Anadama – what a weird name for a type of bread.  I think I was first interested in making this bread because of the name.  After sampling some of it for the first time at The Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, NH years ago – it’s been a great go to bread for me ever since.  It’s also super easy to make, a good introductory bread recipe for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of experience baking breads.

The origin of the name itself is a funny story – this told from Wikipedia:

There are several popular myths about the origin of the name, which mostly take this form:

“A fisherman, angry with his wife, Anna, for serving him nothing but cornmeal and molasses, one day adds flour and yeast to his porridge and eats the resultant bread, while cursing, “Anna, damn her.” The neighbors baked it because it was so delicious and coined it Anadama or Anadamy.

With that fine intro, onto the recipe!  This recipe comes out of the Moosewood Cookbook from the awesome Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY.  Keep in mind that this will make a bunch of dough – enough for 2 big loaves or 3 medium sized loaves.  Also keep in mind that this bread does freeze well, so bake it all and then save it for later!

• 2 cups cool water
• 2 cups whole (or 2%) milk (or soy milk)
• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 packs of active dry yeast (the standard kind you find in the baking aisle)
• Around 10 cups of unbleached bread flour – more as needed for dusting, etc…
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
• Butter for glazing (optional)

Combine the 2 cups cool water and milk in a pot and bring to a boil.  STIR in the cornmeal, then the brown sugar to make a thick mush-like goo – this will be really thick and hard to stir.  Once combined, set aside off the heat.

In a separate bowl, add the warm water and and molasses and whisk lightly to combine.  Add the yeast and dissolve it in the water/molasses mixture.

The temperature of the cornmeal mush should be around 110F – once it’s there, add the mixture to a mixer along with 2 cups of the flour and beat for around 100 strokes with the paddle attachment (or my hand of course).  Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place (around 80-90 degrees if possible) and let this mixture sit for 45 minutes.  I use my oven to let the dough rest and rise – sometimes even turning the broiler on for a minute to give it some warmth – this trick works well if your house is cool to begin with like mine.  The mix should bubble and rise slightly – this is called a “sponge”.

Stir the oil, salt and gradually cup after cup of flour to the sponge after it’s been bubbling for a while.  I did this with the dough hook of my mixer, but you can also do it by hand.  You may not need to add all of the flour – but you want to end up with a slightly sticky yet fluid dough that you can knead.  Turn it out onto your board and knead it for around 10 minutes by hand, adding flour as necessary.

Oil your large bowl and return the dough to your bowl, cover with the damp cloth and place again in the oven to rise for 45 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.  Punch down the dough and shape it to your liking – I made standrad shaped loaves, as well as round boules – both were delicious.

Lightly oil your baking dishes, then add the dough, cover with the damp cloth again and let rise in the baking vessels for another 30-40 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 F, brush the tops of your loaves with a little melted butter and bake for 40 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Brandade is something that I ate for the first time at Craigie on Main in Cambridge, MA – served in a small ball that had been lightly fried and served on top of squid ink aioli.  Ok, so that was my introduction to the stuff – and obviously I didn’t set out to replicate that dish.  Instead I wanted to learn a more rustic style of brandade, so I turned to a recipe from a great restaurant up in Portland Maine called Caiola’s in the West End.

Caiola’s brandade was easy to make and delicious.  I really liked the idea of keeping some of the ingredients more course and less of a puree.  The salt cod is actually really delicious, adding a subtle but present fishiness that’s not overpowering, but instead comforting and delicious.  I added a bit of both lemon and orange zest, which added a really nice freshness.  This stuff is pretty rich and delicious, a good go to for any appetizer, but especially in the winter.  Here’s what to do:

• 1 medium fillet of Salt Cod (around 3/4 lb.) – soaked in cold water for 24 hours at least, changing the water multiple times.  Once soaked, drain and dry and reserve.
• 2 lb potatoes – Yukon golds or fingerlings work here – peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil + 1-2 Tbsp.
• 1/2 white onion – large dice
• 1 tsp. orange zest (more to your taste)
• 1 tsp. lemon zest (more to your taste)
• 1 clove fresh garlic – finely minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cured black (pitted) olives to finish
• Bread for crostini – sourdough baguette or even focaccia work well

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Start with the salt cod.  Once it’s drained, add it to a pan of water and bring the water to a boil.  Cook the cod in the water for 15 minutes or so, or until it nicely flakes apart.  Remove the cod from the water with a slotted spoon, dry, then add the cod to a food processor and gently pulse until the cod is mostly broken apart.  I decided to leave some larger pieces in the cod and it was really good!!  But it’s totally up to you.

