Cuba Libre and… Pizza!
I have been drinking a lot of rosé lately - it is crisp, refreshing and a nice light alternative on a hot day. This last weekend, though, after doing tons of yardwork and working up a big thirst, rosé just wasn’t going to cut it. No, my mind was set on one of my youthful favorites - the Cuba Libre!
It was rather ironic that while I was craving this drink news was coming in about Castro’s physical state, the speculation about his actual condition and what that might mean for Cuba. Just a coincidence but still a rather odd one. Many of us have only known Cuba under Castro’s regime as it was 1959 when he came into power. That’s a lot of years for a country to be under such strict communist control and a lot of years for us to be at odds with such a close neighbor. So as I sipped my drink I wondered if the drink’s name, Free Cuba, might soon come true.
The one I made was actually a bit of a variation as I chose to use a vanilla rum I have instead of the traditional white. It added a little edge of richness to the drink.
Cuba Libre
- 1/2 lime
- 2 oz white rum
- Coke
- Lime slices for garnish
Fill a rocks or old-fashioned glass with ice. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lime into the glass. Add the rum, top with coke. Stir gently and then garnish with a slice of lime.
And I have no idea why, but I was also craving pizza so I had one delivered. On a hot day that’s a nice option as you don’t have to cook and heat up the house. Alternatively, you could make your own from scratch. Pizza is actually pretty easy to make. Or how about something in between?
I am a big fan of Boboli for a quick version of pizza.
And, when you have a group of people over, it’s fun to provide them with the small personal size shells for customization. That way everyone can have exactly what they want! Costco carries 8 packs of these small shells and I believe they are available at other places, too.
Before everyone arrives you just need to prepare a variety of toppings: grated cheeses; sliced fresh mozzarella; crumbled feta or blue cheese; sliced or chopped vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, pepper; a variety of meats, such as Canadian bacon, pepperoni, shrimp, barbecued chicken; and perhaps some wild cards like sliced apples, candied pecans, dried cranberries. You can be as creative as you’d like.
When your guests arrive they each assemble their own pizza, you pop them in the oven (three will fit easily on a baking sheet) and in 10 minutes each guest has their own personalized snack or dinner!
Mmm. A vanilla cuba libra sounds good right now. I wonder how well vanilla Coke works rather than using vanilla rum.
I’ve also discovered that making pizza dough actually isn’t all tough. The main problem is waiting for the dough to rise, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than Boboli.