In this week’s episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter. Topics include delicious recipes, listening to the “modern reader” edition, was Nathaniel Hawthorne a woman in disguise?, Hawthorne’s hilarious disdain for Puritans, Arthur Dimmesdale (owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome) and his struggles, Pearl and her uncanny understanding of the world, and the only way this story could end. Plus, we talk Oscars.

This week’s drink: The Scarlet Letter via Charbay Distillery

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 ½ oz Charbay Pomegranate Vodka (or any pomegranate vodka)
•  ½ oz Cointreau
•  ¾ oz Red Wine Gastrique
•  ½ oz Lemon Juice
•  3 dashes Scrappy's Cardamon Bitters
•  Long Meadow Ranch Merlot Sea Salt (for rim)
•  1 Sprig Thyme

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients into a shaker and add ice.
2. Shake well and double strain into a cocktail glass, rimmed with the Merlot sea salt.
3. Garnish with the sprig of thyme.
4. To make the Red Wine Gastrique: Reduce by 1/3 a medium to heavy-bodied red wine. While still hot, stir in equal amounts of fine white sugar until dissolved. Add same amount of sherry wine vinegar so that the solution is 1:1:1 and mix. Let cool and keep in fridge.

Current/recommended reads, links, etc.:

The Saffron Tales: Recipes from the Persian Kitchen by Yasmin Khan

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Join us next time as we read The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell