I'm pretty hot stuff

I try to go as long as I can without turning on the air conditioning in our apartment when I get home from work... makes me feel like I'm really experiencing the steamy, sultry, city summer, kind of like Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire or that Matthew McConaughey movie set in the South where all the characters are in a constant state of perspiration. However, when the back of my knees and the crook of my elbows start to leak droplets of sweat, I cannot resist the cool whispers of the A/C. Another refreshing summer treat is a nice bowl of gazpacho.



Here's my favorite recipe, adapted from Spanish chef Jose Andres. Buen provecho!

Ingredients:
- About 2 pounds of ripe tomatoes (I like to use the really red cherry tomatoes that come on a vine)
- 1 cucumber, peeled
- 1/2 bell pepper, any color
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 3/4 cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt

Just chop the tomatoes (don't have to do this if they are cherry), cucumber and pepper and blend in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, vinegar and 1/2 cup of water and mix until it becomes a lovely pink color. Add olive oil and salt and blend one more time. If you like your gazpacho very smooth, strain the mixture before pouring it into a pitcher or bowl. Let the soup cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. As a garnish, I like to toast french bread, tear it up and add it to my bowl. Enjoy!