Brilliant Non-Alcoholic Cocktails Everyone Loves

Non-alcoholic cocktails don’t have to be a bummer. And, there are an increasing number of reasons to enjoy them over their boozy counterpoints. For example, if you’re pregnant, if you’re attempting to improve your health overall, if you’re taking a break from alcohol, or if you’re just tired of waking up a bit groggy.

Winding Down with a Drink

That said, having something special to drink at the end of a day is a favorite ritual. A celebration of sorts, and a way for to transition from to-do list mode, into a more relaxed frame of mind. I’m hoping these will provide some booze-free inspiration. Play around with aqua frescas, shrubs, kombuchas, and fresh fruit syrups. All can be fun components in mocktail type drinks. I like to keep the components in nice jars and decanters, and serve in pretty glassware. Enjoy!

1. Rose & Rhubarb Soda – (QUITOKEETO)
Keep blushy pink rhubarb syrup on hand, and you’re just a splash away from a special soda. Love this for brunches, and if you serve the syrup on the side everyone can sweeten to their liking. Get the recipe here.

2. Hibiscus, Lemongrass, Basil, and Honey Sweet Iced Tea – (Half Baked Harvest)
If there’s hibiscus being brewed, I’m drinking it. Especially if something like this! I love the tangy sourness of this flower, and the incredible saturation of (anti-oxidant-packed) color. Hibiscus, lemongrass, lime and basil, in one electric iced tea. Get the recipe here.

3. Beet-Sumac Soda – (Healthyish)
Just look at that color! Fresh beet juice is paired with a quick syrup made from tangy sumac. Then you have bit of spritz from soda water, and a jolt of fresh lemon. Love this for autumn. Get the recipe here.

4. Homemade Tarragon Soda – (101 Cookbooks)
This is what you do with any leftover tarragon you find in your refrigerator. When you steep sprigs of it, the scent is like falling into a cloud of anise, and fennel, and green-ish black licorice. Making a syrup from it is simple, keeps well refrigerated, and makes a beautiful soda.Get the recipe here.

5. Pineapple Coconut Water – (101 Cookbooks)
Fresh pineapple juice is one of life’s simple pleasures. Enjoy it like this, spiked with fresh ginger juice, and rounded out with coconut water for a fragrant tropical refresher. Get the recipe here.

6. Tangerine Rosemary Mocktail – (The Merrythought)
Herbal citrus drinks are a weakness, and I love the unexpected use of tangerine juice here. The rosemary syrup is made separately, which is nice because you can sweeten to taste easily. Get the recipe here.

7. Cranberry Rosemary Refresher – (In Sonnet’s Kitchen)
The rosemary makes this refresher. Add it to your holiday repertoire this year! Get the recipe here.

8. Chai Blossom – (Healthyish)
I could drink this all day, every day. Perhaps the most vibrant, refreshing thing you can do with chai spices, lime juice, and club soda. Get the recipe here.

9. Louisa Shafia’s Watermelon, Mint, and Cider Vinegar Tonic – (Food52)
A beautiful summer option here. And, you can totally switch up the melon based on what you have on hand. Get the recipe here.

10. White Peach Maple Syrup – (QUITOKEETO)
When peaches are in peak season, make this. Get the recipe here.

11. Cider, Thyme, and Tonic Mocktail – (Offbeat + Inspired)
The combination of cider and tonic here, with a bridge of thyme, is quite brilliant. Get the recipe here.

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Favorites List (6.9.19)

Hi all! Here’s a fresh list of links, recipes, reading, and watch-worthy gems for the week ahead. I’m working on a garden edition for the next one. 

– Road Tripping with Diana Kennedy (NY Times) 
– 12 Lovely Swimsuits (great links in comments too!)
– Best Books for Summer (Vogue)
– This recipe. (LA Times + Botanica)
– Also, Diana Kennedy Says Goodby to Her Cookbooks (NY Times)
– Herbal Iced Tea brainstorm
– Summer Reading – (NY Times)
– A Tale of Two Kitchens (Netflix)
– Reading this right now, next up.
– Everything you didn’t even know you wanted to know about celery (LA Times)
– Flageolet Salad with Lemon, Radishes + Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
– The Mission grape is cool in L.A. again
– Also watching this.
– Karl Blossfeldt, Art Forms in Plants
– The Mexico City home of artist Pedro Reyes and fashion designer Carla Fernández 

Enjoy!

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Avocado Asparagus Tartine

Lunch on Monday was pretty great, and dead simple. I smeared avocado across toasted, day-old slabs of sesame bread, and started by layering a bit of arugula on top. Added a few stalks of garlicky caraway-sprinkled asparagus beyond that, and the final touch? A few toasted pepitas. Caraway is under-utilized, and I love it’s distinctive earthiness here playing off the bright green asparagus notes.

When you’re buying asparagus, whether it’s thick or thin, look for vibrant, green asparagus, with structured stalks. No soft spots, or droopiness.

I very rarely bother peeling asparagus, but will trim the bottoms to get rid of the woody, tough base of the stalks.

These little open-faced tartines took less than ten minutes to pull together, and ended up being the epitome of spring. You can also cut each one into 4 or 5 pieces, in triangles, for little party / get-together bites.

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