Cooking Lesson #500: Labor Day Red, White and Blue Daiquiris

Our 500th Issue!!

photo: The Food Network

How you doin’? While it’s hard for us to believe this is 500th issue of our Survival Guide. If you’ve been following us then you already know that when the word of the lock-down was issued back in 2020 many of our family, friends and neighbors didn’t have the knowledge or recipes to prepare 3 meals a day every day for their families. As food professionals we knew we could send out recipes for the 14-day lockdown. And so that’s where this blog was born. It is now almost 2-1/2 years later and we are still getting requests for recipes. We have tried to provide a variety of recipes—Healthful, Sinful, Gluten-Free, Vegan and even a Happy Hour Friday cocktail. We’ve been told we more than achieved our goal to help everyone get through those early days… and well beyond. We now have enough material to publish another book (the first one being Choclatique – 150 Simply Elegant Desserts, 2011).
 
As I think you know, this takes lots of time and effort to research, develop, test, photograph and publish recipes. We have decided to continue to reach out to you all at least for the next 100.  We hope you continue to enjoy them.
 
We’re coming up on the last summer national holiday—Labor Day. So here’s a way everyone can salute the red, white and blue with a Labor Day Red, White and Blue Daiquiri. One of our readers sent this recipe to me which they found on The Food Network. 
 
Most of my cocktails are fairly simple, but this one takes the cake for being one of the most complex drink recipes ever created. Why do I include it?  Because it tastes great, it looks amazing and is perfect for Labor Day.
 
Prep time: 20 minutes
Yield:  6 cocktails
 
Ingredients 
For the red layer
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup watermelon chunks, frozen
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons white rum
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup ice cubes
 
For the white layer
1 cup coconut sorbet
1/4 cup rum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 cup ice cubes
 
For the blue layer
1/3 cup blue passion fruit liqueur, such as Hpnotiq or Alize 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
2 tablespoons blue curacao liqueur
2 tablespoons white rum
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups ice cubes
 
Directions
To make the red layer

1. Put the frozen strawberries, watermelon, lime juice, rum, sugar and ice in the blender.
2. Blend until thick and smooth.
3. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water if the consistency is too thick.
4. Transfer to a large measuring cup or small bowl and place in the freezer while you make the next layer.

To make the white layer

1. Rinse out the blender.
2. Add the coconut sorbet, rum, lime juice and ice. Blend until thick and smooth. Transfer to another large measuring cup or small bowl and place in the freezer while you make the final layer.

To make the blue layer

1. Once again, rinse out the blender
2. Add the passion fruit liqueur, lime juice, blue curacao, rum, sugar and ice cubes. Blend until slushy and there are no chunks of ice left.

To assemble the drink

1. Pour the red layer into the bottom of six 8-ounce glasses, about 1/3 cup each.
2. Gently spoon 1/3 cup of the white layer over the red layer so they stay separate.
3. Finish by spooning 1/3 cup of the blue layer over the second layer in each glass.

ChefSecret:  The 3 layers have to be very cold. For best results, slowly pour the color layers over the back of a spoon into the glass to prevent them from blending into each other.

Quip of the Day: “Actually, if you could see close in my eyes, the American flag is waving in both of them and up my spine is growing this red, white and blue stripe.”
                                                                                                                                                         …Walt Disney
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide .
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. 

#Cocktail #HappyHour #Daiquiri #Red-White-Blue #LaborDay #Rum #BlueCuracao #PassionFruitLiqueur #Cheers #TheFoodNetwork #Covid19SurvivalBlog #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
                                                    ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

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