The Margy Police Will Travel For Limes

Not to be a total braggart, but I can make a really mean margarita. The authentic kind you'd get in a dive bar in Mexico. The trick: perfectly proportioned spirits, fresh limes and an appropriately-sized glass. Read my lips: No Mix!

The realization of how to make a good margy has its downside: I am unable to order margaritas in restaurant without being a total pain and quizzing the server or bartender on how it's made, what it's served in, etc... I go ballistic when they serve it in a big pint glass. Suffice it to say I only drink them at home now, or at my friend Renee's -- who also knows how to rock it. (Sadly, she lives in Florida so I don't get to do this often anymore.)

Recently we were having friends over for dinner and I thought it was time to mix up a batch.. until I went to Safeway and found limes for 79 cents each! What is that about? Considering I need to juice 10-12 for good batch, I just couldn't justify the purchase. I rarely go to Trader Joe's in Redmond since it's a bit of a hike to get there, but sometimes it is really worth it ... ta da: a whole bag of limes (maybe 8) for less than $3.00. I inquired why this was the case and the TJ checkout guy says it has to do TJ's buying practices -- basically they don't use a middleman to purchase from the grower but buy directly so they can price lower. [Update: just discovered you can get a value pack of 10 large limes for $4.99 from Amazon Fresh!]

So here's the margy recipe -- trust me, it will not disappoint.

One tip before you start: it makes a HUGE difference to have a juicer for the limes. I bought a cheap one from Bartell Drugs (about $15).

1.5 parts tequila (2 if you want it stronger) I prefer Sauza or Patron
1 part fresh lime juice
1 part Cointreau or Triple Sec
1 packet of Splenda

Put in shaker with a bit of ice.. Shake it up. Serve either up in a martini glass, or on the rocks in a small (7 to 10 oz) tumbler glass. If you like salt, rub the glass rim with a lime and then twist in salt.

Salud!

PS: I am always on the lookout for good margaritas. So far, I would say the best I've had is at Cactus in Kirkland. Let me know if you have other suggestions for the Margy Nazi to try.

Red Tricycle on TV!

Red Tricyle had its local TV debut today on King 5 local news this morning!




RT Founder Jacqui Boland and I did an interview with morning anchor Joyce Taylor. Our topic of convo: 5 Free (or Cheap) Things to do with Kids Under 5. (We went in thinking it was 10 things, but as we were sitting in the "green room" waiting for our spot, they did a promo saying it was only 5. So we cut our list down at the last minute.)

Anyway, here's the video.

A Month of Yucky Weather and Yummy Food

The last month has been something of a blur. A cold, snowy, rainy, windy blur. Every day I bum myself out by looking at my iPhone's handy dandy weather chart, where I flip from Bellevue (38 degrees and rainy) to Fort Lauderdale (75 degrees and sunny) and back again. Sigh.





I always thought the winter would be toughest to survive, but really one expects to be cold then. But c'mon people, by March... shouldn't it start warming up? Shouldn't we see more sun than not? The calendar says Spring officially starts this Friday (March 20), and I have pretty crocuses (shown above) sprouting in my front lawn. Surely it is around the corner??? (In the event that it is not, we have a back-up plan: Taking the kids to sun-filled Arizona for spring break. Woo-hoo!)



Despite the crummy climate, I have continued my culinary exploration of these parts, and have found some fun-and-yum dining spots.

Priya and I got to go to El Gaucho, the famed steakhouse in Seattle, and she loved the tableside service, where they mix your baked potato and Caesar salad right in front of you. The melt-in-your-mouth meat is beyond compare, and we loved the old-school ambiance, with low lighting and leather banquettes and live jazz piano. Of course, we didn't get to sit in the cool part of the restaurant (the casualty of taking a 9-year-old to dinner on a Saturday night) but even the back room had character. I am curious to see how the Bellevue El Gaucho, which opened recently, compares.

On another evening, Brian and I met friends at Quinn's Gastropub , cozy-but-boisterous joint in Capital Hill. The menu is pretty eclectic, so we felt moved to try the bone marrow appetizer. I know that sounds gross, but it tasted like a really rich, decadent pate. Really yummy spread on hot, crusty bread (once you got past the fact of what you were actually eating).

I also had a lunch meeting at Joey's in Bellevue, where I had what might be the best salad in town. It's called the Evil Jungle salad (great name!), and has organic greens topped with grilled chicken, thai noodles, mango and toasted peanuts, with a drunken ginger dressing.