Because it was Sunday night and I had: Cucumbers Passion fruit Sugar cane Zobo-ginger vodka mix that had been ‘chilling’ Every thing went in the blender, with some sugar. A strain later and it was ready for lime juice over ice. The son insisted I served them with umbrellas. Why not? It certainly brought tropical sunshine and warmth on a...
This is a version of a non-alcoholic drink that we were first introduced to in Dubai – an Apple Mojito. I’ve tried several times to recreate it and it’s only in the last few weeks that I’ve come close to experiencing the delight we enjoyed in December. My first attempts used muddled mint leaves and lime juice....
Passion Fruit – beauty and fragrance invoked here. And long overdue this is. I must confess it has all my favourite juices in a glass: the floral acidity of passion fruit the clean refreshment of cucumber juice the sweet of sugar cane and the citrus burst from lime juice. Did I mention the lightness of...
I’d never really given much thought to the perfect drinks for Jollof till #Jollofgate, when I spied a bottle of ale next to Jamie’s offering. Now, I know Jonny Garrett, the deputy editor of Jamieoliver.com who worked with him on thefeature is a beer aficionado who loves pairings… (he’s @beerchannel on Twitter) To be honest, food and drink pairings...
The wheelbarrows are back, pushed by young men and full of short purple stems of Saccharum officinarum. I’m buying. I’m halving the trauma of peeling sugar cane by having them skinned and cut into segments on the streets. The Mallam uses transparent cellophane bags as gloves – his aim is to touch no part of...
Aqua Frescas, Cool waters. From The Spanish. Aguas frescas (Spanish “cool waters”) are a combination of fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water to make light non-alcoholic beverages. They are popular in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Some of the more common flavors include tamarind, hibiscus, and agua...
Crunch. Refreshing. Clean. Really, that’s all you need to know. All there is. Well, not all but most of what there is. This is the season for cucumbers, Cucumis sativus. Originally from Southern Asia, they now grow in most climes and regions of the world where they sliced, picked, eaten, juiced and more. I like cucumbers...
This is beautiful. Really beautiful in a rich, creamy, totally tropical delight. A few ingredients and you’re well on your way to whipping up a delight. I’ve gone for fresh ingredients here – soursop, hand peeled; fresh coconut and lime juice but you could very well make your own cocktail with store-bought ones – cans...
It is the season of dates, tiger nuts and mixing up flavours and combinations – all the things I love. I make up some milk and combine it three ways – with zobo, with iced coffee and with date caramel. I do this because I remember drinking Thai iced coffee and iced tea at Pam’s Thai...