Once the cod is done, add some salt to the water, then add the potatoes to the pan and cook those until they’re cooked through – 10-15 minutes.  Remove the potatoes from the water and rice or mash them in a separate bowl.  Add the riced potatoes to the cod mixture and mix together gently.

In a separate pan, add the 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil and then the onion and gently saute until soft but not browned.  Remove the onion and add it to the potatoes and cod.  Then add the 1/4 cup of olive oil to the hot pan and warm it until it’s fairly hot, then add it to the cod and mix.  Finally, add the cream to the heated pan (make sure the pan is over low heat) and heat it gently before adding it to the code mixture.

Finish by mixing in the garlic and zests, then taste the mixture and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Once you’re happy with it, place the brandade in an oven proof dish and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top begins to brown and the middle is hot and bubbly.  Toast the bread and arrange on the plate.  Finish the brandade with the olives and a little more zest and serve with the toasts!

When visiting New York City recently, we got an opportunity to head to Momofuku Noodle Bar in the Village, which after going through the cookbook, was a big draw for me. Going in, I knew that the two dishes I was going to have the most difficult time choosing between would be the Momofuku Ramen (which I did end up ordering) and this dish below: Ginger Scallion Noodles.

The dish is totally simple to prepare, really not much effort, but the flavors are complex and delicious.  The base of the dish is the Ginger Scallion Sauce, which for the most part is just that, minced ginger and scallions along with some soy, vinegar and grapeseed oil.  It’s less sauce and more of a rub or condiment.  Whatever it is, you’ll love it, trust me.  As David Chang of Momofuku says:

“Improvise to your needs, but know that you need ginger scallion sauce on your noodles, in your fridge, and in your life.”

Here’s how to pull it together – first for the Ginger Scallion Sauce.  Make this first, as it gets better with age:

• 2.5 cups scallions.  Basically 2 standard bunches finely diced
• 1/2 cup finely diced ginger
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil – make sure you use grapeseed, don’t substitute here!
• 1.5 tsp. light soy sauce (I used the low sodium version).
• 3/4 tsp. Sherry vinegar
• large pinch kosher salt (3/4 tsp. or so)

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, then set aside to rest, letting the flavors blend together.  Let this mixture sit for at least 15 minutes or up to a day or two in the fridge.

Quick Pickle Cucumbers:

• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. organic sugar
• A bunch of thinly sliced cucumber slices – standard cukes were cool with us.

Combine all ingredients thoroughly with your hands and let marinate for 5-10 minutes before using.

Pan-Roasted Cauliflower:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower – broken down and sliced into small florets.
• Grapeseed oil
• Kosher salt to season

Get the oil ripping hot in your pan, then add the cauliflower (careful, the oil may splatter!!) cut side down and toss letting all sides caramelize before seasoning to taste with salt and removing from the pan.

Ginger Scallion Noodle Dish: (for 3-4 people)

• All 3 condiments from above
• 1 package of store-bought ramen noodles (around a 1 lb package, like standard pasta)

Boil the noodles for just a few minutes in unsalted water, breaking them apart the best you can.  Keep in mind these ramen noodles cook MUCH faster than their Italian counterparts, so don’t overcook them!!

Drain the noodles and place in a large bowl.  Toss in the sauce and the rest of the ingredients/condiments, along with anything else to your liking!  Serve and enjoy once well combined.

This was my favorite mezze from Oleana in Cambridge, MA the first time I visited, and to say the least I’ve been back a few times.  Reason being?  This is perhaps the perfect accompaniment for some delicious and soft foccacia or other warm bread.  There are lots of feta dip recipes out there, but this one is truly unique.  The reason for that is the abundance of 3 types of chili peppers which blend together to give this appetizer a rich, spicy and smoke flavor.

