Watermelon Granita
Makes about a half gallon
6 cups watermelon pulp
1/2 cup water
About 1/2 cup thistle or clover honey
About 1/2 cup sugar
The juice of 1/2 lemon (approx 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup dry champagne, chilled
A dash of salt
Note: Start this delicious frozen treat the day before you plan to serve it, ideally in the afternoon. Then attend to the scraping and refreezing as needed, and add the champagne before going to bed.
Pulp cubed melon in blender or food processor, then pass pulp through coarse sieve to remove seeds. Heat water almost to boiling, then disolve honey and sugar in it. Add lemon juice and salt to the hot sugar-water and set aside to cool slightly. Pour melon juice into a large, shallow metal cake pan or roasting pan (the disposable aluminum ones work fine). Mix in sugar-water. Taste for desired sweetness, as this will vary according to the melon and the strength and taste of the honey; the unfrozen mixture should be slightly sweeter than you want it to be when finished. Add more sugar or melon pulp to adjust to taste. Cover mixture with aluminum foil and place pan in the coldest part of your freezer. After several of hours, check to make sure it’s freezing around the edges; break up any chunks with a large metal fork, scraping semi-solid portions towards the middle. Check and scrape again in a few hours, making sure the texture is grainy, yet fluffy and light. Scrape again in a few hours and quickly stir in the champagne, blending thoroughly. Let freeze again for another couple of hours, then scrape out into a large plastic container with a tight lid, packing lightly, and let temper in the freezer before serving. Serve in chilled, heavy glasses or dishes, garnished with sliced starfruit, shredded crystalized ginger, or a few choice blueberries. This can be stored for a month or so in the frezer, and keeps best in small containers. LDB
Lady Sovereign
“Those Were the Days” (acoustic version), from Those Were the Days ep (Universal, 2007)
[Music listing for Saturday, July 7]
Morrissey
“The Last of the Famous International Playboys,” from World of Morrissey (Sire, 1994)
[Music listing for Friday, July 6]
Sunny Day in Glasgow
“A Mundane Phone Call to Jack Parsons,” from Scribble Mural Comic Journal (Notenuf, 2007)
[Music listing for Friday, July 6]
The Books
“That Right Ain’t S**t,” from The Lemon of Pink (Tomlab, 2006)
[Music listing for Saturday, July 7]
Akon
“Don’t Matter,” from Konvicted (Universal, 2006)
[Music listing for Sunday, July 8]
Annie Ross
“Manhattan,” from Skylark (DRG, 1996)
[Music listing for Tuesday, July 10]
Little Richard
“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” from Rhino Hi-Five: Little Richard (Rhino, 2007)
[Music listing for Monday, July 9]
Crooked Still
“Wind and Rain,” from Shaken by a Low Sound (Signature Sounds, 2006)
[Music listing for Wednesday, July 4]
Cinematic Orchestra
“That Home,” from Ma Fleur (Domino, 2007)
[Music listing for Saturday, July 7]
Under Byen
“Palads,” from Samme Stof Som Stof (Paper Bag, 2006)
[Music listing for Monday, July 9]
Shearwater
“Seventy-four, Seventy-five,” from Palo Santo (Matador, 2007)
[Music listing for Thursday, July 5]