Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs (for Food52)

Check it out! We revisited our Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs for Food52 today.  Here’s a link to the full article.

The most exciting things? We experimented with dipping the eggs in multiple different dyes to create new colors.  We love the soft robin’s egg blue that was a result of a soak in blueberries followed by a quick dip in turmeric. And, we shot some new pictures of pretty pastel eggs to share with you!

How to Make a Citrus Twist Garnish

There are many ways to use citrus to garnish a cocktail, but lately we've been excited about adorning our drinks with a pretty cascading spiral. A citrus twist (whether a spiral or not) adds visual interest, but the citrus oil that it imparts also gives your nose and palate an extra kick.

The citrus spiral takes a little more finesse than your average twist, and it also requires a specific tool. I recommend this Trudeau zester which is very inexpensive and can zest as well as create garnishes. So grab your zester and a lemon (or orange or grapefruit) and let's dress up that drink.

How to Make a Citrus Twist Garnish

1. Grab your citrus fruit of choice. I recommend organic if possible, because pesticides end up concentrated in the peel of non-organic citrus, and that's all you're using here.
2. Using the channel knife feature of your zester, cut the top layer of peel in a spiral around the fruit. Apply the zester with even pressure, carefully removing mostly zest and as little of the white pith as possible. (At this point you can take the peel and rub it along the rim of the glass. This touch of citrus oil on the rim is particularly effective for drinks such as the martini or other less fruity cocktails.)
3. Take the length of peel and wrap it around your finger in a tight spiral. Hold it for a few seconds, and then carefully remove and place onto your cocktail. (You can also create a tighter spiral by wrapping your peel tightly around a skewer instead of your finger.)

How to Juice a Pomegranate

This is for those of you who, like me, are a bit mystified by pomegranates. Our recent Ruby Yacht cocktail (our new year's eve drink of choice!) calls for fresh pomegranate juice. It certainly wasn't obvious to me how to get juice out of this somewhat strange and seedy fruit, so here is our illustrated tutorial.

It is actually quite easy, and not even that labor intensive. I wouldn't want to sit around juicing pomegranates all day, but don't be intimidated by the task of juicing one or two. You'll get about 1/4 to 1/3 cup out of one pomegranate which is enough to whip up several Ruby Yachts.

How to Juice a Pomegranate

Find yourself an unblemished pomegranate. Roll the pomegranate around on a cutting board, pressing down with the heel of your hand to crush the internal cells. You will hear the crackling sound of popping membranes. (Yes, this whole scenario is just as gory as it sounds!) Roll your pom around, pressing until the fruit feels somewhat flaccid, taking care not to breach the skin or the juice will squirt out (and the juice stains - so watch out.) Hold the pomegranate over a bowl and pierce it gently in one spot with a knife, releasing the juice into the bowl. Our pom squirted like a geyser shocking us both, so do be careful that nothing you care about staining is in its way. Squeeze to release more juice. Place a colander over the bowl and scoop out the seeds into it, pressing gently with a wooden spoon to eek out a bit more juice. You should get about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of juice.