Hello Mochi blog readers! I’m Tammy, Mochi’s food blogger as well as photography director. My goal is to give you useful recipes, articles on various cooking trends and techniques, and most importantly, photos to whet your appetites. As these posts go on, I would love feedback! These include questions, recipe suggestions, challenges, and whatever resources you feel would be helpful.

First off is a recipe to help keep the summer heat to a minimum: a citrus mint cooler. A couple weeks ago, I was planning food and drinks for a friend’s birthday.  Although everyone attending was well over 21 years-old, I decided to keep the party “dry” since the birthday boy doesn’t drink alcohol. What’s a better way to usher in the summer and celebrate a grown-up birthday than a brightly flavored, non-alcoholic, bubbly drink?

Citrus Mint Cooler (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup sugar (I cut the sugar because the ginger ale will be sweet enough)
2 1/2 cups water
10 sprigs mint
32 fluid ounces (1 liter) ginger ale
Cold water or ice

1. Combine lemon juice, orange juice, sugar, water and mint in a pot.
2. Bring to a boil, and stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Turn off heat, cover with a lid, and let the mixture steep until it cools.
4. Strain the syrup mixture, and chill in the refrigerator.
5. When serving, mix one part syrup, two parts ginger ale, and one part cold water or ice.

If you’d like to make an alcoholic version of the cooler, you can mix in 2 oz of vodka or tequila per 8-10 oz serving. You can also serve the drinks with sprigs of mint: float them on top, or mash them for more flavor.

Photo by Tammy Hui