cordially yours

This new pomegranate theme was launched when a friend brought an amazing dip to our recession dinner. When’s the last time you said, that was an amazing dip? Well, this was one was, let me tell you.

It turns out the secret ingredient was pomegranate molasses. Which I hustled out and bought, and within a week had used most of the bottle, between this drink and these two bottles of cordial that Mike created for a sunny brunch party the other weekend.

Mike crafted this up, mad-bartender-professor style right before we left, so the recipe may be lost forever to that elusive creative muse who only visits when you’re running late. As best as I can recall, it involved the molasses, lots of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, zest, some fizzy water, and a small glug of St. Germain liquor. I love how it looked like some old-fashioned, murky tonic.

The hosts of the party made a delicious gluttony of a spread, covering all the sweet and savory bases, and we swilled some of this on their porch with champagne. It was one of those long, lovely gatherings that spilled over into the afternoon and no one really wanted to go home.

Bonus: I read here that you can make the molasses yourself by reducing pomegranate juice.