"beetroot" news and stories

Beetroot Margarita. Photo: LeNell Smothers

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Hotel bars have the potential to serve as a haven while you are on vacation, but often they are just places to get ripped off for a mediocre drink. When you're lucky enough to happen upon that truly special hotel bar where no detail has been overlooked, the sticker shock on the cocktail menu might just melt away into your highballs.

I had the quintessential hotel bar experience in London's lovely Connaught Hotel. The barmen were as beautiful as the surroundings, but the drinks were the showstoppers. After the most divine martini service ever, the barman suggested I try a margarita.

I just couldn't resist this double-whammy today. I love recipes that have ingredient twists, and how can you go wrong with adding a little beetroot to your dinner? Now, for those of us in North America, we might not be able to get kangaroo prosciutto, but I imagine that the classic kind would work just as well. (Has anyone had kanga prosciutto? Is there much different in flavor?)

I've been meaning to get more into the world of risotto, and this recipe looks so easy that I just might start here. But I'd also love to hear from you: what twists do you use in your own risotto recipes?