summer has been a bit of a scatterbrain this year. now that it is november the sunshine season finally realized it missed san diego on its bikini-bearing circuit. summer, unwilling to let go of its own mistake, slumped itself upon us thursday in what was reported as the hottest november day in america's finest city in 138 years. summer likes to make up for lost time. as with most of the good, the bad, and the ugly situations in life, i took this as direct orders to eat ice cream.
dear reader, if this finds you armouring yourself with your warmest hoodie, eking out one last morning moment in front of a space heater before facing what november weather is really all about, i am sorry to taunt you with this ice cream and bikini mischief. but writing is a truth-telling process. it is hot here. and i like it.
for one thing, there is the way the heat opens up a grove of eucalyptus trees, forcing me inhale so fully, i become one of them. then, a pervasive, steady sunlight on a white stuccoed bungalow, toasts the red tiles of the roof. a shock of bougainvillea interjects the scene, nodding its fuchsia neck up and down in slow motion, not with a breeze, but with the earth. i am reminded of why spanish architecture is the sexiest. just when it lures you into its arched entry like a plunging neckline, turns up the heat by tucking a hibiscus behind its ear, you feel the floor beneath you, shadowy and cool. every type of hot needs an appropriate cooling down strategy.
it just so happens mine is rose flavored ice cream. if it works on tehran's stifling humidity, it is good enough for me. when it comes to mitigating heat by way of the tongue, i turn to the world's experts. mexico has aguas frescas, blended beverages in flavors like watermelon or horchata, which is made with rice and cinnamon. i'll share a recipe for a homemade version tomorrow. chili peppers were originally cultivated in the americas, so it is fitting that mexico is the birthplace of getting even hotter in order to cool down. a paleta vero, essentially a lollipop coated in an array of hot chili powders, is potent example of this. cubans have the mojito. my version is ginger syrup with muddled mint and serranos, covered in sparkling water. this a good course of action for when the day calls for a mojito but you don't want to spend most of it slumped on the table for an extended siesta.
wherever this finds you, i hope your hot has a decent cooling down strategy, or your cold provides interesting and edible options for getting warm. i'll leave you with this song that, no matter what the weather, will trigger your smile reflex:
notes
* mashti malone's ice creams are made in hollywood, california. i purchase mine at north park produce in poway, california. access mashti here.