Blood oranges kind of creep me out. They look like normal oranges on the outside, but when cut open, the pulp and juice are, well, the color of blood. I'm not sure why it's so odd to me, especially since there are plenty of other fruits that bleed red (like pomegranates!). There must be some strange psychology somewhere in there.
But as much they weird me out, I love the way taste - much brighter and tarter and stronger of a flavor than regular orange oranges. (Or is that psychology, too?). The juice mixed together with an orange flavored vodka makes for a killer martini for Friday afternoon happy hour. The best I've had so far has been at Jiraffe, but if you can't afford the gas to get to Santa Monica, there are plenty of recipes to make it at home.
My personal brew for two? A half cup of orange flavored vodka and a quarter cup of blood orage juice shaken together with ice. Just vodka and juice. No frou frou stuff. Come on, it's Friday Happy Hour. And if it's been that kind of week, start earlier and have it for breakfast. I mean, it does have orange juice.














