Season three is proving to be much more ripe with food than any other season. Here’s another one from the HBO show:

See that pitcher on the bottom right? The one with what could only be lemonsweet with strawberries in it? That’s the special at the Inn this week.

Strawberry Lemonsweet

Now, I’ll admit that when I’m watching the show, I obsessively look at the dishware, glassware, and plates of food. When I saw this, I had to try it! I’ve used an adapted lemonsweet recipe from the cookbook for this, and the result is a perfect beverage to see you through spring and into the long days of summer. It’s sweet, with a citrus punch, but also with wonderful subtle flavors imparted by the herbs and strawberries. The longer it sits to infuse, the pinker and more flavorful it will get!

Strawberry Lemonsweet Recipe

Ingredients:

1 orange
4 lemons
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 Tbs. bruised thyme, rosemary, or mint, to taste
4 cups water
1 pint strawberries, stemmed and sliced

Zest half an orange and half a lemon. Juice all the fruits, and add the juice, zest, sugar, herbs, and water. Whisk or pour into a bottle and shake to mix. Strain into a serving pitcher, add the strawberries. The berries will gradually add color and flavor to the rest of the beverage, making it even more delicious! Garnish each glass with an extra slice or two of strawberry, and a small sprig of herb.

Modern Sekanjabin Varietal | Inn at the Crossroads

Sekanjabin – medieval Persian gatorade

This is a great historic Persian treat, that is, in a way, like medieval gatorade.

The base recipe is sugar and vinegar, but the possibilities for added flavors and ingredients are as limitless as your imagination. I’ve included both a basic, traditional recipe, and one of my favorite new versions- strawberry, ginger, mint. The traditional version is nearly clear, and subtly flavored, so if you’re worried about drinking vinegar, don’t be. Sweet from the sugar, it also has a slight acidic tang from the vinegar, but it also has a refreshing fruity flavor. The modern version is wonderfully flavorful. I enjoyed it both hot and cold, as well as a dash of sweetener in green tea.

It would be perfect for the hotter climates, such as a blood orange version in Dorne, or exotic fruit varietals in the Free Cities. Imagine enjoying a large glass of this, cooled with a chip of ice, in the water gardens of Sunspear, or atop the tiered pyramids of Meereen. And because it is concentrated, it would also travel well, making it ideal for dusty travel over dunes for the Martell Sandsnakes.

Other regional varieties could also exist, in Westeros as it did in our world. The ancient Greeks made Oxymel, which is similar to this drink: 4-5 parts honey to one part vinegar. Even the Anglo-Saxons had a version with honey! With some apple cider vinegar, wildflower honey, cinnamon, and vanilla, I think one could go far. :)

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