Blood oranges taste like sunshine in the middle of winter.
They will also add flesh to holiday cocktails like this one from Raising the Bar (Artisan Books, 2044) by Nick Mautone
Blood Orange Sparkler
Makes six 5-ounce drinks
Blood oranges are a seasonal treat; look for them from December to May. They are grown throughout the Mediterranean as well as in California.
Planning ahead: Chill the sparkling wine for at least 30 minutes before making the cocktails.
1 blood orange
3 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons sweet vermouth
One 750-milliliter bottle sparkling wine, chilled
Blood orange slices for garnish
Glassware: Wineglasses
Using a sharp knife, cut off and discard the ends of the blood orange. Stand it upright on a cutting board and slice the rind and white pith off the fruit using a gentle downward sawing motion, cutting away as little of the flesh as possible. Discard the rinds.
Cut the fruit crosswise into ½-inch slices. Divide the slices evenly among the 6 wineglasses.
Sprinkle ½ teaspoon sugar into each glass and muddle to extract the orange juice. Add ½ teaspoon vermouth to each glass and stir.
Divide the sparkling wine among the glasses, stir, garnish with blood orange slices, and serve.
(* Excerpted from Raising the Bar by Nick Mautone (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2004. Photographs by Mette Randem)