Maximize your Margarita

The Calvin Kelly secret? Never use a store-bought mix. "That overly sweet, artificial taste can't compare to fresh lime juice," Kelly explained to Instyle

The Ideal Recipe...
1 part fresh lime juice
1/4 part triple sec or Cointreau
1 part silver tequila (our fav is Patron)
Agave nectar to taste

On the Rocks: Put ingredients and ice into a shaker. Shake well and strain into a margarita glass rimmed with salt and garneshed with a line wedge.

Frozen Treat: add ingredients and ice into a blender until well blended and no chunks of ice.



3 ways to Rev up the Flavor...



1: Add some macerated raspberries (soaked in tripple sec or Cointreau) for fun color and tasty tartness.




2: Hot-Pink prickle pears; either canned in syrup or fresh chopped-add an exotic, light sweetness.

3: Give your cocktails more kick by infusing salt with diced mild chiles and using the mixture to rim the glass.




all photo's are courtesy of Google.com;(most not all) information in this content is provided by Instyle

Grill a Better Burger

Who better to lead the way than Bobby Flay?



His cookbook Burgers, Fries, & Shakes is full of smart tips like these:

❤ Use ground chuck. The fattier content-preferably an 80/20 lean/fat ratio-boosts flavor. (With ground turkey, stick to 85% to 90% lean instead of 99%).
❤Season with Kosher salt and black pepper.
❤ Make patties no thicker than 3/4".
❤ Resist smashing with the spatula. You'll squeeze out the flavorful juices and rick a flare-up.
❤ Set the grill on high. Flay flavors medium-rare to medium, with an internal temp of 145 degrees. Don't be embarrassed to use a meat thermometer-it beats serving shoe leather.

Burgers, Fries & Shakes... $17; ecookbooks.com

all photo's are courtesy of Google.com and (most not all) information in this content is provided by Instyle.