Thursday brought one of the hottest days in Cleveland in several years. When I arrived at the cooking class, I was stunned to find out that they did not have air conditioning!!! And we would be using the oven. AND we were boiling pasta! It was like your worst sauna nightmare come to life in a kitchen.
Thankfully, I had mixed up my Thirsty Thursday special before I left for the class. This week, I kept it really simple and made one of my all time favorites - Cucumber Water. But I added a new twist - mint!
I first tasted cucumber water when some friends and I went to Chicago last year for my birthday. We stayed at the elegant and gorgeous Palmer House. My roommate and I opted for the upgrade to one of the luxury executive suites. It was amazing and totally worth it! In addition to having our own bathrooms and walk-in closets, we also had 24 hour access to the Executive Lounge. This delightful bonus consists of complimentary breakfast, hors d'oeuvres, snacks and beverages. Our favorite beverage was cucumber water - a refreshing and thirst quenching infusion.
I loved it so much that after returning home that at my next dinner party I made a batch for my friends. I was wondering if they would enjoy it as much as I did. Thankfully I made it in a huge beverage dispenser because they all loved it. Now it's a staple at ALL our parties!
Because I have an explosion of mint growing in my yard, I've been experimenting with adding it to just about everything. I decided to add it to my beloved cucumber water and it really added an extra layer of freshness. My favorite is having a fresh sprig in my glass so I can smell the sweet mint as I take a sip. Fabulously refreshing!
And the recipe couldn't be simpler -
1.Fill a glass pitcher with filtered water
2. Add 1/2 of a cucumber, sliced thin
3. Add approximately 15 mint leaves
4. Let steep for several hours or overnight.
TIPS: Make sure your cuke doesn't have a waxed skin on it - if it does, peel it. I added a intact mint stem in addition to the leaves - just because it looks so pretty! You can refill the same pitcher several times without changing the cucumbers. Be sure to add a sprig of mint to each glass when serving.
ENJOY!!!