The world would be less interesting if everything in it didn’t have a story about it. These stories or legends have a certain appeal to it. Once you are familiar with it, you would start seeing the object in a different light altogether. These stories would give you an insight into what makes it what it is!
Even your food and beverages have ancestors you can trace it back to. When you are sitting in a bar and sipping on some margarita, did you ever give it a thought about how it originated? Well, everything evolves and your favorite drink too has evolved. What was a simple margarita back then has been modified and now when you surf the internet for various margarita recipes, the list is endless.
The origins of margarita is a bit murky as there are many stories behind it. One such popular belief is that it was invented by Carlos Danny Herrera at his restaurant Rancho La Gloria near Mexico. He had created this drink for the vivacious Ziegfeld dancer, Marjorie King. The story states that Ms. King was allergic to all sorts of spirits other than tequila. So, Herrera tried making a special drink for his customer with tequila, lime, and some salt. And this is the recipe of the first ever margarita.
The second popular story is quite different. According to it, it was not some bartender who came up with the margarita recipe. Instead, it was a Texas socialite, Margaret Sames a.k.a Margarita Sames. It is believed that she had randomly mixed some spirits together and concocted this widely popular drink. However, if you wish to have a professional opinion, then the famous cocktail historian David Wondrich has something to say. After much research, he came to the conclusion that the margarita has evolved from a cocktail called daisy. Daisy was a mixture of citrus juice, alcohol and grenadine served with shaved ice. After a period of time, the Mexican tequila daisies became popularly known by its Spanish name margarita.
There are a lot of assumptions about how the famous drink came into existence and these stories give you something to ponder on. If you wish to try your hand at making the original margarita, pour some tequila, Cointreau and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with some ice and shake it vigorously. Strain the drink into a martini glass and soak half the rim in water and half of it in salt. Add a lemon wedge on the rim and there, your original margarita is ready to serve. You can look up different margarita recipes on the internet and become a savvy bartender at your house parties!
We are a coffee-drinking nation and every form of the beverage – decaf, regular, expresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato and ristretto is consumed everyday by millions of us. It’s the first thing we need in the morning and the last (for some) after dessert. Black, with cream, with sugar, no sugar, flavored, each of us has a preference with regard to strength. Nespresso’s taken heed of this and given us a gift in a pod with the Nespresso capsules. Available in the regular Arabica and Robusta capsules, they have some amazing seasonal flavors as well.
Nespresso capsules are hermetically sealed in a capsule that holds 5-7 gms of coffee – enough for one serving of coffee. They offer five ranges in Ristretto (25ml), Espresso (40 ml), Lungo (110 ml), Decaffeinated (40 ml and 110 ml) or Flavored (40 ml).
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Ristretto range are:
Ristretto Origin – Made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has toasted flavors with cocoa notes and woody undertones.
Ristretto Origin India – A blend of the finest Arabicas with a smidgen of Robusta from Southern India, this full-bodied coffee has hints of spices.
Ristretto Intenso – A strong blend of South and Central American Robustas and Arabicas, the Ristretto Intenso is a full-bodied coffee with a creamy texture and peppery notes.
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Espresso range are:
Espresso Origin Brazil: A pure Arabica coffee, it has a mild sweet flavor.
Espresso Leggero: A blend of South American Arabicas and Robusta, it has smooth notes of cocoa and cereal.
Espresso Forte: Exclusively made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has an intensely roasted balance of espresso and fruity notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Lungo range are:
Lungo Leggero: Lightly roasted East African, South and Central American Arabicas, with mild notes of jasmine is what makes up this delicious brew.
Lungo Forte: A complex mix of South and Central American Arabicas, this coffee has heavy roasted notes with a slight hint of fruit.
Lungo Origin Guatemala: A mix of Arabica and washed Gourmet Robusta coffee, Lungo Origin Guatemala is smooth and well balanced with dry and malty cereal notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules in the Decaffeinated range are:
Espresso Decaffeinato: Dark roasted South American Arabicas with a touch of Robusta enhances the cocoa flavors and roasted cereal undertones of this decaffeinated espresso.
Lungo Decaffeinato: This is a slightly more complex blend of separately roasted South American and East African Arabicas. It includes toasted cereal and sweet notes with subtle and floral hints of East African Arabicas.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Flavored range are:
Espresso Vanilla: This silky-flavored coffee is the result of a base of Espresso Forte, which is a complex and heavily-roasted blend of South and Central American Arabicas and a slightly caramelized aroma of vanilla. Espresso Caramel: On a base of Espresso Forte, this complex and intensely roasted blend made from South and Central American Arabicas has the sweetness of caramel.
Here are a few easy and healthy recipe ideas that are both quick to make and light to digest on hot summer days. With very few ingredients, the preparation of these recipes is a breeze. So go on, enjoy these easy, healthy recipes that are brimming with nutrition and taste heavenly too!
Greek Cucumber Rolls
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
This is popular among easy and healthy recipes. Slice cucumber into thin flat strips using a vegetable peeler and arrange them in slices of two on a clean tray. Smear the hummus on top of each slice, then toss some feta cheese, black olives and cut tomatoes on each of the cucumber strips. Squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle some finely chopped dill and cilantro. Finally, roll the strips, serve the Greek cucumber rolls and see them being gobbled up by the young and old alike!
Flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
Cook the fettuccine pasta according to the directions on the label. In a thick bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic and shallots. After about a minute or so, add the other vegetables along with salt and toss them gently for a few minutes. The vegetables must cook and be crunchy at the same time. When they are done, add the cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground black pepper to it and mix well. Serve this flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables for lunch or dinner as a filling, yet light meal.
Sunshine juice
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Direction
Squeeze juice from the oranges and blend the strawberries in a juicer. Then in a pitcher, take the orange juice, strawberry juice, and chilled water together and mix well. Refresh yourself with this yummy sunshine juice with ice cubes on a hot day.