Laskey Lemon Soda with Bay Ice Cubes

Preparation To make the lemon soda concentrate, combine the zest and sugar in a mortar and crush with a pestle until fragrant, moist, and tinted yellow. Transfer the mixture to a small pitcher or lidded container and pour in the lemon juice and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate, agitating the mixture from time to time, until cold and infused with lemon flavor, about 2 hours. To make the ice cubes, combine the water, sugar, and bay leaves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Boil for 1 minute, remove from the heat, and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain the infused water through a fine-mesh sieve set over a liquid measuring cup. Pour into ice cube molds, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. To serve, place 3 to 5 ice cubes in each of eight 8-ounce drinking glasses, and then add 3 tablespoons (or more, to taste) of lemon concentrate per drink. Pour in 1/2 cup (4.3 oz / 120 g) of the sparkling water per serving and stir gently. Serve immediately. Do Ahead: The ice cubes can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. The soda concentrate can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Above and Beyond: At the museum, we use small half-sphere silicone molds to make flavored ice cubes, but any ice cube tray will work. Keep in mind, though, the smaller the cubes, the quicker they'll melt, and the sooner the flavors will merge in the drink. A small piece of bay leaf can be added to the cube for additional flavor and a pretty pop of color. Scented textile threads might be impossible to make at home, but my friend Daniel Patterson, chef-owner of Coi restaurant in San Francisco, came up with a great way of incorporating aromas while eating or drinking. Just dab a drop of lemon and bay essential oil (see Resources) on your wrist, and when you bring the glass to your mouth, you'll take in the fragrance. Resources: Essential oils: libertynatural.com Half sphere 0.7 ounce, 12/3-inch diameter flexipan: jbprince.com Reprinted with permission from The New Persian Kitchen by Caitlin Freeman. Copyright © 2013 by Caitlin Freeman; photographs copyright © 2013 by Clay McLachlan. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher A self-taught baker and longtime owner of the San Francisco cake and sweets shop, Miette, Caitlin Freeman was inspired to bake by the confectionary painter Wayne Thiebaud. After selling Miette in 2008, she started the pastry program at Blue Bottle Coffee Co. and coauthored The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee. Her artistic creations for the Blue Bottle Café at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art have been featured in the New York Times, Design Sponge, Elle Decor, San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, and more. She lives in San Francisco, California.

Preparation To make the lemon soda concentrate, combine the zest and sugar in a mortar and crush with a pestle until fragrant, moist, and tinted yellow. Transfer the mixture to a small pitcher or lidded container and pour in the lemon juice and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate, agitating the mixture from time to time, until cold and infused with lemon flavor, about 2 hours. To make the ice cubes, combine the water, sugar, and bay leaves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Boil for 1 minute, remove from the heat, and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain the infused water through a fine-mesh sieve set over a liquid measuring cup. Pour into ice cube molds, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. To serve, place 3 to 5 ice cubes in each of eight 8-ounce drinking glasses, and then add 3 tablespoons (or more, to taste) of lemon concentrate per drink. Pour in 1/2 cup (4.3 oz / 120 g) of the sparkling water per serving and stir gently. Serve immediately. Do Ahead: The ice cubes can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. The soda concentrate can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Above and Beyond: At the museum, we use small half-sphere silicone molds to make flavored ice cubes, but any ice cube tray will work. Keep in mind, though, the smaller the cubes, the quicker they'll melt, and the sooner the flavors will merge in the drink. A small piece of bay leaf can be added to the cube for additional flavor and a pretty pop of color. Scented textile threads might be impossible to make at home, but my friend Daniel Patterson, chef-owner of Coi restaurant in San Francisco, came up with a great way of incorporating aromas while eating or drinking. Just dab a drop of lemon and bay essential oil (see Resources) on your wrist, and when you bring the glass to your mouth, you'll take in the fragrance. Resources: Essential oils: libertynatural.com Half sphere 0.7 ounce, 12/3-inch diameter flexipan: jbprince.com Reprinted with permission from The New Persian Kitchen by Caitlin Freeman. Copyright © 2013 by Caitlin Freeman; photographs copyright © 2013 by Clay McLachlan. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher A self-taught baker and longtime owner of the San Francisco cake and sweets shop, Miette, Caitlin Freeman was inspired to bake by the confectionary painter Wayne Thiebaud. After selling Miette in 2008, she started the pastry program at Blue Bottle Coffee Co. and coauthored The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee. Her artistic creations for the Blue Bottle Café at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art have been featured in the New York Times, Design Sponge, Elle Decor, San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, and more. She lives in San Francisco, California.