Italian TV just went digital here in Puglia, so everyone had to get one of those digital decoder cable box things (definitely not the accurate nomenclature, but whatevs) and now we have so many channels! Before we were limited to only eight basic ones, but now a whole world of funny Italian television has presented itself to us. The A-Team? We've got it. Murder She Wrote? We've got it. Extreme Makeover Home Edition from five years ago? We've got it. Jersey Shore?
......
We've got that too.
And at first I said to myself, "No, Marissa Catherine Bognanno, you will not watch Jersey Shore."
But then yesterday I made this batch of agua fresca and I was sipping away and flipping through all those channels when I got sucked in. Pauly D was driving the ridiculously large SUV to go tanning after coming back from their month-long visit to Italy and said, "Smell that smog? That's America right there. Yee-ahh boy, I LOVE America!"
And maybe it was a bout of homesickness, or maybe the heat's already getting to me, but I broke down in tears right there into my melon agua fresca. "I love America too Pauly!" *Sob, sob sob.
Melon Agua Fresca
(from this recipe)
4 cups diced, peeled ripe cantaloupe or watermelon
3 cups water
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Blend together the watermelon or cantaloupe with 1 1/2 cups of the water, the lime juice and the sugar at high speed until smooth. Strain through a medium strainer into a large pitcher or bowl. Stir in the remaining water. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer. Fill a glass with ice, pour in the agua fresca, garnish with more melon and serve. (Note: I didn't strain mine because I wanted some bits of melon!)
Well. Now that I've got that off my chest. Can I interest you in a nice, crisp, refreshing glass of agua fresca? :)
I hear you Marissa! I had an out-of-nowhere-sob-fest too just last week. I love America too! :-)
ReplyDeletesometimes you just gotta let it out. :) we need an expat homesickness support group!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so, so refreshing! Perfect for summers, and for watching Jersey Shore.... and for sobbing over how much you love America ;)
ReplyDeletexxx
Jenna
Oh hello my new favorite summer drink, maybe there will be vodka lol. You always have something for my recipe book lady.
ReplyDeleteZ
Oh and when you start watching revenge get back to me
ReplyDeleteWe had to do the digital thing a few years ago and it was frustrating yet so rewarding at the same time. :) Can't say I've ever watched Jersey Shore before but I have a ridiculous addiction to Bravo's Real Housewives. It's shameful!
ReplyDeletePS - I will respond to your email today and YES I'd love to guest post!
bahahah o NOOOO jersey shore! shame shame.. but yes. we've all been sucked in by the fist pumping and hair gel. its dangerous stuff. on another note this drink looks pretttty fantastic! xo
ReplyDeleteHahaha that's awesome! I'd do the same! And that drink! How super easy it is to make and it really looks so fresh!
ReplyDeleteI JUST bought a ton of melons so I'm really excited that you posted this! Love adding fruit to my water.
ReplyDeleteThis looks so refeshing, Marissa! Perfect for a hot summer day!
ReplyDeletehttp://goo.gl/a57LD
ReplyDeleteI love that your middle name is Catherine. I think every Italian-American woman I know has a middle name of either Catherine or Marie (and the boyfriend has been trying for a long time to convince that we should use one or the other for our future daughter's middle name...)
ReplyDeleteCantaloupe is probably my favorite fruit. I once had an amazing cantaloupe martini that I've never been able to recreate. This looks more refreshing though. ;) Will have to make this soon! I've got one in my fridge right now.
ReplyDeleteSince we're confessing over here, you might as well know I started crying for no reason the other night and couldn't stop. It was probably because I didn't have melon agua fresca.
ReplyDeleteJust look at that brilliant color...refreshing and oh so delish.
ReplyDeletehaha, exactly!
ReplyDeleteoh yeah you could DEF spike this! mm!
ReplyDeleterevenge? you must remember that i JUST found out yesterday what 50 shades of grey was. i live under a rock here! when i get home i'll watch it for you!
ReplyDeletei looove the housewives. and YAY!
ReplyDeletei swear under normal circumstances i would never have stooped so low! :)
ReplyDeletehaha, sometimes you need to have a good pauly d-induced cry! yes, it IS so fresh! :)
ReplyDeletewow then you are all set my friend! get to melon-water making! :)
ReplyDeleteyes, absolutely! with tons of ice and lime. :) glad you like it laura!
ReplyDeleteSO true! you know what? i think it's sweet the way italians pass down names. most of the young people here think it's crazy that evvvveryone in the family has to be named Antonio but i think it's nice! go with marie, it was my grandmother's name and she was amazing!
ReplyDeletehm, we need to track down that martini recipe i think! :) it's one of my favorites too! partly because it's so fun to scoop and eat.
ReplyDeleteyou know, i'm a big fan of just having a good cry now and then. (once a month, heh). it's something that manu just doesn't get!
ReplyDeletei know! the color is what i love the most about it! it's almost like a creamsicle (my favorite ice pop!)
ReplyDeletenot the biggest cantaloupe fan, so i would definitely take a watermelon version! perfect for these hot summer days we've been having!
ReplyDelete