Well, summer is officially here! And to celebrate,
Leslie and I decided to break out the
Nieves for
she made, ella hace this month. Nieves are basically cold, icy treats. The word nieve is used to describe all sorts of cold things, even snow or ice. So, potentially we could have chosen to make paletas or ice pops, ice cream, raspados, snow cones, or anything along those lines to share with you.
Knowing me, you'd think I'd have made some paletas to share, right? Well, I don't want to overwhelm you with paletas - and since I'm bringing you at least one type every week for the whole summer, I decided that I wanted to go in a different direction today. I had every intention of making a raspado. I've been craving a
coconut horchata raspado with bright summer raspberries. And mi esposo has been craving a favorite of his that he used to get in Mexico, a
rompope con pasas raspado - which I imagine is sort of along the lines of
rum raisin ice cream.
Unfortunately, the time flew by too quickly these past couple of weeks, and I haven't had the chance to make them yet. But I will soon. Promise. Instead, I went a similar route and made a granita. Which is definitely close enough. The Italian version is a water, sugar, flavoring version where they are all frozen together (as opposed to making a flavored syrup to pour over crushed ice). I went for one of my favorite hot weather flavors - sweet, tangy lemon. BUT, with an added twist. Vodka! It's basically a Lemon Drop cocktail in frozen form. Summertime fun for a sweaty, frazzled mami. I like it.
Now, mi amiga Leslie, on the other hand - she DID make a raspado...one I'd give anything to have in my hands today as I walk outside into the hot and sticky 90° heat. As a matter of fact, I think eating my Lemon Drop Granita, and Leslie's
Nieve Raspada de Jamaica would be a match made in heaven!
What do you think?
Also, be sure to visit Leslie all week long, because starting Monday, she's going to be doing a full week of Nieves Raspadas! I cannot wait. I know she'll inspire me to get my booty in gear and make the ones we are craving this week, as well.
by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes (+ overnight in the freezer)
Cook Time: n/a
Keywords: snack dessert vegan nut-free soy-free gluten-free dairy-free alcohol lemons vodka frozen summer
- 3 cups simple syrup
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from approx. 10-12 lemons)
- 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounce) vodka
- 1 lemon sliced paper thin, optional
Whisk the simple syrup, lemon juice, and vodka together. Pour into an 8-inch square metal pan (or something similar). Add the lemon slices, if using.
Place in the freezer overnight, occasionally scraping across the surface with the tines of a fork.
When you're ready to serve the granita, rake a fork through it, and scoop it into cold serving glasses or dishes, with a spoon and/or a straw.
to make simple syrup:
Combine equal parts sugar and water in a pan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in a covered jar or bottle in the refrigerator. For the amount needed in this recipe, you'll need approximately 2 cups of each.
Powered by
What happens when two American girls who are both married to Mexican guys find out that although one of them lives in the U.S. and one of them lives in Mexico, they both love eating the same food? Well, naturally they decide to get "together" the only way they can and cook up the same dishes. Or perhaps take the same ingredients and talking about them in their own voice or using them in their own way.
Leslie and I have teamed up to occasionally cook/bake/make a our own versions of the same food. We want to see how similar (or how different) they turn out. Other times we will pick an ingredient and use it however we choose...or maybe just talk about it. Good food knows no borders and we hope to share the food we love with you. It's not a competition, it's a showcase. We will post on the same day as each other and would love to hear your thoughts on what we've made and how you make it.
Yum. Now I want to make them again right now! And speaking of homemade cheese (I was. Speaking of homemade cheese. The mascarpone. Sort of in code, but...), we're making Halloumi over at Forging Fromage this month if you want to join us!
Stir up all of the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. 
Cut the feta into 1/2" thick slices. Put flour on a plate. Put a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with a 2 count of oil. When the oil is smoking, dredge the cheese slices in the flour, and add as many slices as will comfortably fit in the pan. Brown about one minute on each side, until golden brown. 
Squeeze some lemon juice over them, then use a spatula to carefully transfer to a platter. Repeat with the rest of the cheese, adding a little more oil to the pan if you need to . Spoon the chopped-herb sauce over the cheese and serve. 
My thoughts on this recipe: I loved it! The cheese is so pungent and in-your-face...but the sauce adds so many layers of flavor to the dish. A slight crunch from the pine nuts, a little sweetness from the raisins, the bright flavors of the parsley, the richness of the anchovy, the saltiness of the capers...YUM! Tyler notes that this "goes down great at a cocktail party".
