Citrus Cranberry Gin N' Tonic

Or Cranberry lemonade or orangeade. 

I met a few of my friends for lunch the other day and we started talking about our interests and hobbies. About work, home and what each of us want in life. The conversation weaved into cooking and food. One of them asked me, "how do you pick a recipe to blog?" I have never really thought about this question…most times when I am at the grocery store, the produce aisle gives me countless ideas. I usually have my iPhone notebook open and write down my ideas. I really don't have to think a whole lot, my best ideas come to me when am looking at fresh produce or ingredients.

Photography, styling comes later, only after the dish is prepared and I know how it looks/taste like. A lot of people think that food bloggers cook because we need to feed our blogs. Well,  I can't talk for everyone but a lot of us food bloggers, blog about food because we love the art of cooking. Blog is a means to an end. In order to sustain any interest or passion, one has to enjoy doing what they do.

Some times I do get asked if I enjoy cooking or photographing. Well, I have never been able to answer that - each one has a special place and fulfills different aspects of my personality. Cooking, recipe development is creative in its own way, it engages all your senses. Even today when I add onion in hot oil and sauté it - the sizzling sounds makes me so happy. Watching the colors of the fruits blend into one as I turn my blender on. Roasting spices and soaking the aromas…nothing quite like it.

Photography is very different, it's the play of light, the dance of light, shades and color. It's a two dimensional world that narrates the story of a multi dimensional world. Especially if it is food photography. It's a lot more thinking than doing, that makes it intense. Not everything I photograph is food and not every food I make is photographed. I love to experiment, some turn out great and some a disaster. It's all a journey of self discovery.

I think I bought a lot of cranberries and I made this, this and now a delicious cocktail.

If you want a mocktail just omit the gin and you have a cranberry lemonade or orangeade.

1 and 1/4 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
or
1/2 cup water 
juice of 1 lime 

gin of choice
tonic water of choice

In a sauce pan add 1 cup cranberries, water, juice and let it cook for about 30 minutes. The cranberries pop and make the stove top rather colorful. Take care. Squash the berries from back of the ladle and simmer till it is all cooked. Strain.

Coat the rest of the cranberries in sugar and freeze - preferably overnight.

Let it cool. Add some ice in a glass,  1 oz of the cranberry syrup, 2 oz gin followed by tonic water. Serve chilled. If you want to serve non-alcoholic version, omit the gin and you have a lemonade or orangeade, depending on what you used to make the cranberry syrup.  Serve with the frozen cranberries and some fresh mint.

I have always been very confused between, soda, tonic, seltzer and sparkling mineral water. Here is a good link explaining the difference.