It's a sizzling summer and the perfect time of year to break out one of my favorite hot-weather treats, aguas frescas. A light non-alcoholic drink popular in Mexico and parts of Central America, aguas frescas or "fresh waters" is a blend of ripe seasonal fruit and flowers, water, citrus, and sugar. I'll share my family recipe below.
Some of the most popular flavors are hibiscus and tamarind. You can find them at Mexican restaurants, fiestas, and celebrations. Light and refreshing, they're perfect to beat the heat. Plus, it's a great way to get extra vitamins the yummy way.
It's a traditional drink that I grew up with so I made sure to include it in my current work in progress. My main character, Elara, and her family celebrate together with large fiestas, a lot like my own. And we always had some form of aquas frescas. From cantaloupe to cucumber to strawberry, it's a party staple when the weather turns hot.
My favorite flavor is watermelon or 'sandia' and lime. So easy to make, it's just a few ingredients, a blender, and ice. Our family buys a huge watermelon and we cut it in half. We eat one half with Tajin salt and the other I make into agua fresca.
I thought since I'm blending up a pitcher right now as I block out this chapter, it would be fun to share the recipe with you all. Here's the recipe I use at home and in my book.
If you'd like to try the other recipes in the series about foods I grew up with, then check out my Mango Chili Paletas and Vegan Elote posts for more family favorites.
In other news, I finally made it to the beach this summer. I had a deadline at the end of May and then edits all through June so I never had the time. Now that things are out on submission, I get a chance to breathe a little. The beach is my happy place. I love the sound, the scent of salt in the air, the warm sand between my toes...all of it. So I was happy to head south this past week for some much-needed R&R. We had family fly up from Texas and got to see them after more than a year of quarantine and California Lockdown orders. We had a great time.
Now that I'm back home, I'm at the keys working on the research and first-draft outline for my next book. Tentatively titled, The Split of Shadows, its neurotechnology subject matter is turning out to be fascinating. I'll keep you posted! If you try out the agua fresca recipe, tag me in your photo so I see your wonderful creations.
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I share news on tech innovations and how they affect us, publishing industry news, updates on my near-future thriller books, and recipes from my characters.