We kept our family photo albums on a bookcase by the fireplace when I was growing up—red, green, and brown leather spines with gold trim. Above them was a loose stack of snapshots we loved even more: the outtakes. Long before digital cameras, those were the candid shots—double chins, crossed eyes, awkward limbs—that made us laugh. Some of my favorite memories are from those imperfect images, the ones that captured us laughing until we couldn’t breathe.
I thought about those photos today because I couldn’t get a single good image of this homemade grape soda. My camera roll is full of outtakes—blurry, crooked, and poorly styled shots. I did three photo shoots, and this is the only picture I felt was worth sharing.
But that’s okay. This blog shouldn’t be taken too seriously; it should be fun. The important thing is the flavor, and this homemade Concord grape soda is delicious. It tastes pure and clean—nothing like the overly sweet grape soda I drank as a kid. I brightened the syrup with lemon and orange zest and added a tiny pinch of salt to round the flavors.
I’m trying something new this week by posting my Drinks & Links on Saturday. Do people browse the internet on Saturdays? We’ll find out.
What are you up to this weekend? We’ve been taping The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (it’s on well past my bedtime), and I’m excited to catch up. On Sunday night we’re having a Rosh Hashanah dinner at my partner’s parents’ house. I’m planning to make my favorite challah and a pear tart with honey. If the tart turns out, I’ll share the recipe next week.
Here are a few links and items I enjoyed recently—light reading for the weekend:
I work from home one day a week, and my sister-in-law is fully remote, so we loved the feature on life as a robot for telecommuting.
Oliver Sacks writing about death and gefilte fish is beautiful and moving.
Did you see Ellen and Jimmy Fallon’s lip-sync battle? Ellen absolutely owns it.
Fanny packs are back—I’m into the bedazzled ASOS version for fall.
I can’t stop thinking about Earl Grey honey milkshakes; they sound dreamy.
For Rosh Hashanah, there are lots of apple-and-honey recipes; a tahini coffee cake caught my eye.
An interview with Nancy Meyers felt inspiring and thoughtful.
There’s a charming piece about dining out in Brooklyn that’s funny and oddly accurate.
Classic movie bedrooms are endlessly inspiring for home decor ideas.
I’ve never been to Burning Man, but the photo diaries are stunning and very tempting.
I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend. I have three recipes lined up for next week—hope to see you then.
Concord Grape Soda
Ingredients
-
1
bunch concord grapes
about 1 1/2 pounds -
3/4
cup
granulated sugar -
3/4
cup
water -
2
strips lemon zest -
1
strip orange zest - Tiny pinch of kosher salt
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Ice
- Club soda or seltzer
Instructions
-
Combine the grapes, sugar, water, lemon zest, orange zest, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to mash the grapes against the side of the pan and cook until they are completely soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, transfer to a container, and chill.
-
To serve, pour 1/4 cup of the chilled syrup into a glass filled with ice and top with club soda or seltzer. Adjust syrup to taste.
-
Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Fresh grape soda. The perfect fall beverage! Find the recipe at turniptheoven.com