Refreshing! Ice Tropez

Think back to a time long ago when you would fill up your shopping cart with the electric colors of Bartles & Jaymes. Or maybe you preferred to unwind with the flavors of Seagram's Escapes. Or maybe your 14 year-old self and your best friend took whatever brand of wine cooler was available at your parent's friends 4th of July party, stuffed them down your pants and in your hoodies and absconded off into the woods. (Can't remember where I heard that one from...)

Wine coolers. The stuff of 80's and 90's legends. Never did I think I would find them in France. 

At the supermarket, I have been seeing this stuff called "Ice Tropez." Obviously a play off of the city St. Tropez and the fact that you should drink this concoction icy cold, today I decided to give it a try. Was it wine? Was it a cocktail? I had not the slightest clue, so I figured there was no better time to find than now. My little can set me back 2.50 euro, and once I got home I threw it in the freezer so it would be chilly in time for lunch. 

I crack it open and take the first sip. Why, hello! Ice Tropez is nothing more than a simple throwback to those days of minimally alcoholic, Cyndi Lauper-in-a-bottle wine cooler days. Bubbly, mildly alcoholic at 6.5%, and I am in love! The drink has a nice peach flavor that is not artificial-tasting or too strong and tastes like a sweeter, fruitier rosé. One could call it alcoholic soda and not be wrong. 

Bubbly, colorful and a guilty pleasure, just like wine coolers!
Source: www.liketotally80s.com

As the name implies, a couple of cans of Ice Tropez would probably be best enjoyed under the sun in some posh resort town on the French Riviera. If you aren't at the beach, they are like a little vacation in a can. Even if that vacation has you sporting acid washed jeans and crimped hair. 

(Just to let everyone know, no products were given to me, I bought it in the store. So, the opinions are honest, even if I am admitting I like sweet, pink, fruity bubbly drinks. And Cyndi Lauper. Judge me if you will.)

80 Bites Recipes: Gazpacho

The days in Barcelona were so hot. So hot that I spent almost everyday at La Barceloneta, or maybe treating myself with a day trip to Sitges. I probably would have never left if I had had the choice.

Barcelona is such an alluring, colorful and vibrant city that it's hard to forget a moment. Back in 2005, on one of those scorchers, I snuck into a cheap bar on a side street off of Las Ramblas. It was cool and dark, maybe with one or two old fellows bellied up to the bar. There, I saw a sign. Gazpacho.

In my broken high school Spanish, I ordered a tall, cold one. The chunky soup was served to me in an icy beer mug. I took my first sip and...well, it was darn good. That gazpacho will forever be in my memories as a quintessential summer food.

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Here's my recipe for a super quick gazpacho for when you dont want to use the oven, fire up the grill or generally turn your kitchen into a sauna. Bonus: dinner will be on the table in less than 10 minutes.

This is a super basic, super easy recipe. You can adjust the ingredients to what you prefer, like no onion, adding in a head of garlic, or putting in more cucumber or red peppers. If you want to make it fancy, you can throw the veggies in the juicer for a thin soup and then add in tiny chopped pieces of the vegetables for texture and presentation. Use it as a jumping off point if you've never made it before, then let your imagination go wild using other fruits and vegetables.

Gazpacho

4 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 long cucumber
1 red pepper
slice of red onion
tiny piece of day old French bread (optional)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
salt to taste

Start by washing the tomatoes, cucumber and red pepper. Discard the stem and seeds out of the red pepper, cut the tomatoes into halves and peel the cucumber. Then, simply throw all of the veggies, the bread, olive oil, vinegar and salt into the blender and give it a whirl. This should take no more than a minute and a half, depending on your blender.

That's it. Serve in bowls or frosty mugs and enjoy! This recipe probably serves about 2, but portion sizes aren't my strong point.

Leave a comment if you try this and let us know how it was! Or, do you have any other amazing combos for gazpacho? Can't wait to hear from you!