Two of these chilis are somewhat exotic, but if you’re attempting to make this dish, don’t substitute!  Trust me, I tried this and it didn’t come out nearly as good.  The 2 keys to this dish are Aleppo and Urfa chilis, both of Turkish origin and both delicious.  The Aleppo is sort of like the ancho chili – it’s got a certain sweetness to is also, with some smoky undertones.  The Urfa is a bit spicier – akin to red chili flakes but with a totally different consistency.  I also use Paquillo peppers in this dish instead of the roasted red peppers that the recipe calls for. Use what ever you like, but these Paquillos have been a common staple in the fridge at casa Mott lately.

This is also a good party appetizer and has such unique flavors to it that you’re likely to have some takers.  Enjoy and please try out Oleana or Sofra if you’re in the Boston area!!  Here’s the recipe:

• Around 2 cups of Sheep’s milk feta cheese (or other feta, but the sheep’s milk variety is preferred) – crumbled
• 5 Paquillo peppers (find them at most grocery stores). You can also use roasted red peppers here.
• Medium handful of Aleppo chilis (around 2 tsp.) – Buy them here
• 1.5 tsp. Urfa chilis – Buy them here

• 1 tsp. smoked paprika (or more if you like your dip smokier)
• Lemon juice to taste – start with 1-2 Tbsp. though
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Some good bread of your choice – good sourdough or focaccia is recommended!

The preparation here is extremely easy, but will definitely help with the addition of a food processor.  If you don’t have one, you should try to get one, it’s one of the most indispensable kitchen items in our house and gets used almost everyday.  And yes, I still use the Cuisinart from my Mom that she purchased in like 1985 and it still works great.

Add the crumbled feta and the peppers (Aleppo, Urfa and Paprika) to a large mixing bowl and gently mix them together.  Add the mixture to the food processor along with the lemon juice.  Whip the mixture together and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the mixture is spinning.

Once it’s well combined, transfer the feta to a bowl and let it chill in the fridge to harden and rest together for a while before serving.  Enjoy!

Had the opportunity to visit the great city of New York this past weekend and make it a point to hit up Momofuku for lunch on the Sunday we were there.  I’ll start by admitting that I’ve been really into the Momofuku cookbook.  I haven’t yet made many recipes from it just yet besides the Momofuku chicken wings, but that will change, especially after making my first trip to Noodle Bar.  If you haven’t heard of Momofuku, it’s the restaurant group started by David Chang in New York and has been wildly successful since its inception.  If you want to read more, see here and here.

What everyone usually talk about is the pork buns, which have been replicated here in Boston by chef Phillip Tang at East by Northeast in Cambridge (yes, they’re delicious here too).  Also, Momofuku Noodle Bar especially is famous for its Ramen noodles, and no, we’re not talking about some garbage 50 cent Top Ramen package with the foil flavor packet.  I made another point of ordering the Momofuku ramen too – which was truly delicious – served with shredded pork shoulder, two slices of slow cooked pork belly, bamboo shoots, slow poached egg and minced scallions and I haven’t even started talking about the noodles.  A decadent, insanely comforting and delicious dish.

We started out with a pork bun each, which actually surprised me a little due to how much pork is actually in these things.  I was expecting them to be a little bit smaller, but I’m not complaining.  The other thing that’s nice about these is the buns themselves.  For some reason when I was thinking about ‘steamed bread’, I wasn’t really that excited about this – I mean c’mon, steamed bread?  Sounds sort of damp and soggy, but trust me it isn’t.  The buns are a really good consistency, topped with Hoisin sauce, a few cucumbers and then folded over around a major league slice of tender pork belly.  Everything perfect besides the fact that I wanted my pork belly crisped up a bit.  No complaints though, these things killed it.  We also sampled the chicken wings, which were smoky and good – the XO vinaigrette was much better than the one I made in the recipe above.

There were 7 f us eating and 4 ordered the Momofuku Ramen – me included.  Others in our party ordered the ginger-scallion noodles, which were my second favorite dish here – topped with the famous ginger-scallion sauce that coats the noodles perfectly.  The best part about both of these dishes though was the noodles themselves.  They are a recipe that I really want to not only make but master and make often.  We also ordered a small pot of kimchi which paired with all of the noodle dishes really well.

Another element that I thought was really interesting about the cookbook was the slow poached egg, which was also included right in the middle of the ramen bowl.  The yolk of the egg was perfectly runny and when mixed into the broth added an awesome richness.  Our other 2 friends went out on a limb and ordered a special of the daily menu – a spicy lamb ramen with wide rice noodles, which was good, but didn’t hold a chance against the signature ramen dish.

