restaurant week- friday

as our version of restaurant week rolls to an end, i sit here sipping on a yummy treat that gets your day running.  if you have ever found yourself wondering through the amazing hayes valley in san fran, you might have stumbled upon linden street where a little kiosk is parked in a garage.  this san fran spot, blue bottle coffee, has some of the most lip licking coffee and espresso drinks you will ever sip on.  on a hot day a couple years ago, I came upon this new orleans iced coffee.  it is a strong, sweet, wonderful libation.  the mix of coffee and chicory make for a tasty sipper.  blue bottle has now opened a wonderful cafe right in downtown sf where they have lots of tasty food as well.  you can shop online and order this coffee kit, as well as many of their great other blends.  the new orleans iced coffee kit comes with a pound of beans and a serving of french chicory along with the recipe for making it.  i cant tell you how highly i recommend this steeped treat.  

frozen

the few dwarf citrus trees we have in our backyard decided to all produce ripe fruit at the exact same time this year. fresh meyer lemons, mexican limes and pommelo with a little tangerine from farmer's market seems like the perfect way to bring a little summer sunshine onto your winter table for dessert. plus a granita is like eating flavored snow! use whatever citrus you have on hand and adjust the sugar depending on the sweetness of your juice.

Fresh Citrus Granita

4 cups water

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup meyer lemon juice

1/2 cup tangerine juice

1/4 cup pommelo juice

in a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil for 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. let cool completely and then stir in citrus juices. pour into a 9x9-inch pan and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. scrape with a fork to loosen and serve.

simple simple syrup

this mid-week drink is a twist on one of our old favorites, the greyhound proper. we've been experimenting with infusing lately, from cheap tequila to simple syrup. here's a cocktail we created to highlight our favorite infused simple syrup so far - rosemary!

the syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 2-inch sprigs rosemary

combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. remove the pan from the heat, cover and let steep 20 minutes. strain through a fine sieve and store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a month.

the drink

1 part gin (please use a decent gin, it does make a difference)

1 part rosemary simple syrup

2 parts fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

juice from 1/2 lime

place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake.  pour over ice in a highball glass and add a lime wedge for garnish.  add some salt to the rim of your glass if you so desire.