DIY Sunday

Blood Orange Martinis

Note: DIY Sunday will be a semi-regular feature about the craftiness (or entertaininess) that lies within us.

Recently, I read somewhere that because of the recession more people will be skipping the bars and drinking at home. So why not hold an economic stimulus happy-hour and serve these blood orange martinis? With one of these in hand, your friends will forget they're not paying for their drinks, and you'll have the satisfaction of being a DIY bartender extraordinaire.

I'm not obsessive about local/organic produce; I buy it when I can afford it. I do, however, try to choose fruits in season. To make a vast generalization, they should have a lower carbon footprint (if they're in season, they don't have to travel as far ... theoretically) and should be tastier, and grown under more natural conditions. Apples and pears in the fall, berries in summer, citrus fruits in winter ... I anxiously await late winter for blood oranges. You can usually find them at natural markets (Whole Foods, Central Market, Huckleberry's, or farmers' markets if you're in southern climes) during January and February. And then poof! they're gone. That's why I try to make this recipe as often as possible during that brief period.

Blood oranges have a slightly-perfumey, almost strawberry-like flavor. Lime adds a tang. The cocktail is so delicious, you might want to warn your guests of the punch it packs.

Ingredients (for 2 large or 3 medium cocktails):

3-4 oz. vodka (depending upon how strong you like your cocktails)
2-3 blood oranges
1 lime
Splash triple sec
Ice
You'll also need a cocktail shaker or some facsimile (pub glass and spoon would work fine)

Step 1: Slice the oranges in half. Before you squeeze them, use a small paring knife to slice off a twist of rind. Set this aside. Using a juicer, or your own strength, squeeze the blood oranges. You want about 2 oz. of juice. Set aside the blood orange juice and squeeze the lime in the same manner.

Step 2: Pour the vodka, fruit juices, and a splash triple sec into the shaker filled with ice. Shake, shake, shake.

Step 3: Place the twist of orange rind into a martini glass, and pour the cocktail in. Happy pink drinking to follow!

Enjoy!Note: You can make all kinds of fun, fruity, and surprisingly-potent vodka cocktails using this same formula and any fruit you choose in place of the vodka.

Thanks to my friend Kelly who provided the photo styling (and the shaker, kitchen, and glassware) for this post.