The Book: A few years ago, Quirk Books reached out to me about reviewing a book called Winter Cocktails that had just been published. They sent over a copy and it quickly became one of my most used and best loved cookbooks. I’ve shared a number of recipes from it here, including Nutella Melt with Frangelico, Burnt Sugar Hot Buttered Rum, and Chocolate Stout Affogato. Now, the same talented ladies have teamed up to write a second book – Summer Cocktails, but of course. I love making and shooting cocktails: they’re quick to make, instantly rewarding, and they provide endless opportunities for creativity. Plus, at the end you have a cocktail to drink. So I was really excited to dive into this book, and I was not disappointed.

The first section of the book contains classics, always with the option for a clever, modern twist. Mint Juleps go further South with cilantro and ginger-infused rum, and Shirley Temple grows up with a splash of Bourbon and Campari. Next we move on to summer punches, large format drinks and pitchers to set out during backyard soirees, like a frizzante and herb-laced Italian sangria, basil and rhubarb vodka spiked lemonade, and peachy bourbon punch. The “Frosty Drinks” section includes all things blended, ice cream based, or best served with an umbrella. Frozen pineapple gets lots of opportunity to shine in fancy ginger-lemongrass piña coladas and blended with tequila and cointreau, while boozy pops made with everything from avocado and tequila to mango and sake will keep you cool (and really relaxed). The last section of the book is reserved for antidotes, “hair-of-the-dog” daytime mimosas, shandys, and micheladas to help you recover from the night before, if that’s your sort of thing. There are also a few, choice, non-liquid recipes included – think sliders, breakfast tacos, and other things you might start to crave once you’re a few drinks in. In short, this book is full of good stuff: tons of creative ideas, gorgeous photos, and enough inspiration for every summer party you’ll throw.

The Drinks: As we get into the sticky-hot heat of August, refreshing, thirst quenching drinks are just about the best thing in the world. While I was tempted by the boozy milkshakes and sweet punches, I knew that they might feel a little too heavy. But a Watermelon and Pisco Refresher? I was 100% sold on that. I’ve been drinking a lot of pisco in Chile, and I just bought a bottle to experiment with at home, so that was an added temptation. This drink is delightfully fresh from the watermelon, cilantro, and mint, and surprisingly spicy from the little bit of jalapeno that’s added. I may or may not have had one, gone for a run, and then come back and had another one… that counts as hydrating, right?

Recipe Shortlist: Kentucky Mule (with Bourbon and Ginger Beer); Fresco de Arroz con Piña; Bollywood Margarita (with Curry Leaves, Tomatillo, and Coriander Tequila); Moroccan Mint Iced Tea; Pink Ladies Lemonade (with Rhubarb and Strawberry Vodka); Peachy Keen Bourbon Punch; The Luxe Cherry Milkshake

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Disclosure: I received a review copy of Summer Cocktails from Quirk Books, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Watermelon Pisco Refresher

Recipe adapted slightly from Summer Cocktails. Serves 2.

• 3 c. cubed, chilled watermelon
• 3 oz. Pisco
• 1/4 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 c. packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed, sliced thinly
• 1/4 c. sugar
• pinch of salt
• ice

1. Muddle the cilantro, mint, jalapeno, sugar, and salt in a cocktail shaker until fragrant. Add several ice cubes to the shaker.
2. Add the watermelon and the Pisco to a blender and blend until smooth. Let settle for a few minutes, then scoop the foam off the top and discard. Strain liquid through cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer into the cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into ice-filled glasses and garnish with additional watermelon slices, cilantro, and mint. Serve immediately.

The post Book Club: Summer Cocktails // Watermelon Pisco Refresher appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I had every intention of writing a few blog posts while I was on vacation. Really, I did. Since I know the next two months are going to be crazy, I’m highly aware of the risk of unintentionally abandoning this space. But I got too wrapped up in relaxing, swimming in the lake, spending time with my family, and exploring Maine, and blogging fell by the wayside. I don’t regret it one bit, but I am finding it a little bit hard to get back into the swing of things in my non-vacation life, including blogging.

Tonight, though, I managed to make myself an actual meal for the first time since getting back. This particular recipe turned out to be just the thing to ease me back into cooking, for a number of reasons. One, the weather has been oscillating between hot and rainy and really hot and sunny, so the minimal amount of stove-time and large amount of fresh, cooling veggies in this dish was quite appealing. Two, on vacation I ate a lot more spaghetti, ice cream, and cheese than I normally do, and I replaced my daily green smoothie with a daily half bottle of wine. I needed something fresh and healthy to help reverse the damage, and this  completely fit the bill. Three, I’m generally feeling a little stressed out and short on time, so the fact that I could make this from start to finish in under 30 minutes, including photographing it, was a major bonus. Four, it was delicious. And it had watermelon.