Though the restaurant was damn busy (we made a point of getting there right at opening) – it’s not big and filled up in literally 15 minutes after opening at 12 noon on a Sunday, Momofuku did live up to the hype that we’d heard about: excellent food, just really comforting Asian cuisine and attentive service.  I will do my best to make it to Ssam Bar and Ko before too long, as I’m interested in what else Chef Chang has to offer.

I think I’m now convinced that the pressure cooker is perhaps one of the greatest inventions to the home kitchen in a long time.  Especially if you’re the type of person who loves slow food: braising, slow cooking, falling of the bone, you know.  Basically the pressure cooker allows you to do this sort of food in around 30-60 minutes when it could otherwise easily take you 2-4 hours.  Since getting my pressure cooker back in the summer, I’ve mostly been focused on making pork in it, as well as some beef – mostly tough cuts like shoulder and rib meat.  The shanks are some of my favorite parts of the animal, especially lamb, which benefit from being a little bit more succulent than veal or Ossobucco in my opinion.

Shank meat is typically pretty lean – the shanks of the cow are very lean, much of the time used for extra lean ground beef (96/4 no joke!).  Lamb shanks are fairly lead too, but are full of connective tissue that renders into delicious gelatinous love when cooked long enough.  The pressure cooker makes this process happen in a fraction of the time – convenient for us working types.

This interpretation of the classic dish is somewhat French – utilizing rosemary, thyme, garlic and a simple braising liquid made of red wine and homemade stock.  Remember that you can do these in a pressure cooker for sure, but I imagine that the more popular way of doing these is in a dutch oven or heavy baking dish.  Either way, I think you’ll agree that braised lamb shanks are one of the more savory and comforting dishes you can do on a cold day in the fall or winter.

Serves 6

• 6 lamb shanks
• 2 medium yellow onions – chopped
• 2 small/medium heads of fennel – cored and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4-5 rosemary stalks – leaves removed
• A few stalks of Thyme – leaves left on the stalks is fine
• 1/2 – 3/4 bottle of red wine
• 6 cups of chicken stock (homemade preferred)
• Salt/Pepper
• Olive Oil

Start with the pot or pressure cooker over high heat.  Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.  Add some salt/pepper to the lamb shanks and add them to the bottom of the pot, fat side down and brown them on either side, flipping them when one side is nicely browned.

Once all of the shanks are nicely browned, remove them from the post and set aside.  Turn down the heat to medium/low and add the onions and fennel and another small splash of olive oil.  Cook the aromatic vegetables slowly until they become somewhat caramelized and browned.  Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme next and stir in.  Cook for a few more minutes, and then add in half of the wine to de-glaze the pot – scrape all of the stuck bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the rest of the wine and the chicken stock and then the lamb shanks back to the pot.  Try to keep the shanks in 1 layer, then cover and bring the pot to a boil.  If you’re using a pressure cooker, time to clamp down your lid and bring the pot to 15 pounds of pressure  and cook for 45-50 minutes.

If you’re using a dutch oven, then bring the liquid to a boil and cover the pot.  Lower the heat a bit to make the pot just simmer before letting it braise for a few hours.  You know your done when you can literally take a fork and literally pull the meat off with little to no effort.  This my friends is what we refer to as ‘falling off the bone’ and it’s one of the best things the food world has to offer.

As an optional step, you can fire up a sauté pan on high heat and finish the lamb shanks by browning them off to add a little crust to the outside of them.  This is really going to give you the awesome texture on the outside, while still being incredibly tender on the inside.  Enjoy!

http://www.cityofboston.gov/business/foodtruckchallenge/vote.asp

We want to endorse the World Eats truck, not only because Rich is a great guy, but because his food is really excellent.  Last year after seeing a Phish show down at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA, Rich was serving up some delicious fish tacos and other mexican deliciousness.  He’s adept at making food of all kinds, and the concept for his new truck looks awesome!  Check out the description here:

World Eats (WE) strives to celebrate the unique diversity of Boston by offering freshly baked breads and healthy fillings from around the globe that customers may mix and match. Thus, South American ‘arepas’ filled with Korean BBQ short ribs, a side of Caribbean plantains and an Indian mango ’lassi’ exemplify the breadth of our international offering.

