[1] A lychee agua fresca, or cooler (photos #1, #4 ___ © courtesy Melissa’s).

[2] Agua de horchata, an agua fresca made with rice. The recipe is below (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[3] Chile berry agua fresca (photo © Melissa’s The Great Pepper Cookbook).

[4] Pineapple, coconut water and lemongrass agua fresca.

[5] Watermelon agua fresca, a watermelon cooler. Photo courtesy Melissas.com.

[6] Agua fresca can be made with just about any fruit (photo © Frontera Grill | Chicago).

For summer entertaining, try a menu of aguas frescas. In Spanish, agua fresca means fresh water. In culinary terms, it refers to a variety of refreshing cold drinks that are sold by street vendors and at cafés throughout Latin America. They’re also available bottled in food stores, and are made from scratch at home.

A traditional agua fresca is an infused, sweetened water, flavored with fruits and/or vegetables—often a more complex layering of flavors than lemonade and limeade. It is nonalcoholic and noncarbonated—in the U.S., it is called a cooler.

The recipes can include a combination of fruits or veggies, flowers, herbs and/or spices, cereals, seeds, even almond flour. Agua de horchata, a very popular recipe, is made of ground raw rice spiced with cinnamon.

Other popular flavors include:

 
Here are four recipes to start you off. You can use them to have an agua fresca party!
 
 
RECIPE #1: MANGO OR WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PURÉE equal parts mango/watermelon and water. ADD sweetener and lime juice to taste.

2. CHILL and serve over ice with optional garnish.
 
 
RECIPE #2: PINEAPPLE, COCONUT WATER & LEMONGRASS AGUA FRESCA

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PEEL and core pineapple(s). Purée equal parts pineapple and coconut water, with lemongrass to taste. Add sweetener to taste.

2. CHILL and serve over ice with optional garnish.
 
 
RECIPE #3: LYCHEE AGUA FRESCA

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. REMOVE seed from lychees. Purée lychee fruit. Strain and add water. Add sweetener and lime juice to taste.

2. CHILL and serve over ice with optional garnish.

 
RECIPE #4: AGUA DE HORCHATA

Horchata (pronounced or-CHA-tah) is a drink that was introduced to the Caribbean and Latin America via Spain, and different versions were created in almost every country. But the drink has its origin in ancient Egypt.

Chufa, or tiger nut (Cyperaceae cyperus esculentus) is one of the earliest domesticated crops and was widely grown in Egypt and Sudan. They are not nuts per se, but pea-size, tuberous roots of a plant of the sedge family. The crop was brought to Spain during the rein of the Moorish kings (700 B.C.E. to 1200 C.E.)

In Mexico, rice became the base of choice. If you’re curious about a drink made of ground raw rice, look in a Latin market for bottled horchata, or make your own with this recipe:

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the rice and cinnamon stick in a blender with 4 cups of water; pulse to coarsely grind. Transfer to a large bowl and add another 4 cups water. Soak at room temperature for 3 hours.

2. PURÉE the rice mixture in a blender in batches, until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine sieve into a pitcher. Mix in the sugar; chill.

3. TO SERVE: Stir the horchata well and pour into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with a dusting of ground cinnamon and an optional cinnamon stick.

Glazed peaches add sparkle to a green salad. Photo courtesy California Pizza Kitchen.

Then, we recalled this delicious salad from California Pizza Kitchen, and made one for lunch.

The ingredients listed on the company website include field greens, spinach, warm caramelized peaches, cranberries, red onions, toasted pecans and Gorgonzola cheese, tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette.

If you don’t want to glaze the peaches (sauté in butter and sugar), you can grill them.

 
*We actually prefer the flavor of regular balsamic vinegar. It imparts a brown color to the cheese, but that doesn’t bother us.

Ingredients Per Serving

For The Salad

 
Plus

RECIPE: GLAZED PEACHES

You can also use glazed peaches on ice cream or pound cake. If you do, add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract to the recipe.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. MARINATE the sliced peaches in balsamic vinegar for 1 hour or more.

3. ADD the peaches. Microwave 30-40 seconds longer or until the peaches are heated through.

4. ASSEMBLE the salad: Mix the vegetables with the oil and vinegar, plate, and garnish with Gorgonzola, peaches and pecans.
  

[2] Grating a wedge of Parmesan will give you better cheese flavor than buying pre-grated cheese (photo © Wisconsin Cheese).

[3] Peel a garlic clove and smash it with the broad side of a knife (photo © Kyocera Cutlery | Facebook).

They’re delicious as an appetizer or a snack with wine, beer, or cocktails, with a salad, or with a burger instead of onion rings!

The recipe is easy! It’s from caterer Andrea Correale, founder of Elegant Affairs Caterers in New York City.

The donuts require very little prep time and are served with purchased or homemade tzatziki, fresh pico de gallo salsa, and/or spicy Thai cucumber relish.

You can purchase both pico de gallo salsa and tzatziki, a Greek cucumber relish, if you aren’t inclined to make them from scratch.

Before you get ready to bake, check out the history of doughnuts, including when the spelling of “donuts” arrived.

Recipe #1 is the doughnuts, and recipes #2 and #3 are for dipping sauces: pico de gallo salsa and spicy Thai cucumber relish.

Note that there are two National Doughnut Days. The first, celebrated on the first Friday in June, was established in 1938 in Chicago as a fundraiser for The Salvation Army. The origin of the November 5th National Doughnut Day is less known, but here are two stories relating it to both Veteran’s Day and the Vietnam War.

> Here’s the history of doughnuts.
 
