We are entering into pitcher cocktail season. If you are hosting a brunch/lunch and dining al fresco, you don’t want to be running back and forth between the deck and the kitchen whipping up cocktails by the glass.
These cantaloupe & passion fruit mimosas are the perfect tropical addition to any springtime social occasion – a definite step-up from the regular orange juice and bubbly combination. Bonus: you don’t even have to wait until 11 a.m. to drink them when you’re serving at home.
Whenever I’m hosting guests for a meal – I prefer to receive only positive feedback. Listen, I put my sweat and tears (and possibly blood depending on my knife skills that day) into that meal and I’m only ready to hear you sing my praises. If I critique my own dish first, feel free to chime in with some subtle constructive criticism or a silent nod of agreement.
I think my preference for positive feedback might be why I find myself utterly incapable of giving a server an honest answer when they ask me, “How is everything tasting over here?”
Over the weekend, I went to a local pub, that shall remain unnamed, and ordered nachos. It’s pretty hard to fuck up nachos. And yet…
As I was making my way through the sad plate of nachos I turned to my friend and said, “These nachos are underwhelming.” At that EXACT moment the server approached, silent as a ninja, and said, “Everything good with the nachos?” To which I replied enthusiastically, “MMMHMMM!”
Facepalm. As soon as she walked away my friend and I dissolved into a fit of laughter. If you’re wondering how to ruin a good thing, make your nachos with mozzarella instead of tex mex or a blend of cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. Opt to leave out any ingredients that might add flavour like black olives, jalapeños, green pepper, corn or black beans, and instead, reach for your sad, grey, precooked chicken and watery tomatoes.
The problem with mozzarella is that it gets rubbery as soon as it cools to any temperature that won’t burn the roof of your mouth off. Honestly people, mozzarella is for pizza – keep it well away from my nachos, thank you very much.
In spite of this lacklustre experience, I just couldn’t bring myself to be truthful with our waitress. Maybe I thought she would take it personally or think I was being snobbish and confrontational? It’s hard to be candid in a restaurant context and I only offer my authentic feedback when I feel the person asking is genuinely invested in improvement.
This particular establishment I was dining at with the sad nachos has been around for quite some time and is an institution in the neighbourhood, I don’t think my two cents are really going to compel them to change their nachos recipe – even as the esteemed food blogger that I am.
Rest assured that this pitcher cocktail is delicious and full of flavour – feel free to chime in on the comments below to tell me how much you loved it. 😉
Cantaloupe & Passion Fruit Mimosas
- ½ cup Simple Syrup
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 cups peeled and chopped cantaloupe
- 3 cups cold water
- 4 ripe passion fruit
- 1 bottle Prosecco
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
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1 In a blender, combine ½ cup Simple Syrup (recipe follows), ¼ cup lime juice and 2 cups peeled and chopped cantaloupe. Process until smooth and turn out into a large pitcher. Stir in 3 cups cold water.
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2 Cut 4 ripe passion fruit in half, scoop out pulp and seeds and add to the cantaloupe mixture. Stir and chill; discard fruit skins.
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3 When ready to serve, fill tall glasses with ice, pour two-thirds full with the agua fresca and top with cold cava or Prosecco. Garnish with a wedge of cantaloupe, if desired.
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Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. Simple syrup will keep in the fridge for two weeks in an airtight container.
Recipe from: St. Onge, Christopher. “Cantaloupe & Passion Fruit Sparkler.” Food & Drink. Summer 2014.