Our menu will display nutritional values for every item, and we will feature exciting choices for vegetarians, and gluten and lactose-challenged individuals. Our ultimate aim is to expose our citizens and our visitors to the very best fare that our city has to offer in a thought-provoking and affordable manner.

In an effort to educate the community about ethnic enclaves in Boston, WE will display ‘culture awareness’ boards that feature a different country every month. By partnering with The Boston City School System, via Social Studies Instructors, WE will have access to the works of students that best depict our mission of tearing down cultural barriers through education. Because the greater Boston area is recognized as the cornerstone of US technology, we want to provide a high tech, multi-sensory experience for our customers. We will hang a flat panel screen on our truck and project images that promote Boston’s diversity.

Italy in summer is hot for sure, but that heat that beats down also produces some of the best vegetables known to man, most importantly the epic tomatoes, which proprietors of small restaurants around the south of the country grow in small pots outside of their kitchens.  I can’t tell you how unique an experience it is to literally see the chef walk out of his kitchen to the back patio, pick some cherry tomatoes off of his cherry tomato bush and bring them back in to make our bruschetta in the heart of Positano on the Amalfi Coast.

Of course, what many don’t realize is that like any great sandwich being all about the bread, bruschetta is no different.  Great, fresh bread has such a great flavor, and paired along with the olive oil, herbs and tomatoes creates one of my favorite appetizers ever.  The Italiens have (not surprisingly) perfected this, and a big part of it is this simplicity.  It’s literally 5 ingredients, plus a sixth (herbs of your choice), but those are optional.  I’ll keep this post short and simple, the way this recipe should be and keep dreaming about those evenings walking around town looking for the fresh tomatoes and other crostinis – we couldn’t stay away from this dish and sampled it almost everyday.  Here’s how we re-create it at home:

• 2-4 Tomatoes depending on how much bruschetta you’re making.  Remember that this dish is aggressively seasonal.  I wouldn’t dream of making it in the winter time, or any other time besides peak tomato season, which in New England runs from around July to mid-September.  You can use cherry, heirloom or any good looking tomatoes for this dish.  NEVER REFRIGERATE YOUR TOMATOES!!!
• 1/2 – 3/4 loaf fresh crusty bread
• Extra virgin olive oil – the fresher the better
• A few pinches of salt
• 1-2 cloves garlic – peeled and left whole
• Fresh herbs of your choice – I use a combo of oregano and basil, but thyme works well too (optional!)

Somewhat simple construction of this dish.  Simply dice the tomatoes into rough chunks.  Delicately place the tomatoes into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt and a generous splash of olive oil.  Remember to use the best olive oil you got for this dish, it really makes a difference!  Mix in the herbs you’re using with the tomatoes and set aside to rest.

Next, cut the bread to the desired width – I really like mine a little on the thicker side, but not too thick.  Toast the bread in the toaster until golden brown but still soft in the middle.  You’re looking for a good crunch, but still a chewy middle.  Don’t overlook this step!  Remember to toast the bread well and you’ll be happy.

Once the bread is done, take your clove of garlic and rub it generously on each piece while it’s still hot from the toaster.  You then want to drizzle a little olive oil right onto the bread, over the garlic.

Top with the tomato mixture and serve immediately!  Enjoy -

This recipe is super easy – maybe because it has just 3 ingredients total, or maybe because unlike bread, you have some wiggle room when making pasta.  Once you’ve done it a few times too, you can really hone your skills and nail it.  This recipe is all about the proportion of eggs to flour – everyone’s got their own it seems, at least that’s what I found when looking through countless cookbooks for ideas on mine.

The history of pasta is a mysterious one, at least according to most sources.  Obviously aggressively Italian, I came to realize while making certain types of noodles that most cultures eat noodles of some sort.  I’d even argue that some Asian cultures are bigger noodle fanatics than the people in Italy at all.

The noodles that I like to make are egg noodles, made from 1/2 gluten rich bread flour (or Tipo 00 Italian flour if you can find it) and 1/2 good old all purpose wheat flour (unbleached).  This makes for a somewhat sticky dough that’s really nice to knead and roll and produces a easily al dente toothsome pasta that’s perfect with many kinds of sauce.

