Lemonade

Boil a small pot of water, turn off the heat, and dissolve as much white sugar in it as you can. If you don't end up using all the water, save it for the next batch of lemonade. It stays well in the fridge for a few days, but not much longer. It's pretty much a petri dish.

Cut eight to ten large lemons and squeeze the juice in a pitcher. Pour two large glasses of the sugar water in it, fill the pitcher with icewater. The balance between sweet and sour is up to you. Err on the side of sour: this is meant to be a fairly tart lemonade.

Rinse two twigs of fresh mint and stick them in the pitcher in their entirety. Cut the leaves of a third twig of mint in small pieces and add them. (They will end up being poured in glasses; chew on them while drinking the lemonade.)

Add rosewater or rosehips to taste. There needs to be a subtle hint of roses, but it shouldn't dominate. (You can purchase rosewater at King Arthur Baking.)

Add a knifetip of ground ginger. Bonus points for grated fresh ginger.

Serve in North African tea glasses.

This recipe is inspired (but not nearly as good as) the lemonade served at Baraka Café, in Cambridge, MA.