Star Anise Syrup

My back was turned to the door when Finn came home. I heard him before I saw him. “Hey babe,” he said.

I began to shake. My hands trembled as I snapped my laptop shut. “Hi,” I said in no less than seven syllables, my voice weaving in and out.

“I got the Times,” he said, setting the thick paper on the countertop.

My heart sank. He was so nice. “Oh, that’s great,” I said with a smile.

“Did you eat?” he asked.

“I had a salad,” I said as I sank into one of the swivel stools. And in the same breath: “Can you hand me the tissues?” He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and brought over the box. I snatched three and started to sob.

—

After the worst of it was over, he grabbed my head with his big hands and pulled our foreheads together. I sniffled. I liked so much about him. So much about us was good. But, he agreed with our noses touching, it wasn’t right. We weren’t a perfect fit.

“I packed up most of my stuff; I’m sure you’ll find remnants of me for weeks.”

He clasped his hands together over his knees and lowered his head a little bit. When he brought it back up, he was almost laughing. “Baby, what am I going to do with all this food in my house? I have cupboards of star anise.”

It was true. I had stocked his kitchen with everything from blackstrap molasses to cubed lamb shoulder. The pantry was overflowing with small red potatoes, handfuls of shallots, stray cloves of garlic. Herbs sat poised in water glasses on the windowsills and the crisper was stuffed with radicchio, leeks and firm, plump pears. All this, for a man who doesn’t cook. I laughed a closed-mouth little laugh, with my lips stretched tight and the corners turning up. “I don’t know! I don’t know.”

 

Star Anise Simple Syrup

Use this potent syrup whenever you need to inject a little sweetness into your life.

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 points star anise
  • 1/2 stick cinnamon
  • 1 orange peel, cut into strips (sans the white pith.)

Bring the water and sugar to a slow boil along with the star anise, cinnamon and orange peel. Stir, letting the sugar dissolve.

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. The syrup will thicken. Strain the spices and orange out and discard. Store the liquid in an airtight container. Use to sweeten iced coffee, tea, cocktails or any other place sugar is needed.

Store in the refrigerator, next to the ginger syrup that’s been there since August.

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