One of My Most Requested Recipes

                                             Homemade margaritas are worth the effort

Just this last week cookbook author, restaurant-owner and chef extraordinaire Donna Nordin of Tucson was in my home conducting Southwestern cooking classes to a sell-out crowd.  While Donna was putting the finishing touches on her Tortilla Soup, Grilled Duck in Mole and her Chocolate Mousse Pie featured on the cover of Bon Appetit,  I served margaritas.  Out of  the many requests I receive for recipes, my margaritas are one of the most frequent.  There are a couple of reasons I believe they are especially good.  

The first secret is I use a combination of freshly squeezed citrus.  While limes are the brass section in this orchestra, lemons provide support with percussion.  Oranges add not only some natural sweetness, but also interesting notes to the concert.  

The second important factor is good liquor.  While expensive, aged tequila should never be used in margaritas, a respectable tequila is vital.   I always use one made from 100% agave.   Suggestions include Milagro, El Jimador, Azul or  Espolon---all are moderate in cost.  A good quality liquor also includes the orange liquor.  Forget the supermarket’s insipid Triple Sec…in fact, forget Triple Sec from any store!    Instead, opt for Cointreau or Gran Marnier---very little is used per drink so the 10-fold price does not translate to much per serving.    

My recipe below, honed after >50 trips to Mexico, does not make super strong margaritas, so if you want something with a real punch, increase the Tequila (but keep the Cointreau or Gran Marnier the same).

• Step 1:  Citrus mélange:   squeeze  a ratio of 10 : 2 :1 citrus (e.g. 20 limes, 2 lemons, and 1 medium orange).    For 2 margaritas, squeeze 1 cup of citrus juice.

• Step 2:  Make a simple syrup from a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water.  (e.g. 1 cup of sugar + 1 cup of water----place in a pan and cook for a few minutes until sugar dissolves well).

• Step 3:  Make a “citrus-ade” using a ratio of 1:1 of combined citrus juice and the simple syrup.  (Save any left over simple syrup in the frig for   another batch of margaritas---it keeps for months).

• Step 4:  Rim a glass with a wedge of lime, dip the rim in kosher salt.

• Step 5:  Add ice cubes.

• Step 6.  Pour in 1 cup of the citrus-ade.

• Step 7:  Add ¾ cup of Tequila and ¼ cup of Cointreau or Gran Marnier and stir well.

• Step 8:  Stir well and top with a lime slice.

Viva Mexico!

When Life Gives You Lemons Make Limoncello

I landed today in Naples, Italy for a winter escape to the nearby Amalfi Coast.  Italy is the world’s largest producers of lemons and the glorious Amalfi Coast is home to Italy’s most famous lemons, the Limone di Sorrento.  Protected by stringent laws, this varietal can only be grown along this stretch of Mediterranean coastline, including the neighboring island of Capri.  These grapefruit sized lemons, the Mazzerati of citrus in Italy, are used to make Italy’s most prized lemon liqueur, limoncello.

Limoncello is a neon-yellow infusion of high octane vodka and the cherished Sorrento lemons.  It’s served super-chilled in tiny shot-like-glasses after dinner---as it is thought to help with digestion.  Italian families for centuries have been making limoncello from recipes that have been passed down through generations.  Interestingly, it was not produced commercially until after World War II.

Recently imported to the US, limoncello has become fashionable in America.  At a party this summer I was presented with a wonderful concoction of limoncello mixed with tonic water.  At another gathering, limoncello was served as an accompaniment to a gorgeous citrus sorbet.
Limoncello is easy to make.  The following recipe was given to me several years ago by a Tuscan friend from her family’s annals:

·        14 lemons

·        1 litre (1000 cc or 4 cups) of 190 proof Everclear alcohol (can be purchased in Liquor stores).  High proof, good quality Vodka can be substituted.

·        4 ½ cups sugar

·        5 cups water

Wash a large glass jar with lid (1-gallon size is best) with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and dry.  Scrub the lemons.  Peel the outer layer of the lemons being careful to avoid the white part inside (bitter).  Put the skins in a jar with the alcohol and place it in a dark area for 15-20 days.  Then, prepare a syrup of a sugar and water (boil together for about 10 minutes and then allow to cool).  Remove the lemon peels from the alcohol, add syrup and refrigerate.