Best Summer Gin and Juice

Muddle 1 lemon, handful of mint and 1 tbls raw sugar in a shaker. Add 1 oz Cointreau, 2 oz Gin and 3 tbls macerated strawberries and freshly grated ginger. Shake until frosty cold. Pour over ice into 2 tumblers. Top off with Orangina. Give a light stir, garnish with mint and enjoy on a hot summer day.

My little Champions League Final watching party invention. Perfect!

Gingerbread Pancakes

My first encounter with these little darlings was at Magnolia Cafe in Austin, TX. Texas Monthly published the recipe a few years ago and I discovered that one of the secret ingredients was coffee. So I added a little espresso powder to my batter. It was fantastic!

Here's the recipe:

3/4 cup Buckwheat Pancake Flour
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Espresso Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 tbls Honey
1 Egg
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk

Combine all and fry up on the griddle. If you wanted to cook them in just a little bacon fat (I used pancetta because it was in the fridge), the added flavor is a crowd pleaser. Just be sure to cut it with a little unflavored oil like safflower or vegetable.

They were very pleased to be complemented by some strawberries tossed with fresh mint and grated fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon and just a little maple syrup.

Serve all with butter, maple syrup and the bacon, of course.

Mackerel with Avocado and Spring Greens

Following a bountiful day at the McCarren Park Green Market, we feasted on a simple but satisfying quadruped 

of grilled mackerel, avocado yogurt sauce with lemon and fresh spring scallions, rosemary ciabatta and a mixed salad of pea shoots, arugula and mizuna, lightly dressed in lemon and olive oil. 

I love feasting on the light and healthy.

Garlic Mustard Greens

I bought these beauties yesterday at the Amsterdam Market at the South Street Seaport under the elevated FDR.

They are lovely and have the most beautiful little edible flowers at the tips of the stalks. The leaves and flowers have just a hint of sweet garlic, but not so much that they could be called "garlicky".

Tonight, with the cat away, dinner was nothing more than a nice light salad of grilled mackerel, garlic mustard greens and flowers and roasted cherry tomatoes, all lightly dressed in fresh lemon juice, olive oil and kosher salt.

Yum! It was really beautiful.