hot summer days! For the ones who doesn’t know the elderflower syrup it’s a deliciously perfumed, flowery and sweet flavour, it’s incomparable…
Bloody Mary is a classic cocktail made of tomato juice, vodka and a touch of heat to bring some veggies into your diet. For those last days of winter, before the heat comes, just a little hot Bloody Mary drink will warm you up! A drink made largely of vegetables is a tad different. It’s a bit of everything; spices, veggies, vodka… Back in Canada, where I’m from, they do a version with Clamato juice (mildly spicy clam broth and tomato juice) instead of simple tomato juice, they call it Bloody Caesar. Since Clamato isn’t easy to find in Europe where I live… I have to use tomato juice, and spice it up! I’ve also added some celery salt, which I think is an important element to this drink. Obviously, living in Spain, I add a little ingredient called “Salsa Espinaler” which is basically a vinegar and paprika sauce instead of…