50
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
JULY | AUGUST 2014
O
n a scorching Gulf Coast summer
afternoon, there’s no sound more
magical than the tortured screams
of a household blender being put through
its paces. Any other time of year, that very
particularly high-pitched whine — the
approximate sound of a LearJet stuck in first
gear — would be like manicured nails on a
chalkboard, but when the temperature’s in
the red zone, that whine means that a super-
cooled blender drink can’t be too far away.
GeNeRAl TIpS
oN ICe:
Grab a bag at Rouses instead of
depending on homemade cubes. Machine-
made cubes tend to be tiny, and the smaller
the cubes, the less wear and tear on your
blender. It’ll also help you make
more
batches
quicker
.
youR TRuSTy BleNdeR:
You’re asking
this little machine to do hard work, so don’t
be deterred by the smell of super-heated
electrical machinery — it’s just one of those
things that comes with the territory. Just
keep an eye out for signs of extreme fatigue,
especially during long parties or if you use a
$20 dorm-room version.
If you think you’ll be making a lot of frozen
drinks (as you well should), consider getting
one of the industrial strength 2-speed bar
blenders. They run a bit high as countertop
appliances go, but they tend to look cooler,
have plenty of mixing torque, and last almost
forever. The new breed of juicer/blender
hybrids have the added benefit of liquifying
rhubarb and kale for times when a morning-
after recovery smoothie is in order.
GoA lITTle STRoNG IN The MIX:
Not
necessarily on the liquor, but on the mixers
(fruit juices, cream, or other ingredient).This
will compensate for the tendency for frozen
drinks to water down as tiny ice crystals to
become room-temperature droplets. Time
and experience will be your guides.
TeQuIlA
The old Faithful Frozen Margarita
Keep in mind that this is a simple recipe —
not necessarily an award-winning, much-
coveted secret mixture available only in the
world’s finest restaurants. The beauty of this
concoction is that it’s simple, ingredients are
easily obtained (even in tequila-deprived
locales) and it tastes great. Once you make
a few batches, you’ll want to adjust the
proportions to fit your individual tastes, but
this’ll get you started:
Old Faithful Margarita
makes one 40 ounce blenderful
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
1
6-ounce can Minute Maid frozen limeade
5-6 ounces decent white tequila
(Sauza Silver, por ejemplo)
3
ounces orange liqueur
(preferably Cointreau, but your choice)
Ice (preferably bagged)
Limes to taste
HOW TO PREP
Start out by emptying the limeade into your trusty
blender then use the empty can as convenient
measuring cup to add the other ingredients. Add
the other liquid ingredients (I tend to use a can of
tequila and a half can of triple sec, a combination
that makes a good strong drink). Set blender on
“churn” and gently mix for about 10 seconds. Pack
blender halfway with ice and set to blend until the
ice chunks turn to a fine slush, then add more ice
until the desired consistency and strength are to
your liking.
RuM
Frozen daiquiri
Along with the margarita, this simple
tropical rum/lime concoction may be the
granddaddy of all frozen drinks. In its
pure (liquid) state, the daiquiri is a “take
no prisoners” kind of cocktail, with a 2:1
“liquor to mixer” ratio, but the frozen
version — with tendency to dilute over
time — tends to be more appropriate for
extended evening drinking sessions.
Frozen Daiquiri
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
5
ounces light rum
3
ounces fresh lime juice
3
teaspoons powdered sugar
(or 2 ounces Simple Syrup)
2
ounces triple sec or Cointreau
½ blender of ice or to proper texture
Cold DrinkS
for
Hot Days
by
Pableaux Johnson +
photo by
Eugenia Uhl
the
Gulf Coast
issue
