wes is going through some work transitions (i know i've alluded, don't worry details to come soon) so he has been home with me a lot more in the evenings. last night, we were watching the marathon of top chef episodes they were playing leading up to the new episode. about three episodes deep we had the epiphany. we no longer watched cooking shows in awe of what was going on. now we watch as if they are coworkers in our kitchen. instead of wondering how they could possibly come up with these crazy dishes, i'm checking which ingredients they are using, watching their technique, looking for my own tips and tricks anywhere i can find them. 

when the new episode finally came, the challenge was a tequila cocktail and dish paring. right up my alley. i was antsy on the couch thinking about what i would have made. so today, i attacked.

and i'm pretty sure my cocktail would have been a winner! 

passion fruit + lavender margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz tequila blanco. 1 oz lime juice. 1 oz orange liquor. .5 oz simple syrup. 1 sprig lavender. 1 passion fruit. 1 tbs each of salt & chili powder for garnish. shaker. stainer. 1 cup ice. ice for serving. 

start by combining the salt and chili powder together on a plate.

before you fill your serving glass with ice, gently brush the rim with a bit of the lime juice. 

gently brush the edges of the rim into the chili powder and salt mixture till lightly coated. 

fill with ice and set aside. fill your shaker with ice.

scoop out the passion fruit pulp and add it to the ice.

pour in the tequila, liquor, lime juice and simple syrup.

pull some of the flowers off the lavender sprig and add them to the shaker. 

reserve the rest for garnish.

shake your cocktail well till nicely combined and a bit frothy. 

strain over ice. 

garnish with lavender sprig and serve. 

xo, a

passion fruit + lavender margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz tequila blanco. 1 oz lime juice. 1 oz orange liquor. .5 oz simple syrup. 1 sprig lavender. 1 passion fruit. 1 tbs each of salt & chili powder for garnish. shaker. stainer. 1 cup ice. ice for serving.
start by combining the salt and chili powder together on a plate. before you fill your serving glass with ice, gently brush the rim with a bit of the lime juice. gently brush the edges of the rim into the chili powder and salt mixture till lightly coated. fill with ice and set aside. fill your shaker with ice. scoop out the passion fruit pulp and add it to the ice. pour in the tequila, liquor, lime juice and simple syrup. pull some of the flowers off the lavender sprig and add them to the shaker. reserve the rest for garnish. shake your cocktail well till nicely combined and a bit frothy. strain over ice. garnish with lavender sprig and serve.

one of my biggest pet peeves in the kitchen is waste. it drives me nuts when i let things go bad or if i spill something usable. so at every opportunity, i try to use every part of an ingredient. 

which leads me to a simple, but super effective ingredient you are probably throwing away.
citrus peels can be used in a variety of ways to add flavor, color or a little style to whatever you are eating and drinking. you can use the peel before the fruit, just store it after you peel it in a plastic bag or airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use it. now pretty much any citrus fruit works for any of the following methods so have fun and get creative! 

skinny twist
uses: small pieces can be mixed with sugar to garnish a cocktail glass. can be used in any size to decorate cakes, bars and other desserts. larger twists can be used to garnish cocktails. you will need a channel knife which can be found HERE. 

hook the edge of the knife into your citrus. apply pressure with your thumb and slide the channel knife around the circumference of the citrus. 

lift the knife when you have the desired length. 

citrus twist
uses: cocktail garnish. beer garnish. cake decoration. food or beverage garnish.
to execute the twist, you will need a veggie peeler. you may have one in your home, but if not, you can get one HERE.

start by hooking your peeler into the citrus towards the top (where the citrus was picked off the tree). apply pressure and drag the peeler around the circumference of the citrus, guiding it towards the bottom.

lift the peeler when you have the desired length.

citrus zest
uses: GREAT flavor adder!!! use it in marinades, dressings, frostings, batters, doughs for great flavor with no extra liquid. it can also be used to decorate desserts, add color to a plate or mixed with fresh herbs as a coating for goat cheese. you can always peel and finely chop the peel, but a micro plane is a great help! you can get one HERE. 

hold the citrus against the micro plane. drag the citrus against the grate. 

continue until you have your desire amount. notice that it collects on the back of the micro plane so you may need to wipe it to release some of the zest. 

enjoy!
xo, a