Marvelous margarita

Today’s margaritas offer many variables starting with the seeminly limitless choices of tequilas. Over the years, I’ve finally begun to understand that there are all types, grades and styles to choose from.

Then one must consider which of the orange-flavored liqueurs you should use: Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier. I’ve even seen recipes that go the entire liqueur gambit including using Midori, and Chambord.

The one ingredient that doesn't seem to share limitless choices is salt. All the margarita recipes I’ve ever seen just recommend a coarse salt or kosher salt. But salts, too, have different tastes and textures and just like in a recipe for a delicious sauce, the taste of the salt can make a difference of how a margarita will taste. The third ingredient, fresh lime juice isn’t even a sacred ingredient, you can have a Strawberry Margarita, Melon Margarita or Mangorita to name of few.

And so I want to introduce you to our new product: Sal de Margarita!

Harvested from the Sea of Cortez, our sea salt has a multi-layered  advantage over other salts for enhancing a margarita. To begin with Sal de Margarita has a crisp salty taste that complements the lime and the tequila ingredients while delivering a light crunch as it is sipped from the glass. Then also the texture of the coarse grains of the crystals make it ideal for crusting the rim of a margarita glass. And what I like a lot about Sal de Mar for a margarita is that after sipping it, it quickly dissolves on the palate. You can find Sal de Margarita online or at our retail stores.

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and I am eager to know what one is your is  your favorite.

DAVID THORN'S CLASSIC MARGARITA
I like this recipe because it isn't the sweet, slushy concoction that some bars serve (and which are not my favorite.) David secrets are: he uses 100% silver agave tequila; Cointreau instead of Triple Sec because even though it is more expensive it has the necessary sweetness but is a more elegant flavor; he uses fresh lime juice instead of the bottled version; the fresh orange juice along with the Grand Marnier temper the sharpness while adding character to its natural flavor; and it is shaken in a cocktail shaker allowing the ice to melt and the right degree of frostiness.

To Prepare: Moisten the rim of a martini glass with the cut lime Spread Sal de Mar on a small plate. Dip the moistened rim of the glass into the salt until evenly crusted

Margarita Mixture:
2 oz. Milagro Silver Tequila (David’s favorite)
2 oz. Cointreau (not Triple Sec)
2 oz. fresh lime juice 1 oz. fresh orange juice

Garnish:
Lime slices
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier

Add margarita mixture to a cocktail shaker.  Add ice and cover. Shake thoroughly to chill the mixture. Strain into into a Sal de Mar crusted glass with or without ice. Garnish with a slice of lime and the splash of Grand Marnier. Makes one cocktail.

MANGO MARGARITA
This recipe is entirely an experiment.  My husband, Phillip and I came up with this version because we wanted a Mango Margarita but couldn't find any recipes that were not a frozen, sickening-sweet concoction. So we used the "Keep It Simple" formula and kept to the basics but used the best ingredients to take it to a different level of a sipping cocktail.
Our formula was:  a good 100% agave reposado tequila;  a high-level orange liqueur;  a fresh mango instead of bottled juice; and Nature's Agave agave nectar instead of sugar water.

To round out our luxe ingredients, we crusted the rim of the cocktail glass with our new product, Sal de Margarita and combined it with mint leaves that we crushed and finely chopped.  It adds even more character to the flavors.   We think it is delicious! Let us know what you think!!

For crusting the rim of glass:
1/2 fresh lime for moistening the rim of glass Sal de Margarita
Crushed and finely chopped mint leaves

Spread Sal de Margarita on a small plate. Add chopped mint leaves (about 4 parts Sal de Margarita to 1 part chopped mint leaves). Moisten the rim of 8-oz martini glass with a cut lime. Dip the rim of each glass in the salt, creating a thin crust over half the rim.  (We liked having just half the glass with salt.  It seems like just the right amount)

For Margarita Mix:
4 oz  tequila, preferably a reposado 100% agave tequila
2 oz.  Patron Orange Liqueur
2 oz. agave nectar
2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 large very, very ripe mango (approximately 4 heaping tablespoons)

Blend the ingredients together in a blender with no ice. Pour mixture into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a prepared 8 oz. martini-style glass.

