Take Me To Your Liter

What lives rent-free in my brain? Many, many things; my neurons do not enjoy letting go of things. Today I'm going to talk about a recipe that's probably one of my most-used, and is also one of my most annoying.

It's a recipe for lemonade. What's most interesting about this recipe is that it calls for mixing one cup of simple syrup, one cup of lemon juice, and one liter of water (plain or carbonated).

Yes, the recipe notes you can use either a liter or quart of water, and – for the ratios we're talking here – no one is going to notice the difference. I also know that water (especially carbonated) is often sold in one- or two-liter bottles. But still! This recipe mixes two different measurements! Thus, for years, "1 cup syrup/1 cup lemon juice/1 liter water" has rattled around my skull . . . and now it may rattle around yours.

-- Steven Marsh