Drinking under Quarantine

Spicy Jalapeno Margarita Mix & Grapefruit Cocktail Mix by LAVA.

These are Great Mixers

This company contacted me recently for a collaboration, which pretty much means that I get to try their product for free and pass on a discount for you, and all for the small price of show casing their product. So, just know that I’m not getting paid for this and I’m sharing my true opinions about these two products.

First off I’m happy with the shipping, 3 days from Florida to the mid-west and nothing was broken. That’s important because I ordered a 6 gallon carboy last week and it arrived shattered with bubble wrap. These mixer bottles are glass too but they both arrived unscathed with no bubble wrap so, that’s saying something.

I received a Spicy Jalapeno Margarita Mixer and a Ruby Grapefruit Cocktail Mix. The Margarita Mixer recipe requires, of course, tequila and Lava recommends vodka or gin for the Grapefruit cocktail mix. I chose to go with gin.

The Jalapeno Margarita I thought was amazing. I salted the rim with chamoy and tajin, which gave it some more kick, and I felt like they paired very well together. Over all, I’ll definitely be adding Jalapeno to my Margarita’s in the future.

The Grapefruit cocktail was good too and probably about as good as it could get. The second time I tried it I liked it even better because I rimmed the glass with honey and sugar and I think that helped balance the sour. My wife thought it was great but we both agreed that we liked the margarita’s better.

Margarita and Grapefruit Cocktails.

How much do they Cost

I only have one con for these products and it is simple; I don’t like the price, and not just because I’m the Poor Man’s Gourmet Kitchen or because I’m frugal. They’ve included a 10% off discount for purchases over $20 dollars but at $12.99 per 1 ltr bottle(33.8 oz), that still only knocks you down to $11.69, plus tax and shipping costs. Sorry Lava, I’ll stick with Mr. & Mrs. T Margarita Mix for $6.99 per 1.75 ltr (59.2 oz)and just blend in a Jalapeno. And, their Strawberry Daiquiri/Margarita mixer is even cheaper than that but tastes incredible. Plus, I can get it at any Walmart and most grocery stores.

I’m all for supporting small business’s and I love these products but LAVA has just got to be reasonable. If they want these drinks to take off, they need to drop that price down a little more, get people addicted to it, like crack/cocaine, and then hike up the price. Just my two cents.

UPDATE: LAVA has the following response to offer in regards to pricing.

“As far as product pricing goes, we definitely feel you but for online orders unfortunately the shipping company makes most of the money as it costs us anywhere from $9~$10 to ship our glass bottles which are much heavier than plastic and require better packaging. Add to that credit card processing fees, packaging, cost of goods, etc., and it doesn’t leave a whole lot. At retail stores here in California, the bottles retail for about $7.99~$9.99 since we don’t need to ship across the country. Just wanted to let you know for reference. 
The good news is, we are working on a better discount structure for online orders based on bottle volume so if someone orders 2, 3, 4, bottles we can pass additional savings (that we get from the shipping company) on to the customer.”

Lava Mixers Unveiling/Review – Drinking Under Quarantine – PoorMansGourmet

Mangonada

Mangonada, Mangoneada, Mangonanda or Chamango.

The Best Mangonada

If you love a good Mangonada, you’re going to love this recipe. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s known by several other names you might recognize it for like Mangoneada, Mangonanda or Chamango. Basically it’s a Mexican fruit drink that is made with Chamoy, fresh Mangos, Lime juice and Chili Powder or Tajin. Make it a Cocktail by adding Tequila and Triple Sec and garnish with a Tamarind candy straw and a slice of lime.

Chamoy Sauce and Tajin seasoning for glass garnishing and spice.