A little bit French ... a little bit Italian, hors d'oeuvres

I know that it isn’t tomato season yet, but I couldn’t resist posting this recipe because I am really hungry for tomatoes after the long winter. And what is so great about this recipe is that you use cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes seem much more flavorful than the larger varieties early in the season.

This recipe is a little bit French and a little bit Italian. I found it in a beautiful book, The Heirloom Tomato by Amy Goldman. Even though the recipe has just a little salt added here and there, using Sal del Mar really intensifies the flavors.

INGREDIENTS:
BAKED RICOTTA CHEESE
1 1/2 pounds whole-milk ricotta cheese
1//4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse-ground pepper

SHERRY SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Sal del Mar to taste
3 tablespoons finely diced shallots
1/2 cup pure olive oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

CHERRY TOMATO SALAD
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
Sal del Mar to taste
Freshly-ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

TAPENADE
1 cup Nicoise olives
1 garlic clove
Sal del Mar as needed
4 oil packed anchovies
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

8 1/4-inch thick slices rustic bread
Pure olive oil as needed

For the tapenade:  Remove pits from the olives. Make a garlic paste by slicing the garlic clove thin, sprinkling with Sal del Mar, and using the flat of your knife to mash the garlic into a fine paste. Place the anchovies, garlic paste, and capers in the a bowl of a food processor. Process until almost smooth. Add the olives and pulse until finely chopped and spreadable but not pasty. Transfer the mixture to another bowl and stir in the olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

For the bread slices:  Brush lightly with olive oil and grill until crispy or toast them in a 400-degree oven, flipping once, until browned.

For the cherry tomatoes: Make the vinaigrette by mixing the vinegars and Sal del Mar. Add the shallots and soak for 30-minutes. Whisk in the olive oils. Taste and adjust with additional vinegar, oil or Sal del Mar. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and mix with the vinaigrette one hour before serving. Season with salt and pepper. Combine in a bowl with a wooden spoon, working gently so as not to bruise the tomatoes.

For the ricotta cheese: In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the mixture into an oval gratin dish that has been greased with olive oil. Smooth the top and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Grind the pepper over the top. Bake on a foil-lined sheet pan until the cheese is heated through and a golden-brown crust forms on top. Cool at room temperature, about 25-minutes.

Serve the tomato salad, baked ricotta cheese, tapenade and grilled bread on separate dishes and have guests make their own delicious hors d'oeuvres.

Perfectly simple hors d'oeuvres

I'm always in search of new hors d'oeurves and found one that is very simple but one that I would never have thought of at the Abbey, a restaurant in Tucson. It is a recipe that truly highlights the flavor of  Sal del  Mar.

A walnut rustic bread or any rustic bread Whipped unsalted butter Dash of Sal del Mar

Place bread, butter and Sal del Mar separately on serving platter. Enjoy by spreading butter on a slice of rustic bread and a pinch of Sal del Mar according to your taste.  Buen Provecho!

Pure silver & salt

There’s a reason the Camino Real ran through Alamos... during the 19th century, the mineral mines made our charming village the premier “Silver City” of Northern Mexico. Now, we celebrate the town’s glittering heritage every year with the Annual Alamos Silver Festival. This special weekend celebrating our precious metal, allows visitors to experience Sonoran cuisine, local music, unique presentations, and best of all, you get to shop for exquisite Mexican silver at some very special Alamos-only pricing. There's a "Silver Raffle" that includes pieces donated by each of the 16 participating artists, where all proceeds go to the renovation of the town church, La Parroquia de la Purísima Concepción. The raffle takes place during the "Silver Gala Dinner" on Saturday night—you need not be present to win, but you don't want to miss this chance to have a fantastic gourmet meal and show off all your amazing silver pieces!

