FOOD TIP OF THE DAY: Better Virgin Marys
January 1st is Bloody Mary Day. But after last night’s celebration, you may be better off with a Virgin Mary. Most Bloody Mary mixes are made to complement vodka and can be very salty. We find it easier to make a mix that can be drunk Virgin Mary-style—spare the vodka and pack in lots of vitamin C. Start with a 32-ounce bottle of tomato juice. Because we love horseradish, we add 2 tablespoons of the prepared variety, as well as 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, a teaspoon of celery salt and the juice of a fresh lemon or lime. The horseradish makes it plenty spicy, but an alternative is to add 6 drops of hot sauce like Tabasco. Just shake the bottle and serve. (If you don’t like spice, use more Worcestershire, celery salt and lemon juice, then experiment with a drop or two of hot sauce for flavor.) Keep the bottle chilled in the refrigerator—no ice needed to dilute your drink. With 41 calories per 8-ounce glass, add a celery stick for fiber and you’ve got a low-cal snack that has 74% of your daily requirement of vitamin C and 22% of vitamin A. See which tomato juices scored best in our tasting and find more of our favorite juices in the Juices Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine. If you insist upon celebrating Bloody Mary Day, find lots of Bloody Mary recipes in our Cocktails Section. | . |
A homemade Virgin Mary tastes even better than a Bloody Mary made with most mixes. |