It’s No Seeni Sambol

Tonight’s dinner featured Kevin making me a burger with melted cheddar, tomato; I added Divina’s caramelized onion jam, which I’ve been wanting to try. It was pleasant, though the jam is quite mild and sweet.

It’s no seeni sambol, is what I’m saying. 🙂 But still nice. I’m kind of wondering if I could turn it into a mock seeni sambol, if I turned it out into a pan, added appropriate spices and cooked it for a bit. Hmm….

I think it’d be good on a cheddar & tomato grilled sandwich too, for a vegetarian version.

Muscari Moon-Grape Cocktail

Grape hyacinths buds and blooms (not the stems / leaves) are edible — standard hyacinths are not. They have a very light flavor, but the real fun is in the color — purple on its own, but with the addition of lemon juice, a delightful pink.

1 to 2 oz. Hendrick’s Lunar Gin
1/2 oz. muscari (grape hyacinth) simple syrup
1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
ice

1. To make simple syrup, gather 1/3 c. muscari buds and blooms (do not use stems or leaves), combine with 2/3 c. sugar and 2/3 c. water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, simmer ten minutes, strain and compost buds and blooms.

2. Add ice to a cocktail glass, then add gin, muscari syrup, and lemon juice — stir gently and enjoy the color change, from pale purple to cool pink.

3. Garnish with slice of lemon wheel and/or muscari flower and serve.

NOTE: For a non-alcoholic version, try substituting Seedlip Garden 108 for the gin — the resulting mocktail has an interestingly vegetal note, somewhat like cucumber.