D.M.R. Fine Foods: Soda

Enduring the Summer heat is a lot more bearable when you're sipping on a cool, effervescent and refreshing drink that boasts the season's bounty. And with that in mind, I recently added another favorite to my mocktail repertoire.

Inspired by my love for homemade everything, I set about to create a strawberry puree, accented with a hint of fresh lime juice. And can I just tell you--it was sooo good. (Like, spoonfuls in the middle of the day, straight from the container, kind of good. Don't judge me.) From there, the possibilities became endless for how to make the most of the berry-licious concoction.

Freeze into sorbet. Spoon over ice cream. Make into a seasonal spritzer. The latter of these was my immediate go-to, but the other options are still very much alive.

And this "non-recipe", recipe of sorts, couldn't be easier to pull off--or transform with additional or alternate flavors. One technique x endless options = happy cooking at its finest.

So cheers to more of Summer's luscious flavors...and to Happy Sipping!

Strawberry Spritzer
Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
Juice of 1/2 lime, plus more to garnish as desired
1/2 cup sugar
Club soda
Ice Cubes

Method:
Place strawberries in a blender or food processor and blend into a puree. Strain puree through a fine mesh sieve.

Add in sugar and lime juice and stir well to combine. Store in an airtight container for 8-12 hours or overnight to chill mixture.

Mix together 1/4 cup of puree and 3/4 cup of club soda. Pour over ice, serve and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

With so much happening in the world today, not the least of which involves addressing the very serious matter of the lingering impacts of systemic racism, there has never been a better time to celebrate and amplify the voices and impact of black people, including our culture, cuisine, businesses and more. And with that comes the (perfectly timed) celebration of Juneteenth on June 19th., which commemorates the final act of emancipation from slavery under the Confederacy, two and a half years following President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

My personal celebration will include an exciting collaboration with fellow black culinary creatives for a virtual Juneteenth Cookout. With a bevy of recipes in tow, showcasing the exuberance, flavors, and resiliency of a people destined for freedom, I'm inviting you to join us by raising a glass of my favorite Blackberry Ginger Soda, an ode to the original Juneteenth staple of Red Soda Water.

“Watermelon and red soda water are the oldest traditional foods on Juneteenth,” said Dr. Ronald Myers, head of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.

Red represents perseverance and spans much of the celebrated cuisine. So if you haven't guessed by now, it's a delicious, empowering time of jubilee!

See my original post below that includes the easy four-ingredient recipe and join in the celebration with a toast to freedom, joy and better days ahead. You can also grab the recipes of the additional collaborators below for exceptional menu ideas for your very own Juneteenth cookout.
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Original Post:

If last week's solstice didn't carry enough of a bang to convince you that Summer has officially arrived, then this past weekend's sweltering heat offered a not-so-gentle reminder. And almost as fast as I welcomed the season, I began seeking a refreshing sip to usher in a much needed cool down.

While running my Saturday morning errands, I stopped in one of my favorite stores and landed upon the inspiration for this beautiful & ohh so good drink: rich, sweet blackberry syrup and sparkling dry ginger. My wheels instantly began turning and the resulting mocktail was born. I couldn't resist garnishing it with stunning blackberry king ice cubes, for added flair, and topping it off with a couple of splashes of club soda.

The punch from the ginger, coupled with the sweet blackberry essence and fizzy soda, makes this the perfect drink to toast the season--and it should definitely be in rotation in your sipping and entertaining repertoire. It's a casual, pour-as-you-like, non-recipe of sorts so make it your own, leading with the ginger as the base and accented with blackberry syrup and club soda to finish.

Happy Sipping!

Blackberry Ginger Soda

Ingredients:

Sparkling Dry Ginger (or ginger ale), chilled

Blackberry Syrup

Club Soda

Blackberry Ice Cubes

Method:

Fill glasses with ice cubes. Pour desired amount of ginger into glass, followed by a few drizzles of the syrup. Top with a couple splashes of soda. Stir to combine and enjoy!

The Juneteenth Cookout Recipes Round-Up:

A Girl Called Adri | Blackened Catfish

Beautiful Eats & Things | Spiced Grilled Peaches

Black Girls Who Brunch | Brown Butter Sweet Potato Cake

Brazilian Kitchen Abroad | Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon

Britney Breaks Bread | Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Sour Cream and Honey Sauce

Brownbelle | Watermelon Hibiscus Whiskey Smash

Butter Be Ready | Chicken and Waffles

Chef and Steward | Watermelon and Feta Salad

Chef Curl Ardee | Honey and Butter Cornbread

Chenée Today | Lemon Icebox Pie

Christy Irene | Crawfish Etoufee