At the Beach with a Book

THERE IS NO CURE like the sea. We had a few days at the beach leading up to Easter and after, and I came away, yet again, longing to live near the sea (someday!). In the meantime, here are my favorite picks for the summer. And it looks like the one-pice suit is making a comeback. Hooray!

Above: Olinger Stories by John Updike, Yellow Bandeau Bikini Top, Replica Beach Walk fragrance, blue striped tote, burlap slip-on, Fruit card set.

Above: The Goldfinch by Donna Tart, Black ruched halter one-piece swimsuit, Love & Salt beach hair and body mist, bubble glass, Pink and gold key fob, Genuine leather slip-on sandals.

Above: The Sea by John Banville, Gathered halter one-piece swimsuit, Alice flat sandals, Burgundy nail polish, Hanging clear glass terrarium, Fabric rectangular tote.

Hope you have a great summer!

Sineguelas, We Meet Again

This one is giving me all the old feels, and some Vitamin C. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

IT  TAKES VERY LITTLE to make me happy sometimes. Gabby came back from a trip with a bag of Spanish Plums, or Sineguelas, as we call them over here---a sweet and sour fruit that I remember eating as a kid. So late that night I sat in bed eating five of them, and random memories came and went. Sineguelas are not the kind of fruit you eat everyday, you don't normally get them at the grocery or market in a big city, and you never know when you'll get them again (unless of course you've got some growing in your backyard). A little backstory...

Son of Limoncello

The flavors of limoncello, but like a cocktail, and in a bigger glass. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO, that beloved Italian liqueur served mainly as an after-dinner digestive, is laborious, almost artisanal. You carefully peel the lemon rind to pithless perfection, and let it steep in vodka for anywhere from 4 to 10 days. But yesterday was supposedly the hottest day in Manila this summer yet. And with no sign of reprieve from this crazy heat, I just went ahead and took some short cuts. I wanted the flavors of limoncello, but like a cocktail, and in a bigger glass.

SON OF LIMONCELLO
*Total time including steeping: 2 hours. SERVES ABOUT 5.

For the cocktail

5 lemons plus 1 more for garnish

4 cups distilled water

1 cup vodka

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Large mason jar or pitcher

Strainer

TO MAKE

Wash the lemons thoroughly with soap and water or your favorite veggie wash. Rinse well and dry. Peel the lemon rind using a vegetable peeler or a small, sharp knife. Cut as thinly as possible so only the yellow rind and none of the bitter pith remain. I found it easier to slice wide chunks of the rind and to carefully cut out any remaining pith. Set aside. Remove all remaining pith from each lemon until only the fruit is left. Put the distilled water, the rind, and the fruit in a small pot and heat to almost boiling. Pour everything into the mason jar or pitcher and let cool. After at least an hour, taste the lemon juice to see if it's tart enough. Remove all the lemons and the rind and strain the mixture. Pour in the vodka. Add more to taste. Make sugar syrup by heating the half cup of sugar and half cup of water in a sauce pan on medium heat. Make sure all the sugar is covered by the water and just keep an eye on it (don't stir), until all the sugar is dissolved and the syrup comes to a gentle boil, is syrupy, but still clear in color. Sweeten your lemon vodka mixture with the syrup to taste. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with a thin slice of lemon or a sprig of rosemary.

Simple, sweet, with lots of bright lemony flavor, this refreshing drink is my antidote to the summer heat. Chin chin.

*Photos by Ina Amor Mejia. Also, how to make (almost) perfect ice at home!

Where is summer?

CHILDHOOD SUMMERS are the best, because they are carefree in a way like they will never be again. Growing up in Ormoc, a quiet city by the sea, summers meant endless play in my grandmother's spacious house, and in the family farm that was fifteen minutes away. It meant climbing old trees, lazy hot afternoon siestas, star gazing picnics, and swimming in the sea 'til we became like salt dolls.

Sometimes my parents would take us on the slow boat to nearby Cebu for short vacations. And then later to Manila or the foggy northern city of Baguio where city folk took refuge from the heat. Later in high school and college, summer might bring a boy, and sometimes some heartache. But it was always an adventure.
 

Whatever it brings, summer is not about when, but where or how and with whom. This year I feel blessed to be able to take the kids away from the city. Hoping they make good memories so that summer becomes eternal in their minds. And maybe I'll climb those trees again and take lots of siestas. Again. And I will swim in the sea, my old friend, if it will have me. I will swim in the sea, and the sea inside.

What are your plans this summer? I hope you have a good one, and thanks for reading.

Also, check it out. This beautiful secret (for now) beach, this perfect local summer snack, printed espadrilles, this breezy top, and the top ten free free things to do in New York.

*Photo by Ina Amor Mejia