The featured artists this year include: Emilia Castillo | Lawrence Baca | Jewels | Julio Pagliani | Ron Burhham | Noa James | Agnes Seabass | Jean-Maruice Lacroux | Damian & Alex Vazquez | Hacienda Vintage Silver | Collection | Jose Brilanti | Alejandro & Roxana Gentil | Das Lanzoloti | Douglas Magnus | Coreen Cordova | Gina Pankowski | Greg Souther.

Our favorite place to stay for the festivities is the Hacienda de los Santos, a magical place with stone walkways, brick passageways and a stone footbridge set amidst six lushly landscaped acres. Hope to see you there. Let us know if you visit!

A pinch of sal del mar

Last week my husband and I were invited to a small dinner party hosted by our friends, Jeanie and Bill Neubauer. Jeanie, who owns the Santa Cruz Chile Company is known for her intimate dinner parties in their house overlooking the Sea of Cortez. The Neubauers are hosts that love their guests to join in the cooking. Jeanie snapped a photo with her iPhone camera of Debra Paterson, a guest from Arizona and David Haynes from California, sautéing orange and red pepper seasoned with a pinch of Sal del Mar. It was served as an accompaniment to Sonora steaks on the grill and Caesar salad made with lettuce from Bill’s garden and ended by tastes of tequila liquors.  Buen Provecho!

To make the recipe featured in the photo:
4 - 5 red, yellow and orange bell peppers cut into ¼ inch slices
¼ cup olive oil
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Pinch of Sal del Mar sea salt

Clean, seed and slice peppers. Sauté in olive oil on low to medium heat until soft (let them sweat). When done finish with a pinch of Sal del Mar to taste and a splash of balsamic. Recipe compliments of Debra!

Aquarium of the world gives us salt

The Sea of Cortez is located between the Baja Peninsula and mainland Mexico and is one of the youngest and most fertile seas on earth. The peninsula was formed approximately five million years ago when part of the Earth’s crust separated along the San Andreas Fault drifting in a northwesterly direction away from mainland Mexico. After colliding with southern California, an ocean basin was formed. This basin is known today as the Gulf of California or more commonly referred to as the Sea of Cortez. It is home to thousands of species of marine animals and is the reason why Jacques Cousteau called this sea “The Aquarium of the World.”
Much of the area around the basins is covered by whitish grey salt flats where Sal del Mar is harvested.

Holiday marga-ho ho ho-jito

A mojito traditionally uses rum but this holiday-perfect recipe uses tequila instead, hence the title. Rub glass rim with lime wedge and then dip in a mixture of equal parts Sal del Mar sea salt and sugar for a salty sweet twist on the salt-rimmed glasses.

Prep Time: 5 minutes Yield: Makes 5 cups

1 (10-oz.) can frozen mojito mix
3/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons orange liqueur or triple sec
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Ice
Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender. Fill blender with ice to 5-cup level, and process until smooth. Serve immediately as shown garnished with cranberries and sprig of local herb such as sage or rosemary.

Zesty sopa de pollo

Don't get stuck making the same old chicken noodle soup. Here's a zesty recipe to keep you warm and cozy during the cold months ahead.
2 whole chickens (3 ½ pounds each)
1 large yellow onion, halved
1 ½ cups long-grain rice
2 avocados
3 limes, halved
4 carrots, halved crosswise
1 tablespoon Sal del Mar sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Rinse the chickens and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chickens, carrots, onion and Sal del Mar sea salt in a 12-quart pot. Add enough cold water (about 16 cups) and cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 1 hour. Skim off any foam that appears. Transfer the chickens to plates; let cool. Remove and discard the carrots and onion. Add the rice to the broth and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones. Add the meat and pepper to the broth and heat for 3 minutes. Scoop the avocados into individual bowls and ladle the soup over the top. Sprinkle with the cilantro and squeeze on the limes. Yields: 6-8 servings.

To freeze: Omit the avocados, cilantro, and limes; let the soup cool, then ladle into large resealable bags, filling each one halfway. Store for up to 3 months.

To reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or thaw partially in the microwave. Warm in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Scoop the avocado into bowls, ladle in the soup, and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges on the side.