When life gives you lemons ...

A few years ago I discovered my body has a zero tolerance policy for the red chili pepper.
It turned my culinary world upside down and inside out.
Curry Fridays would have to become a thing of the past, that much was clear.
But that was just the start.
It turns out cayenne, chili powder, and crushed red chili pepper are everywhere.
I have found them in restaurant made mushroom soup, in Starbucks' egg salad sandwich, in Kettle Chips' salt and pepper delectables.
Store bought vinaigrettes, dips, pizzas, sauces, frozen dinners, pickles -- you name it and it probably contains the red chili pepper in some form.
So I was left with a fairly simple choice: limit my world to a handful of takeout options or roll up my sleeves, put on my apron and get comfortable in my own kitchen.
Over the years I have learned to make the majority of the food I eat from scratch, working mostly with fresh ingredients (local and organic whenever possible) and a well-stocked, well-considered pantry.
It's become more than a way of coping; it's become a way of life.

When life gives you lemons, what do you do? Make lemonade, of course.

My favourite way to make lemonade riffs off of an old Martha Stewart magazine that I've long since lost. This is how I make it, off the top of my head:

Lemonade Martha's Way

2 organic oranges, cut in half
6 organic lemons, cut in half

Stud them with cloves (I put four cloves per half)

In a saucepan, pour 6 cups of water and 1 cup sugar (you might want more sugar -- I'm a minimalist). Add the clove-studded citrus. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain the warm juice into a heat resistant glass pitcher and add a teaspoon of pure vanilla (I'm partial to Mexican). Or, if you're a vanilla purist, scrape the seeds out of a vanilla pod for a flavour explosion. For an extra special touch, grate a bit of fresh nutmeg into the juice. (Warning: Freshly grated nutmeg will spoil you and you'll never buy the powdered nutmeg again.)

Serve warm in mugs or chill in the fridge for later. I like to add it to a bit of gin or vodka on ice.

Over the years I've played with this concept and decided there are days when I don't want to make the simple sugar and wait 15 or so minutes.

So I came up with this version.

Lemonade My Way (Citronade)

4 organic limes, cut in half
6 organic oranges, cut in half (tangelos are my favourite)
2 organic lemons, cut in half

Squeeze the juice into a pitcher. Add a teaspoon of pure vanilla or scrape seeds from a vanilla pod into the juice. You can add sugar, to taste, if you like. I don't. Honey will do the trick too.

Pour one shot of gin or vodka into a glass with ice. Add juice till the glass is 3/4 full. Add sparkling mineral water and enjoy.