While we’re great fans of the original Mojito recipe, here‘s a variation from Cruzan rum, a distiller that makes both conventional and flavored rums on the Caribbean island of St. Croix:
 
COCONUT MOJITO RECIPE

Ingredients Per Drink

1. Muddle mint, lime and sugar in a cocktail shaker; top with rums and ice. Shake 2 times to mix.

2. POUR into glass. Top with coconut water/soda.

Variations

You can add cranberry juice to make a Cranberry Mojito, or muddle raspberries for a Raspberry Mojito.

For more intense coconut flavor, check out the Coquito Mojito, a recent winner in a Florida cocktail competition.

And if you love beets, try this Beet Mojito.

 
MOJITO HISTORY

The mojito (moe-HEE-toe) is a quintessential Cuban cocktail. The name derives from the African voodoo term mojo, to cast a small spell.

The drink can be traced to 1586, when Sir Francis Drake and his pirates unsuccessfully attempted to sack Havana for its gold. His associate,* Richard Drake (a possible distant relative), was said to have invented a mojito-like cocktail known as El Draque, “The Drake.” It was made with aguardiente, a crude forerunner of rum, sugar, lime and mint.

Around the mid-1800s, rum was substituted and the cocktail became known as a Mojito.
 
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*His position was “factor and prize agent.”
  

An easy Pavlova. Photo by Irina Kupenska |
IST.

The Pavlova consists of a meringue base topped with fresh fruits. Most people buy the meringue shells at bakeries, but ambitious bakers can make their own.

In addition to individual meringue shells, the meringue can be shaped into cake layers that are alternated with fruit, for a spectacular effect (just check out “Pavlova meringue” in Google Images).

According to chef Herbert Sachse of the Hotel Esplanade in Perth, Australia, the “Pavlova” was born at the Hotel 1935. According to Hotel legend, it was named at a meeting at which Sachse presented the cake: either the licensee, the manager, or Sachse remarked, “It is as light as Pavlova,” who had been a guest of the hotel during her 1929 tour. Years later, Sachse stated in an interview that he sought to improve the Meringue Cake recipe that he found in the Women’s Mirror Magazine, which was contributed by a New Zealand resident. (Source: Linda Stradley, What’s Cooking America.)
While the desert is light and airy for summer, it can be tailored to every season:

 
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The cruciferous vegetables family—arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard greens, radish, rapini (broccoli rabe), rutabaga, tatsoi, turnip and wasabi—contains powerful anti-carcinogen antioxidants, and powerfully good flavor.

This recipe, from Pom Wonderful, combines two of the group, broccoli and cauliflower, into a crisp summer salad—the veggies are not cooked. TIP: Cut large florets into small, bite-size pieces.

BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER SALAD

Ingredients

Broccoli and cauliflower salad. Photo
courtesy Pom Wonderful.

Preparation

1. SCORE 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.

2. COOK prosciutto strips in a nonstick skillet over moderate heat and stir until crisp.

3. TOSS together in a bowl: broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, grapes, raisins and fresh basil.

4. MAKE dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and pomegranate juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. TOSS dressing with salad; add pomegranate arils and prosciutto.

How To Juice A Pomegranate

Instead of buying pomegranate juice, you can juice the fruit itself. For 1 cup of juice, cut 2-3 large pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.

Find more delicious recipes at PomWonderful.com.

There would be no Piña Colada without Coco Lopez, the coconut cream used to make it.

Coco López is a brand of cream of coconut, invented in 1954 by Ramón López Irizarry, a professor of agriculture at the University of Puerto Rico.

The ingredients on the can include coconut milk, sugar, water, emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners (guar gum, locust bean gum, mono- and diglycerides, polysorb 60, sorbitan monostearate, Propylene glycol alginate) and preservative (citric acid).

The creamy heart of the coconut fruit had long been used in Caribbean desserts. But separating it from from the coconut pulp was an arduous process.

With funds from the government, Professor Irizarry worked on a solution. He found it!

He ultimately left teaching to produce and sell his product, which was adopted not just by cooks but by bartenders.

According to the book “La Gran Cocina Del Caribe” by José L. Díaz de Villega, the Piña Colada made its debut on August 16, 1954 at the Caribe Hilton’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a watering hole for a star-studded clientele.

The hotel management had requested that bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero create a new signature cocktail. Marrero worked for three months on the recipe.

Piña is Spanish for pineapple, and colada means strained; the drink is usually served blended with ice. The Piña Colada has been the official beverage of Puerto Rico since 1978.

> The year’s 11 coconut holidays.

> The year’s 10 pineapple holidays.

> The year’s 49 cocktail holidays.

> The history of cocktails.

> The history of coconut.

> The history of pineapple.

[1] Piña Colada, the national drink of Puerto Rico (photos #1 and #2 © Caribe Hilton).

[2] This modern version trades the traditional garnish (maraschino cherry and pineapple chunk) with a coconut rim (photo © Pinnacle Vodka).

[4] Coco Lopez was invented in 1954 by a professor of agriculture (photos #3 and #4 © Coco Lopez).

[5] Without it there would be no Piña Colada!

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the rum, coconut cream, heavy cream and pineapple juice in a blender. Add the ice and blend for about 15 seconds or until smooth.

2. POUR into a 12-ounce glass. Garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry.
 
 
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*The difference between a good and great Piña Colada is the difference between canned and fresh pineapple juice.
 
 
 

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