We just had a flurry of guests visiting us in Mexico. Our friends are wonderful and it’s fun to share our love of Baja with them. What ends up being hard for me is the consecutive days of eating out. Dining out is festive and offers a plan for the evening but truth be told, I’d rather eat at home. I have noticed that cooking for guests is tricky. Some feel guilty as if they are putting you out, others want the full Cabo experience of dining on the beach. Who could blame them?
Many restaurants offer salads or guacamole and occasionally I’ll find vegan black beans, but the sugar bill adds up quickly. A tasty Mojito here, a few tortillas and guacamole there, an overdressed salad with candied pecans, etc. I do my best when eating out, but tend to crave home cooking.
I’ve also learned that ordering off the menu is risky, even in Spanish. A sincere attempt is made to bring out steamed vegetables or avocado and toast but in Cabo, many don’t eat this way so something usually gets lost in translation. Steamed veges turns into garlic and buttered veges, or avocado and wheat toast arrives as a BLT. I have learned to find humor in these interpretations. Although, this last one threw me for a loop.
I took my friend to a nice restaurant on the beach for lunch. We dug our toes in the soft sand, cooled by the oversized umbrella. The table linens matched the turquoise ocean beyond. I craved fresh juice but wanted something other than the orange juice on the menu. In my best Spanish, I asked if they could blend fresh watermelon with ginger (sandia y jengibre), a hydrating beverage I drank in Bali years ago. The waiter nodded enthusiastically and left on his mission.
My friend’s Mojito arrived looking devilishly tasty. But when my drink came, it tasted funny. I couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. I knew it lacked ginger, but it tasted spoiled like the watermelon was overripe. My friend said it tasted fresh so I didn’t make a fuss. I already assumed the risk for ordering something off the menu. After drinking it, I felt dizzy so I tracked down the waiter and asked what was in it. Instead of giving me fresh watermelon and ginger juice, they made me watermelon and gin…….
Watermelon and ginger is a terrific combination (watermelon and gin is NOT). It is great for hydrating, cleansing and eliminating accumulated toxins.
It’s also easy to make with only 2 ingredients. Personally, I prefer it without gin…..
Hydrating Watermelon Ginger Juice
Makes 2 glasses
Ingredients:
- 1 seedless watermelon (Or watch this video to see how to de-seed a regular watermelon)
- 1 thumb-size chunk of ginger (or more to taste) washed and peeled
Directions:
Cut the watermelon in half then in half again. Cut into quarters, then slice each quarter. Take each slice and cut off the melon, removing the rind. Place these chunks into the blender with ginger. Blend until smooth. Add more ginger to taste.
**I don’t strain mine since I like the “pureed” texture, and extra fiber but feel free to strain it if you prefer.
