A tequila cocktail bar

We designed our Sal del Mar hand-embroidered bar towels with the idea that we could take an ordinary setting and make it say "party."

We went with our Tequila hand-embroidered towel for this setting on a window ledge. We liked the way the light shines through the martini-style glasses, and how the white linen and green with indigo-blue highlighted towels are like a piece of art work to show off the simple setting.

Of course, you can even find a place on the countertop in the kitchen and try out the Margarita bar towel with its magnificent sprawling letters in lime green. You will set out your beloved tequila. Set out limes, a shaker and martini-styled glasses rimmed with our Sal del Mar gourmet sea salt. And voila!

The harvest

Here is a basket full of one of my favorite things....tomatoes. It’s harvest time and the Farmer’s Markets have tables laden with them. They look so beautiful as a still life that I grab my camera and do a mini photo shoot.

I always buy too many, tomatoes.

Just a pinch of Sal del Mar will do.
Heirloom tomatoes, Sal del Mar, avocado, bacon and toasted focaccia. 

The Fall Harvest is here and the heirloom tomatoes are so colorful and sculptural that I do a mini photo shoot to try and capture their beauty. Even sliced, they are so picturesque, especially with a pinch of Sal del Mar. Stacked in a sandwich with bacon, avocado, they are scrumptious.

Paula's dish

This tortilla appetizer is incredibly easy to make and it also is a perfect match with a margarita. My friend, Paula Hamilton, taught me this recipe when she was in Mexico a couple of months ago working with me on designs for Sal del Mar.. We decided to do a photo shoot and scouted out from my cupboards this hand-painted, terra cotta plate and a big palm leaf from the courtyard to prop it with. 

Here’s the recipe: 
Cut corn tortillas into half or quarter sizes.
Fry in oil.
Drain on a paper towel and immediately sprinkle on Sal del Mar and chili powder. 

Limes

I love limes. I love their bright green color. I love the way they smell when you cut into them. Sometimes I even buy them just as a decoration. And, of course, I love how they taste in a margarita. 

I realize I have become somewhat of an expert on limes.  I always want the ripest ones when I make a margarita. Limes mature from green to yellow, so I squeeze them when they’re between green and yellow. I also like my Mexican hand-squeezer, instead of an electric juicer. The hand squeezer crushes the skin and the skin’s oils mix in to make the juice more complex. 

It matters to me too that it is freshly squeezed and not store-bought. I have found that freshly squeezed lime juice actually mellows a bit so I don’t hesitate to keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of days after squeezing.

I guess that's why we made sure there was a lime on our Sal de Margarita hand-embroidered bags.

Summer shrimp night

This is a recipe I have been saving to post. It was photographed in "the winter" (note: winter in Tucson is not a snowy day) but somehow it didn't feel like a winter recipe.  

The flavors say summer to me so here it is. It is also very easy and the ingredients are so yummy, you can just dip the shrimp in additional sauce as you enjoy.

Coconut Shrimp (as told to me by Paula Hamilton)

Clean shrimp but leave on the tail. Marinate in a sauce made with:

1 cup of coconut milk
1 tsp of curry
squeeze of a couple of limes (adjust to your taste)
Sal del Mar
pepper
red pepper flakes
add some coconut flakes, too

Skewer the marinated shrimp and grill.  Keep aside some of the sauce to dip in for extra flavor. 

Serve over rice.

Stylizing The Dish

There is an expression that says, "You eat with your eyes first."  We love this gold and orange cloth and how it compliments the shrimp dish. It is a simple addition to the plate of shrimp but it is strong on feasting the eyes. We added just a sprinkle of chives too.

Simply Cinco de Mayo

This is a simple tapa to serve for Cinco de Mayo. The trick is to make your own tostada chips. You may never want to buy them again!

Use a cookie cutter to cut them out of store-bought corn tortillas and then fry them in hot corn oil. Watch them because they'll turn from brown to burn in seconds.  As they come out of the oil.... sprinkle Sal del Mar on them.

I couldn't resist this one!