I’ve been thinking about watermelon an abnormal amount over the past week. While we were in Maine, we got a big one that I blended up into watermelon margaritas. Then BuzzFeed featured one of my watermelon recipes from last year in their “How To Eat Nothing But Watermelon All Summer” article last week. And I really can’t get these gorgeous Chili Lime Cucumber Noodles with Salted Watermelon that Laura made out of my head. There’s just something about watermelon in July – it’s so emblematic of a wholesome American summer, grabbing ice-cold slices stacked high from a plate and eating them barefoot in the grass, juice dripping from your elbows, before running off to play some more. So I grabbed a just-enough-for-one-person-sized chunk of melon at the grocery store on the way home yesterday, in part to continue the feel of vacation. After thinking about what to make with it all day at work, my mind finally settled on a Greek-inspired couscous salad. The combination of watermelon and feta is all the rage, so I took it one step further and added a few more Greek elements – kalamata olives, cucumber, and a tangy vinaigrette. It was just right.

Greek Couscous Salad with Watermelon and Feta

A summery couscous salad with fresh watermelon, feta cheese, and olives. Great on hot days!

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. dry couscous
• 2 c. water
• 1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 c. cubed watermelon
• 25 pitted kalamata olives, sliced in half
• 3/4 c. feta cheese
• 1 medium shallot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 1/2 TBS red wine vinegar
• 4 TBS olive oil
• salt
• 6–8 sprigs of mint, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Combine the couscous and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until couscous has absorbed all of the water.
2. Toss the cucumber and watermelon cubes with the feta and olives in a large bowl. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, then mix that into the cucumber-watermelon mixture.
3. Whisk together the shallot, red wine vinegar and olive oil to make a vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt, then add to the couscous and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle the top with chopped mint. Serve cold or at room temperature.

The post Back to Real Life // Greek Couscous Salad with Watermelon and Feta appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

A few weeks ago, my 9 mile training run was rewarded with a special treat – a tasting brunch at M3 Davis with the Boston Brunchers.  It had been a while since I last got together with the Brunchers for an event – the last one I joined was for the Farm School, back in March.  When I saw that they were headed to the new Southern place in Davis, I signed up right away – I’d really been wanting to try this place, and it’s only a 10 minute walk from my house.  Which was about all I could manage after my run, anyway.

Somerville has had a spat of awesome new restaurants opening in the past 6 months or so: the new falafel bar, the tequila bar and Mexican restaurant Painted Burro, the speakeasy style Saloon, and the surprisingly classy i-Yo cafe and fro-yo shop, to name a few.  Actually, Davis in general feels much hipper, cleaner, and more bustling than it did even a year ago – it’s definitely a good place to be.  M3 joins the ranks of classy Davis eateries as a representative of the classic “Meat and Three” concept that grounds Southern dining.  Although it has a small interior, it’s bright and trendy, with most of the surfaces covered in chalkboard paint – bring your creative side with you as there’s plenty of chalk provided (I could only imagine this gets really fun when settling in for a night of drinking).  The atmosphere is super relaxed – fun, young, and casual.

The folks at M3 served us a little bit of what seemed like practically everything on their brunch menu.  Pickled watermelon and goat cheese salad, scotch quail eggs, pomegranate mimosas, chicken and biscuits, fried chicken and cherry-pecan waffles, blueberry-ricotta pancakes, bloody mary’s, texas french toast with chocolate-covered bacon… by the time we left M3, I could barely move.  In a good way, if that’s possible.  I didn’t love all of the dishes – the pancakes, for instance, were a little dry (but then again, my pancake standards are pretty high), and the scotch egg was nothing to write home about, but the bloody mary, french toast, and chicken and waffles were all delicious.  Not delicious in an innovative high-end way, but delicious like your mom just made you a bunch of your favorite breakfast foods, and it’s a cool fall Saturday, and you’ve got all day in front of you to play, and you just can’t help taking seconds of everything.  If that makes any sense at all.  I guess what I mean is it’s good homey food, with just a little bit of twist to make it interesting.  This time around we received brunch gratis, but the price point is about what I’m looking for, with most of the brunch items in the $8-12 range.  I’ll likely be heading back soon – I think it’s going to make a great neighborhood spot.

Since I know most of you aren’t from around here, and because restaurant reviews aren’t really my niche anyway, I decided to recreate one of our brunch treats to share with you.  This pickled watermelon salad wasn’t my favorite dish (although I did like it quite a bit), but it was the one I felt I could recreate most reliably (the perfect bloody mary mix was going to be a lot more challenging).  This is a light and refreshing summer starter, with a bit of tang and lots of juice.  My version isn’t quite as good as the one at M3 – but it’s a starting point!

Disclaimer: M3 provided us with a tasting brunch free of charge, but all opinions included here are my own.

Pickled Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad

Pickled watermelon recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.  Serves 4.

• 1/4 of a large seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 3 c. cubes)
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• juice from 2 medium limes
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 c. white wine vinegar
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 oz. fresh goat cheese

1. Make the dressing: vigorously whisk together honey, vinegar, olive oil, shallot, coriander, lime juice, and honey.  Taste, and season with salt and pepper as desired.  Pour over cubed watermelon in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Lightly salt cucumber slices and place in a strainer over a large bowl.  Let sit for 20 minutes, then wipe dry.
3. To assemble salad, place watermelon cubes on each of 4 plates, then top with slightly curled slices of cucumber.  Dot each plate with 1 oz. goat cheese, then sprinkle with fresh black pepper.

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