Roasted Peaches in Bourbon Syrup with Smoked Salt

Name: Roasted Peaches in Bourbon Syrup with Smoked Salt
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 4 large, barely ripe peaches; 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar; 1 cinnamon stick, broken into 3 pieces; 1/4 cup bourbon; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, or caramel ice cream, for serving (optional); 4 two-finger pinches Maine apple smoked salt

December 14, 2011

They say we use only 10 percent of our brains. That assessment is immensely appealing. We are all potential supergeniuses with telekinetic and mind-reading powers, and could easily enjoy Heidegger or Joyce for light reading over coffee and donuts in the morning . . . if we only tried. But there is an easier way to experience the unbridled horsepower of our full consciousness: try roasted peaches in bourbon syrup with smoked salt. Your first bite will expand the boundaries of sensation separating your mouth from the rest of your body, and you’ll be feeling spiciness in the warmth of your hands and smokiness in the tingling of your toes. And by the third bite your mind will have moved on to peel the black backing off the edge of the universe, filling the unending space beyond with your pounding heart.

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