Raspberry Shrub Syrup and Mocktail

(It's Fabulously Fermented Month!)

Hi friends, and welcome to new subscribers! I’m so glad you are here. Every Friday, you’ll receive bright and fresh California Cuisine recipes to inspire you, no matter where you live in the world.

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NYC Visit

I just spent a week in Manhattan with my mom, who is recovering from a recent surgery. We weren’t able to run around the city like we normally do, but the good news is she is doing well and getting better each day.

Lovely planter boxes, Dominque Ansel's pastry filled with mango passionfruit rice pudding (!), my mom's chopstick rest collection, and meeting up with Kerry in Midtown!

While in NYC, I had the pleasure of visiting with

Kerry Faber

of Dish Lister! We met up a few weeks ago when she was on the West Coast. So, we met up again, this time while I was on the East Coast! Have you subscribed to Kerry’s newsletter yet? She is a professional recipe tester and shares her kitchen wisdom along with excellent recipes. I made her addictingly good coconut almond chocolate chip cookies for my mom, one batch to eat and one to freeze, and mom loved them!

Podcast

Did you know I also have a podcast? In my latest episode,

Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack

of Muy Bueno and I chatted about preserving family recipes in this short clip:

We also talked about the rise of AI-created, untested recipes and how to spot them so you don’t waste time and money. Yvette recently wrote about authenticity in a recent post in her newsletter, From Cocina to Career. I recommend you give that a read!

Fermentation

We are knee-deep in fermented food and drink recipes this month, and it’s been fabulous! A few weeks ago, we talked about the basics of fermentation and beginner tips, so be sure to read that helpful information if you haven’t already.

If you’re a visual learner or just need a helping hand, consider attending my workshop:

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Live Workshop

Join me for a Kimchi Making Workshop! It will be LIVE on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 12 noon Pacific, 3 pm Eastern. If I’ve calculated correctly, that’s 8 pm GMT+1 for European peeps and 5 am Thursday, Aug 21 AEST for Australian friends.

We will be putting together a jar of traditional cabbage kimchi. The workshop is free and open to all, so feel free to share the link with anyone who might be interested.

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What are Shrubs?

The first time I heard about shrubs, also called drinking vinegars, I couldn’t help but think of Monty Python and the Holy Grail’s famous line, “Bring me a shrubbery. One that looks nice and not too expensive.” Has it really been 50 years since that movie was released? I digress.

Photo courtesy of Python (Monty) Pictures Ltd.

Shrubs, in this case, are not hedge plants but a combination of fruit, sugar, and vinegar. The fruit and sugar are allowed to ferment for a time, then vinegar is added. The syrup, equal parts sweet and tangy, is delicious when added to lemonade, sparkling water, or cocktails, hence the name, drinking vinegar.

What fruits can you use in a shrub? All kinds! Berry shrubs are popular, but stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, and cherries are also delicious. The very first shrub I had a few years ago was made with white peaches, and it was FAB.

Today’s recipes include a raspberry shrub syrup and a shrub mocktail. This one is just for paid subscribers. You can manage your subscription below.