just a tip | use a cocktail strainer

I'm not usually a fan of tools that do double duty, most things that have more than one function do all those functions poorly. I am however a huge fan of finding new uses for tools I already have: case in point, the cocktail strainer. 

Somehow I am the own of three (three!) Hawthorne-style cocktail strainers which don't see a ton of use. I had a "a-ha!" this weekend while trying to drain a can of black beans without getting out my large colander - a cocktail strainer fit perfectly over a 16 ounce can and keeps all the beans in! 

You could also use this trick to pour some pickle juice out of the jar, without dumping all the pickles. Bonus - most cocktail strainers are dishwasher safe! 

For more on Hawthorne vs Julep Strainers: 
Cocktail 101: How to Use a Cocktail Strainer | Serious Eats 

{Thirsty Thursday} Bocce Ball

Do you have a go to drink? There's been some discussion about what to order when you don't trust whoever is making your drink. Mine changes seasonally - the fall and winter are for drinking cold beer and spring and summer are best sipped in cocktails. 

Thirsty Thursday | Meyer Lemon Mojito

Spring has come and gone in the South. No, really, we seemed to have bypassed winter and spring entirely and gone straight from fall to full on summer. Highs in the eighties, massive pollen, and thunder storms all before Easter.

This doesn't mean we should neglect the lovely edibles that brighten winter into spring: asparagus, ramps, strawberries, and sunny citrus. Oranges, clementines, lemons, and kumquats are all enjoying the would-be-spring at my house.

I first discovered Meyer lemons while baking at Colombia City Bakery, my first internship in culinary school. We whipped the juice into curd for filling danishes and tiny tarts. A Meyer lemon, supposedly a hybrid of a Eureka lemon and a mandarin, has a sweeter, more mellow juice than a lemon. Their thin fragrant skin has a slight orange tint and is lovely for zesting and saving for syrups or salad dressings. These little gems of the citrus family have a short season and are worth the extra money if you can get your hand on them.

I bought a few over the weekend in hopes of turning them into curd, but the days got away from me. Last night, we put a few to use in one of our favorite spring cocktail: the mojito. A lovely muddle of mint, sugar and citrus mixed with rum and a little seltzer, these Meyer lemon Mojitos are sweeter than their lime counterparts.

Meyer Lemon Mojito 

makes 1 lovely beverage

3 fresh mint leaves
1 Meyer lemon, juiced 

1 ounce muscovado simple syrup (see below)

1 1/2 ounces dark rum 

ice

soda water 

Put the mint leaves in a old fashioned glass and gently muddle (a muddle works well, but a mortar or even a wooden spoon will too) - you want to bruise the mint and release some of its oils, but not smash to smithereens. As soon as the kitchen smells like mint, stop. Add a handful of ice, the Meyer lemon juice, simple syrup and rum and stir to combine. Top with soda water and enjoy.

Muscovado Simple Syrup: Combine 2/3 cup muscovado sugar with 2/3 cup water and bring to a simmer, stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Dark brown sugar can easily be substituted.

For More Fun with Meyer Lemons, check out:

Meyer Lemon Donut Holes at Matchbook Kitchen 

Meyer Lemon Vodka, Oh, makes me want want to make Meyer Limoncello!

Meyer Lemon Aioli {with Green Bean Fries!}