 
RECIPE #1: GARLIC PARMESAN DOUGHNUTS WITH DIPPING SAUCES

Ingredients For 6 Doughnuts

 
 
___________________

*You can purchase a savory seasoning blend or make your own. Here’s a recipe from McCormick: Combine 1-1/2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container.
___________________

2. WHISK together the butter, egg, buttermilk, and garlic in a separate bowl. Slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. It will be lumpy. Gently fold in the herbs and cheese.

3. SPOON the batter into the doughnut pan, filling it almost to the top (leave about a 1/8″ space).

4. BAKE for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

5. SERVE the donuts with tzatziki (Greek yogurt dip), fresh pico de gallo salsa (recipe below), and/or a spicy Thai cucumber relish (recipes below).

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CHOP vegetables as finely as possible.

2. COMBINE ingredients in a bowl; season to taste. Refrigerate for an hour or more to allow flavors to blend.

[4] Serve these savory doughnuts with a choice of dipping sauces. Photo courtesy Elegant Affairs Caterers | NYC.

Ingredients

 
______________

†The Japanese cucumber is a long, slender, dark green fruit that has few seeds. If you can’t find one, substitute another variety with few or no seeds.
______________
 
Preparation

1. PLACE cucumber, shallot, and chile slices in a small bowl.

2. HEAT the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan, stirring, until the mixture reaches a boil and the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature, and then pour over the cucumber mixture.
 
3. GARNISH with cilantro leaves and set aside until ready to use.
 
 

Approximately 250 Salvation Army volunteers provided assistance to American soldiers in France during World War I, starting in 1917.*

The Salvation Army’s Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance cleverly thought of frying donuts in soldiers’ helmets. With limited resources, these treats were fried, only seven at a time.

Here’s a treat for today, and for your consideration for Father’s Day breakfast or brunch: stout-accented doughnut holes stuffed with bacon jam. It’s gourmet “man food.”

The sweet and savory doughnut creation comes from chef Roger Waysok of the South Water Kitchen in Chicago, which specializes in pairing craft beers with its cuisine. Not surprisingly, there’s beer in the recipe.

*In 2013, 30 million Americans received assistance from The Salvation Army’s 3,600 officers, 60,000 employees and 3.4 million volunteers.
 
 
RECIPE #1: STOUT DOUGHNUT HOLES WITH BACON JAM & SALTED CARAMEL GLAZE

Ingredients For 13-16 Doughnut Holes

1. DISSOLVE yeast in warm beer (make sure beer is 100°-120°F).

2. ADD flour and sugar; mix in a stand mixer with dough hook attachment.

3. ADD vanilla and egg yolks one at a time, allowing eggs to incorporate into dough.

4. ADD cream and butter, mixing well, slowly increasing speed to high. When dough pulls away from the side it is ready.

5. COVER dough in a bowl and keep in at room temperature; allow to rise and double in size.

6. PORTION dough and roll into small balls about an ounce in weight. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and cover.

7. REFRIGERATE for one hour, then deep fry at 350°F until golden brown. Set on paper towels to drain. Fill with bacon jam (recipe below).

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COOK bacon and onions together in a pot until slightly brown. Add beer, balsamic and sugar. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until slightly thick, about 30 minutes.

2. BLEND mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth and thick. Cool and mixture will thicken as it cools. Once cooled, fill doughnut holes with bacon jam using a piping bag.
 
 
WHY STOUT?

The darkest and heartiest of beers, stout is differentiated from other ale by its brown-black color, chocolate-coffee flavors and fuller body. This is achieved by brewing with barley that has been dark-roasted to the point of charring (think of espresso beans, compared to a medium-roast coffee).

Stout is thus both darker and maltier than porter, has a more pronounced hop aroma, and may reach an alcoholic content of 6% to 7%. Stout originated in Ireland, where most traditional stouts are very rich, yet sharp and slightly bitter.
 
 
DOUGHNUT VS. DONUT

An old word for ball was nut; a doughnut is literally a nut (ball) of dough. The name was first used in print in 1809 by American author Washington Irving (using the pen name Diedrich Knickerbocker). The pastry he described resembled what we call doughnut holes today, rather than the styles of fried dough that evolved into rings or filled pastries.

The spelling “donut” appeared some 100 years later but did not immediately catch on. That impetus goes to Dunkin’ Donuts, founded in 1950.

Donut is a easier to write, but we prefer the old-fashioned elegance of doughnut. Take your choice.
  

Coconut water with coconut water ice cubes
and a lychee garnish. Photo © Deasy
Setiawati Widjaja | DRM.

If you enjoy coconut water—or the flavor of coconut in general—you can add a subtle touch of it to your favorite beverages via coconut water ice cubes.

Use them in juice, iced tea, ginger ale and lemon-lime sodas (and of course, in coconut water itself). It’s an easy way to add a little something-something while cooling your drink.

Or, try them in a cocktail, like this one, which builds on the ingredients of a Mango Margarita:

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE ingredients in a blender. Cover; blend until smooth.

2. ADD coconut water ice cubes; blend until smooth. Pour into glasses; garnish with mango or lime slices. Makes 4 drinks.

Simply pour 1-1/2 cups of coconut water into standard ice cube tray and freeze.

For extra fun, buy some silicone ice cube trays in fun summer shapes, and freeze cubes into flowers, stars, suns, trees and sea life.
 
MORE ABOUT COCONUT WATER

 
MORE TASTY ICE CUBES

Make tea ice cubes, coffee ice cubes, lemonade ice cubes, etc.

When they melt, they don’t dilute your drink.