Many cooking magazines, Gourmet included, draw a strong connection between the enjoyment of food and the enjoyment of drink. Tonight, I was able to use the Gourmet magazine from February to enjoy both. I made the Tortilla Soup with
Chiles and Tomatoes on page 71 and the Agave Margarita on page 34. There was only one drink recipe in this month's Gourmet so I wanted to make sure it fit in well with the menu. I am more of a novice at
bartending/
mixology than I am at cooking. It's not that I don't like to drink. Like many 30-something moms, alcohol is something I have restricted as I've gotten older. I was trying to get pregnant (limited alcohol), got pregnant (no alcohol), and then was breast feeding (limited and well-timed alcohol) and now I am trying to get pregnant again (limited alcohol). Let's just say that tonight, though, I had a practice Margarita and then enjoyed one with dinner so I certainly did my part in sampling the recipe. I really enjoyed the drink and not just because it was alcohol, because it was good. The quality of the tequila I had was somewhat in question but it turned out just fine. It was a gift from a student when I taught English to adults at night, not the Blue Agave
Blanco that the recipe called for. The agave nectar gave a sweet but not cloying taste and really made the drink stand out without puckering your mouth like sugar syrup can do.
The Tortilla Soup was the easiest soup I have made yet. With minimum of chopping, everything went in the blender and made a wonderful puree that was the base of the soup. I had homemade chicken stock left over from another recipe and only had to add 3 cups of water and 3 chicken bullion cubes to the liquid. I did not fry my own tortilla chips but instead, as the recipe suggested, purchased unsalted store chips. It saved a lot of time and I doubt it detracted any from the flavor. This recipe will make the regular menu list for both ease of preparation and quality of flavor. The soup itself was not very hot but that could be adapted with a little Mexican hot sauce if spicy is your thing. But then again, it could just be the Margarita talking!
Many cooking magazines, Gourmet included, draw a strong connection between the enjoyment of food and the enjoyment of drink. Tonight, I was able to use the Gourmet magazine from February to enjoy both. I made the Tortilla Soup with Chiles and Tomatoes on page 71 and the Agave Margarita on page 34. There was only one drink recipe in this month's Gourmet so I wanted to make sure it fit in well with the menu. I am more of a novice at bartending/mixology than I am at cooking. It's not that I don't like to drink. Like many 30-something moms, alcohol is something I have restricted as I've gotten older. I was trying to get pregnant (limited alcohol), got pregnant (no alcohol), and then was breast feeding (limited and well-timed alcohol) and now I am trying to get pregnant again (limited alcohol). Let's just say that tonight, though, I had a practice Margarita and then enjoyed one with dinner so I certainly did my part in sampling the recipe. I really enjoyed the drink and not just because it was alcohol, because it was good. The quality of the tequila I had was somewhat in question but it turned out just fine. It was a gift from a student when I taught English to adults at night, not the Blue Agave Blanco that the recipe called for. The agave nectar gave a sweet but not cloying taste and really made the drink stand out without puckering your mouth like sugar syrup can do.
The Tortilla Soup was the easiest soup I have made yet. With minimum of chopping, everything went in the blender and made a wonderful puree that was the base of the soup. I had homemade chicken stock left over from another recipe and only had to add 3 cups of water and 3 chicken bullion cubes to the liquid. I did not fry my own tortilla chips but instead, as the recipe suggested, purchased unsalted store chips. It saved a lot of time and I doubt it detracted any from the flavor. This recipe will make the regular menu list for both ease of preparation and quality of flavor. The soup itself was not very hot but that could be adapted with a little Mexican hot sauce if spicy is your thing. But then again, it could just be the Margarita talking!
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