I think you’ll agree that once you’ve mastered making fresh pasta, going back to dried is tough, though dried does still have its place.  I was inspired to learn fresh pasta recipes by our recent trip to Italy and now that I have my proportion down, it’s as quick and easy thing to make after work as anything.  Here’s my secret:

Makes pasta for 2 people – 1 egg per person.  If you want to make more, just double/triple the recipe as needed

• 2 medium eggs
• 1/2 cup bread flour or Tipo 00 flour
• 3/4 cups all purpose flour (unbleached) + more for dusting and adding to finished pasta
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Other additions as you want (add in pureed spinach for green pasta, or squid ink for black pasta, etc…)

Making this pasta requires at least 1 essential piece of equipment: a pasta roller.  I’m lucky enough to have one attached to my mixer (Thanks wedding gifts) but I used to use a manual one and it worked great.  Just make sure you can clamp it down to your counter (this used to drive me nuts).  I also use a food processor to save myself a little time in mixing up the dough and bringing it together.  If you want to use the more traditional ‘eggs in the flour well’ technique, be my guest, but it’s messier and takes longer.  Start by making a mound of your flour, then make a shallow well in the middle of your mound and add the eggs.  Take a fork and mix up the eggs, slowly incorporating the flour into the middle until it comes together and you can use your hands.  Once it comes together, you can begin your kneading…

I mix my dough in the food processor.  If you want to go this route I highly recommend it – I find that it works great!  Start with the eggs this time – crack 2 in the bottom of the food pro with the metal blade attached.  Add the olive oil and then the flour to the bowl next and PULSE the blade until the dough comes together.  It may look a little bit like rough gravel or sand at first, but this is ok!  Take it out of the food processor and onto a lightly floured working suface.  Begin to knead the dough until it comes together and continue kneading for 5-10 minutes.

Place your dough in plastic wrap and into the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.  This step is essential and sill enable your dough to come together nicely.  Once done, cut into 2 parts and roll out lightly before beginning to roll in your pasta roller.

Start with the widest setting – the 1 or 0 depending on your roller.  Roll a few times on this setting, folding in half and rolling again to make sure you have the correct.  It should be roughly in the shape of an oblong oval.  Continue rolling and making the setting narrower and narrower until you’ve reached the ’5′.  At this point I usually stop, as the pasta is probably thin enough, but feel free to go further if you want.  Once there, you’ll have a few really nice sheet of pasta.  If they’re still a little tacky, add some more flour to prevent sticking.

Cut your pasta to desired width either by using the rollers or folding it back on itself and cutting it with a knife to desired thickness.  Cook only for a few minutes – don’t overcook if you can help it!!  and serve with your choice of sauce.

Back when Aimee and I lived in the Bay Area (Alameda more specifically), we had a huge lemon tree in the back yard that used to produce huge Eureka lemons all the time.  I always felt a little bad because I couldn’t ever use them all – but when I could, I always used to make this lemonade, especially on the hot days in the summer.  The infusion of Mango is just one idea, but I also used to puree strawberries and add those.  You can really add just about any other fruit you like to this drink and it would still turn out delicious.

Keep it simple when you’re making lemonade.  Start with just a little bit of sugar, then you can always add more as you wish depending on your sweetness level tolerance.  Another idea here is to try making ‘ade’ with another citrus fruit.  Everyone’s likely heard of and tried Limeade, but my new thing is to make grapefruit-ade.  It’s really pretty good and a different combo that you might like.

Here’s my take on the simple, super refreshing drink:

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2-3 mangoes – pulp pureed in a food processor (see more about preparing mangoes below)
• Ice
• 4 cups water to dilute

Putting lemonade together is totally easy.  Start by prepping the mangoes: I find the best way to prep mangoes is to cut them in half like you would an avocado.  Make sure you don’t cut into the large seed in the middle of the mango, rather cut on either side – almost like a filet.  I then take my paring knife and cut cubes out of the mango’s flesh, then invert the mango and turn the half inside out and remove the cubes that protrude.  This video does a good job documenting this:

Take the mango cubes and puree them in your food processor or juicer until you have a good puree on your hands.  Try to get it as smooth as possible, add some water as needs be – chunks in your lemonade aren’t really as ideal as you can imagine.

In a large pitcher of bowl, I mix the ice, sugar and lemon juice with a large wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the mango puree and mix in, then add the water to dilute.  Make sure you don’t add too much to start, so add a little, then adjust from there.  Serve with more lemon slices or mango.  This drink also goes really well as a cocktail with some vodka or gin.