Vegetarian Delights: A Confessions of a Foodie Offspring

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Thursday, August 14, 2025

Drinks

If you get tired of having the same-old-same-old drinks, today's post is sure to please. Check out the Apple Cider Floats, the Watermelon Punch, and the rest of today's drinks. Enjoy!

WHIPPED COFFEE

This recipe is from Vaughn Vreeland in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Vaughn wrote, "This Instagram-famous drink, known as whipped coffee or dalgona coffee, is made by whipping instant coffee with sugar and water, resulting in a butterscotch-hued foam that’s spooned over milk. While it seems like a trend, many have been making whipped coffee for years. In India and Pakistan, whipped coffee has long been a popular home brew, known as phenti hui. In Greece, the frappĂ© is dalgona’s older, frothier sibling. And, more generally, there are versions that are shaken with egg whites and served with condensed milk."

Yield: 1 drink

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021005-whipped-coffee. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons granulated instant coffee (regular or decaffeinated)

1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons hot water

Ice, as needed

Milk, as needed

Preparation

Combine granulated instant coffee, sugar and hot water in a medium bowl.

Whip by hand using a whisk or with a mixer until the mixture turns from foamy to frothy to creamy.

Spoon the fluffy mixture over milk in a glass filled with ice. (You could also spoon it over warm milk for a hot drink.) Gently combine and serve.

LONDON FOG

This is from Yolanda Gutierrez at AllRecipes. For this yummy (and interesting) recipe, Yolanda wrote, "London fog is a creamy, frothy Earl Grey tea latte with a hint of vanilla. Sprinkle lavender over the top, if you like."

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes; Servings: 1

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/london-fog-recipe-11729062.

Ingredients

3/4 cup water

1 Earl Grey teabag

3/4 cup milk

3/4 tablespoon vanilla syrup, such as Torani®

1 teaspoon lavender (optional)

Directions

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bag; steep for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk in a microwave-safe cup until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla syrup. Froth milk with a frother or immersion blender until milk is foamy.

Pour tea into a cup; carefully pour foamy milk over the top. Sprinkle lavender over foam.

Cook’s Note

I froth milk 1/4 cup at a time, pouring over tea 3 times.

WATERMELON GINGER BEER

This is from Nicole Taylor in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. The recipe begins, "The recipe for this batch drink, from Nicole Taylor’s book, “Watermelon and Red Birds,” includes the juice from a red-fleshed watermelon, ideally from one with seeds. (They can be hard to find; seedless melons work too.) If you own a juicer, proceed with the seeds and all and don’t worry about straining. Watermelon is over 90 percent water and is a nutrient-dense food. This drink can serve as an everyday accompaniment at breakfast, lunch, dinner or with a snack."

Total Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 drinks

This was featured in "Building a Juneteenth Menu for the 21st Century, One Recipe at a Time," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023219-watermelon-ginger-beer.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh fennel fronds (optional)

Filtered water

6 cups (1-inch) cubed red watermelon (from about 3 pounds watermelon)

2 cups ginger beer, homemade or store-bought (see Tip)

Preparation

Divide the fennel fronds, if using, between two ice cube trays. Fill with filtered water and freeze until solid, 4 to 8 hours.

Meanwhile, place the watermelon in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Scrape the sides of the blender or food processor using a rubber spatula and blend again.

Place a fine metal sieve over a large bowl and strain the pureed watermelon through the sieve. (This should yield 2 to 3 cups of juice). Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve; it will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To serve, fill four highball glasses or rocks glasses with the ice cubes. Stir the watermelon juice and add 1/2 cup to each glass. Top off with 1/2 cup ginger beer.

Tip

Unlike ginger ale, ginger beer is fermented. It’s nonalcoholic and has a spicy kick and tends to have more flavor than the soft drink. If buying ginger beer from the store, try finding the options from Barritt’s or Bruce Cost.

APPLE CIDER FLOATS

This is from Lauren Miyashiro on Delish. The recipe begins, “You'll want to float away with these apple cider floats!”

Total Time: 10 minutes; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Level: Easy; Servings: 2

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 c. caramel sauce

1/2 c. cinnamon-sugar

2 c. apple cider, warmed

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

cinnamon sticks

Whipped cream, for serving

Apple slices

Directions

Pour caramel in a small dish. Dip the top of each mug in the caramel to rim the cup. Then dip the caramel rim in cinnamon-sugar.

Ladle apple cider into each mug then add a scoop of ice cream to each. Top with whipped cream and garnish with apple slices and cinnamon stick.

Drizzle more caramel over the whipped cream and serve immediately.

CAFE DE OLLA

The recipe for this yummy coffee is from the December 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 47. It starts off, “Literally 'coffee from the pot,' this recipe offers a simple way to make coffee for a crowd, with a spiced twist that no one can resist.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

4 allspice berries

4 whole cloves

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar or 4 oz. piloncillo (Mexican raw sugar cones)

2 cups medium grind, dark roast coffee beans

2 cups low-fat milk

1 cup coffee liqueur, such as KahlĂșa, optional

Directions

Lightly crush cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, and cloves with mortar and pestle. Place in resealable plastic bag, and pound with rolling pin. Transfer to large saucepan, and add sugar and 8 cups water. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add coffee, and let steep 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm milk in small saucepan, and whisk until frothy.

Strain coffee through fine sieve or coffee filter into pitcher. Stir in coffee liqueur (if using). Serve with frothed milk.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 80; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: less than 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 35 mg; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 16 g; Gluten-Free

WATERMELON PUNCH

Years ago, I was a bride’s maid at a friend’s wedding. A friend of the couple held the reception dinner; this punch was served with the hors d’oeuvres. I’ve added ginger ale to the recipe; it’s good either way.

This recipe is from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking, soon to be updated.)

Ingredients

1 watermelon

1 T honey

6 oz. can orange juice, undiluted

2 liter bottle ginger ale

Directions

Put watermelon (excluding rind and seeds) in a blender—and blend. Pour juice through a strainer into a large bowl. Add orange juice and honey, stir, and add ice. Add ginger ale just before serving.