Last week in L.A., it was hot hot hot. So hot that my daily need to sweat was ‘off the charts’ met. I didn’t have to even work out. My body was working itself out.
Funny thing is temperature wise, it wasn’t even as high as Taiwan or Malaysia on any given ‘hot’ day. Yet it felt hotter here than it did there.
I blame our apartment. The lack of good air circulation unlike my home in Malaysia and the lack of A/C in the living room unlike my home in Taiwan.
Don’t get me wrong. I prefer the heat any day to cold chilling weather. But not only was it hot, it was muggy. If I’d threw myself to the wall, I’d stick to it like a perfect al dente spaghetti noodle. I was that sticky.
My head felt like it was in the brink of explosion. Cooking added to the heat. Shooting photos after wasn’t pleasant. Dripping in sweat, icky cameras filled with sweat and wilting garnishes (Not filled with sweat.. I’m not gross guys!). The things an unsung food photographer hero have to go through.
So what to do when it’s super hot?
Go to Costco.
Enjoy free A/C.
Buy a cheap but humongous watermelon.
A never ending watermelon that is… since it’s just for the two of us.
On a hot day, even chewing is considered an exercise. A sweat inducing activity. So blending the watermelon was a no brainer.
The result… Refreshing & cooling Summer Watermelon Slushy. Perfect sweetness with a slight lip smacking tang and fizz. Top with a fresh mint garnish and the prefect quick to quench your thirst and beat the heat drink is ready.
If you love this summer drink, you’re going to love this Peach Iced Tea. Another perfect summer drink infused with real peaches. No artificial nothing. So peachy, sweet & a lil tart like homemade Snapple, only better.
Also, if you haven’t already, check out my last post Dry Curry Chicken. Melting soft chicken braised in creamy, thick gravy of aromatic spices, tomatoes, onions & coconut. Slightly spicy, so flavorful & addictive.
Summer Watermelon Slushy Serves 2 (Makes 3 cups)
what you need:
4 cups cubed watermelon
1/2 cup seltzer or sparkling water
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbs sugar
1/8 tsp salt
Watermelon ice cubes (optional)
Mint
directions:
1. Place watermelon, seltzer water, lemon juice, sugar and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Chill or serve immediately with watermelon ice cubes and mint as garnish.
Notes:
1. Replace selter water with iced seltzer water and then blend for additional slushi-ness.
2 comments
I hate muggy weather. It’s the humidity that does you in, not the heat. I love watermelon especially in the height of summer. However, I never know how to choose a good watermelon if it’s not already cut open. I’ve been told to tap it, and make sure it feels heavy but not sure what sound I should hear when I tap it and not sure what “heavy” means (heavy in comparison to what?)
You are hilarious. I’ve also heard about the tapping and weight thing. There’s a hollow sound when tapped and it should be heavy compared to the rest of the watermelon there I guess. Haha. I’ve tried this and sometimes I get really sweet ones while other times I don’t. Oh well. I honestly never knew what muggy weather is until I went to Taiwan. It’s really humid there. Worse than Malaysia.