hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.

added over 2 years ago

I've not seen it. You could probably substitute celery leaves, though you may need to use more than recipe calls for.

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thirschfeld added over 2 years ago

Celery is not the same. I have. Never seen it in the store. If you were my neighbor I would say come pick some. It is still growing in my kitchen garden.

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Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.

added over 2 years ago

thanks, all.

thirschfeld, do you use it a lot?

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While working at a historical village, we grew lovage in the garden at the Inn and often used it in soups and savory dishes. It is very much like celery and I loved it. I think using it in a cocktail is very intriguing!

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vvvanessa added over 2 years ago

i think of it as a spring/summer herb, so i don't know how easy it would be to find it right now. and, as the former bartender of the restaurant where this cocktail comes from, i can tell you it goes down really easy. looking at the recipe the times gives, though, i'd show a little more restraint with the syrup in the cocktail, or else it will be too sweet. use the syrup with fresh lime juice and soda water to make a fantastic soda, too.

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Queen of Spoons added over 2 years ago

Not the same as lovage (or celery), but fresh marjoram seems like it would be a great note for a similar cocktail.

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thirschfeld added over 2 years ago

I like having it around but I do not use it a lot. It is a perrinail and very hardy. I use it in stocks, make a cream cheese spread with it, it is good in soups. It is sort of like marjoram, a little goes a long way. But since it cost $1.99 for the start and I have had it going on 10 years it is worth planting if you have the space.

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You might try calling any herb farm places in your area. My local has a display garden with lovage in it. If you haven't had a killing frost yet, any outdoor plants might still be harvestable. And, since you're making a syrup, you might be able to use stalks and leaves if you can't get enough leaves. You could sub celery (chinese celery if you can get it), a strip of orange peel and maybe a few crushed coriander seeds.

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pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.

added over 2 years ago

Per Thirschfield's advice, it is a perennial and most likely you will have to grow it yourself as it's kind of "tree-like". Your odds of finding it commercially are pretty slim. Although you might try Union Square green market.

Another great herb you won't find in markets is lemon verbena. Kind of a southern thing. Good in cocktails but one of my author/editor friends uses it in this fantastic recipe for peaches.

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I love using lovage in soups and stews , such a delicious flavor, especially combined with bors, which is a sour water, made from fermented wheat bran ... wish I could find bors in California, but had to bring some dry version from Europe, but is not the same :( ; the result is a delicious !

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