Real Not Real

Cathy Horyn has a piece up on the nyt that inspired me to purchase my second copy of Acne Paper. I bought my first issue when I lived in New Haven back in ‘07, and since then I’ve been following the publication (and gorgeous design) online. Acne Paper is part of a larger enterprise, but it feels intimate in-hand. It’s sexy, but readers are left drooling over the photography and type treatment as much as the content itself. This season’s issue is devoted to eroticism and pleasure, and for ten well-spent dollars, it’s approaching the realm of cheap thrill.

I finally got around to making the agua fresca that caught my eye last week. Yummy. I used what I had on hand, which included fresh limes and excluded mint. I also didn’t need to sweeten my watermelon as it was good and ripe, and rather than tap water I used sparkling mineral water. The hint of minerals brings out the fruit taste, and the carbonation isn’t overpowering. Summer in a glass couldn’t be easier.

My version:

1/2 icebox watermelon
3/4 liter sparkling mineral water
1 lime, halved and squeezed (plus additional halves for garnish)

Scoop watermelon from the rind with a spoon and blend the fruit to a pulp (I used a food processor); pour into pitcher. Add sparkling water. Roll whole lime on work surface to soften it, then halve and squeeze into pitcher. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then serve in glass with another lime half.

Yields 6 eight-ounce servings