good sazon: Orange Margarita

I don’t know where you live, but where I live it has been smoldering hot. It’s been so hot that going outside feels like entering a sauna room. It’s been so hot that, walking outside for five minutes leaves you feeling sort of “melted.” I keep thinking how much I would like to be at the beach at this very right moment and jump in the refreshing ocean. I know I am not going to any beach any time soon, so I guess I am a masochist for having those recurring thoughts. Anyhow, I don’t have the power to make the heat go away but I do have a recipe for an orange margarita that will transport you to a Caribbean beach as soon as you have your first sip.

I am not a big fan of Margaritas, not because of the tequila, but because most restaurants don’t make their margaritas from scratch. Instead they use a pre-made mix that tastes too artificial for my liking. In my lifetime, I have had two really good margaritas: a mango moonshine margarita in West Virginia (don’t ask) and a blood-orange margarita at Perro Salado ( http://perrosalado.com ) in Newport, RI.

My inspiration

I won’t tell you about the Mango Moonshine Margarita because I cannot recall the details of that night but, I’ll tell you all about the Blood Orange Margarita. Recently, my husband and I took a walking tour of restaurants in Newport, RI. After walking under the summer sun for approximately one hour and a half, we were anxious to visit our last stop: a restaurant called Perro Salado. We entered the restaurant’s patio, which was located under the shadow of two beautiful trees, and were happily surprised when the tour guide told us that the chef had prepared for us a glass of blood-orange margarita and guacamole with tostones. I was glad to hear that the chef made – from scratch – the orange puree used in the drink. A sip of the margarita was all I needed to know that I had to have another one. The sweet and tangy flavor of the orange juice was obvious, but it did not overpower the distinct flavor of the tequila. The drink was so very refreshing that it made you forget you were drinking tequila before 5:00 p.m.

As soon as we got home from our vacation, I tried to make this drink. I could not find blood-oranges so I used Florida oranges. I squeezed the juice from the oranges, added triple-sec, tequila and a few drops of lime. I served it on a glass with ice and it was (insert Larry David’s voice) pretty, pretty good!

So I propose to you that in this hot weather, make yourself this margarita. As soon as you have your first sip, it will transport you to a Caribbean island. Cheers!