Cooking Wars International: July 2013

Watermelon, Mint & Lime Smoothie

Kind of ~~crushing on~~ obsessing over watermelon right now. The title of this post, Watermelon Blues, which my fingers randomly just typed out, was actually the name of a quirky toy store in Pittsburgh that my mom used to take me to sometimes when I was younger and I loved the random things you could find there. Like foldable paper flowers on a stick that I would play with for hours. Weird kid.

Anyway, back in NY, where my friend's car registered 103f outside yesterday, I've been trying to stay cool. (I'm not great at keeping my cool in any temperature over 72).

Since watermelon has a high water content (hydration, people) and is so sweet and juicy, the obsession is a no-brainer. I have photojournaled my noteworthy watermelon moments of the week above and below.

Melon and raspberry lemonade snack

Fruit stand by my office in Brighton Beach

Watermelon and Feta Salad prep (see recipe below)

Delicious meal (see below)

Watermelon Feta Salad Recipe:

(2 servings)

Ingredients:

1 container of pre-cut watermelon squares (or can cut your own if you're not lazy)

1/2 cup mesclun greens

1 package feta cheese

1/2 container of grape heirloom tomatoes

2T olive oil

2T balsamic vinegar

(can also substitute the lettuce for 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves)

Instructions:

Slice chunks of watermelon into small cubes. Do this with the feta as well. Slice the tomatoes in half (if you choose) and toss ingredients all together. I personally think it tastes best with only a small amount of lettuce, making the other juicier ingredients the real showcase of the salad. When you bite into a piece of watermelon followed by a piece of slightly salty cheese - I'm telling you, there's nothing like it. I also wasn't sure how I would feel about the tomato-watermelon pairing, but since there were recipes for this salad all over Pinterest, I figured there must be something to it. There was.

Obviously I drank lemonade out of a jar, with a straw, to accompany it [read: Pinterest has taken over by brain]. My friend Avi, who is kind of picky, was over for a visit and he surprised himself by loving the salad too. I also got my sister and a coworker hooked on it after sharing the recipe the next day. Mollie - I know, I just featured cheese on your blog. But you'll get over it :)....for the sake of our readers! (p.s. anyone out there? show us some comment love?)

Additional Links:

just for funspiration, here's some other watermelon/salad ideas I'm digging:

1. Been meaning to try out jicama for a while - Mollie/Ali - any other tips on that? - http://melinaphotos.blogspot.com/2011/09/shapes-of-summer.html

2. Kinda cute - http://drizzleanddip.com/2009/12/24/watermelon-and-feta-skewers-with-balsamic-sauce-drizzle

3. Liking the addition of avocado - http://www.ilanafreddye.com/2012/06/summer-salad.html

4. Yum - http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/170563929/sweet-salty-and-spicy-watermelon-refresher/

5. My friend Rebecca picked up on my melon love and posted this to my FB wall yesterday - http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/07/21/magazine/watermelon-recipes.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=MG_WAD_20130718&_r=0

I'll stop now. Enjoy the heatwave everyone :)

xo,

Rebecca (your nyc counterpart)

Hey Ali-

I am holding a parlor meeting at my house tonight. Can't you fly halfway across the world in time to attend? I miss you so much!!!!!!!!!! Besides for learning about a great organization, our friends will partake in a wine tasting paired with meat apps so we decided to call it a "Meat and Greet" get it?? haaahaa

My favorite simple party food is my candied salami. It always goes and its SO easy to prepare.

and or course my FAVORITE secret ingredient:

make a rub with pepper, cayenne, salt,

and smoked paprika

(dont stress about how many shakes of each you cannot ruin this!)

mix it all up (yes, I do wear gloves when I cook)

Per 2 LBS Salami add:

1 jar Heinz Chili Sauce

2 T Lemon Juice (I squirt it in the empty chili sauce container and shake it around to make sure I got it all)

1/2 C brown sugar

I bake it low and slow covered at 300 for hours and hours. if you dont have that much time bake it at a higher temp for a shorter time- you can't ruin it!