Mangonada Garnish

The main ingredient for this Mangonada recipe is obviously mango but do you know everything else that goes in and out of your drink? The secret to my recipe is sorbet. If you use Mango Sorbet in this drink you’re practically guaranteeing success. Next you need Chili powder or Tajin to “salt” the rim of your glass. Tajin is nice because it adds a salty and spicy lime taste instead of just heat. Chamoy sauce is added to the inside of the glass and creates a fiery red and orange tone to the Chamango with a hint of sour. So, add to you’re specific tastes, caution or confidence. Then, of course, garnish with a slice of lime and the Tamarind candy straw or lollipop, if you have one.

Check out my Margarita Mixer recipe and how I like to make a Margarita, frozen or on the rocks!

Mangonada Ingredients: Makes 2

4 cups ice
1 pint Mango Sorbet
3 oz Tequila
3 oz Triple Sec
1 Lime
Garnish with Chamoy Sauce, Tajin and Lime

Follow the instructions in the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this Mangonada recipe.

Fire Roasted Salsa

Grilled, Broiled or Fire Roasted Salsa

I can honestly say that this Fire Roasted Salsa is amazing and it is, quite possibly, the best salsa I’ve ever tried.  It starts with fresh Hot House Tomatoes, Yellow Onions, Green Bell, Anaheim and Jalapeno Peppers, cilantro, lime and a few other key ingredients.  Although you can find recipes, similar to this one, all over the web, I seriously considered keeping this one all to my self.  But I get too excited when I discover the secrets to authentic recipes.  It makes me want to share it with everyone.  So that’s what I’m going to do today.

Fire Roasted Salsa Preperation

To get the best results, and be sure that your Fire Roasted Salsa tastes amazing, there’s only one thing you need to do before you take the vegetables to the grill.  Cut your onions in half.  It isn’t going to matter if you peel them before or after they roast but it is important that those onion layers get exposed to the grill. Salsa gets a lot of great flavor from onions and they have memory, so adding that smoked flavor to the rings will insure that your salsa tastes amazing when you blend them, together, with the other ingredients.

Fire Roasted Salsa Grilling Technique

Whether you choose to grill, broil or roast your vegetables over an open pit, to make this Fire Roasted Salsa, the timing and flipping is simple.  I average 25 to 30 minutes of roasting time, over medium heat(350 Fahrenheit), and I rotate and flip everything about every 5 minutes.  Look for some good color on the under side and flip.  It’s that easy.  I tend to check the peppers first because they burn quicker than the tomatoes and onions.  The onions I worry about the least.  The tomatoes just need to be pulled off the grill before they pop and loose their juice to the grill.  You should pay attention to where the hot spots are and rotate everything accordingly.  Then remove them from the heat and let them rest for a half an hour or so, until they are cool enough to touch and handle with your hands.  Remove the stems, peel the onions and add the other ingredients.

Fire Roasted Salsa Formula

I have a basic formula that you might find useful when you’re making Fire Roasted Salsa.  For every large Tomato, I add 1 medium sized Onion, 1 Bell Pepper, 1 Anaheim Pepper, 1 Jalapeno and a few cloves of Garlic.  It’s pointless making salsa on that small of a scale and that’s why I double that amount in the ingredients below.  If you want it spicier, add more peppers, different kinds or use less tomato.  It’s really not that difficult to trick up.  But that should give you a better understanding of how to approach your own homemade salsa in the future.

How to Spice Up Fire Roasted Salsa

If the Peppers aren’t providing enough heat and flavor for your tastes, there are a few other ingredients you can add to your Fire Roasted Salsa and I’ve included them in this recipe.  Cumin, Smoked Paprika and Mexican Oregano are definitely among my favorites.  You can even add some Cayenne if you’re feeling froggy.  Just be sure that you stay true to your tastes and be considerate of the pallets and less tolerant individuals, like children you may be serving, if they can’t handle spice.

Fire Roasted Salsa Ingredients:

2 Hot House Tomatoes, large
2 Onions,
1 Bell Pepper
1 Anaheim Pepper
1 Jalapeno
5 Garlic Cloves
1 lime, squeezed
1 bunch Cilantro
1 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tbsp Chicken Bouilion, Caldo con Sabor de Pollo(Knorr)
Salt and Pepper to taste