Sheet pan cooking: Gochujang Chicken, Za’atar Chicken, Roast Rhubarb Chicken

Three Seasonal Recipes of the Summer
Hello there! I'm not sure there is still anyone checking this, as I have been so negligent. But I am still cooking and making discoveries every day and I want to share them with you. Unfortunately, my busy schedule and my poor work habits have stopped me from updating since Thanksgiving, which is just wrong!

As some of you know, I have been a private chef to a great family with very specific dietary needs for the past two years and I have learned so much about alternative ingredients in cooking and baking. I love a challenge! So here are three recipes which started as recipes from the New York Times recipe website which I have modified and—I think—improved. I love the idea of throwing everything on a sheet pan, popping it into a hot oven, and—like magic—dinner is ready!

Great in theory, but the reality is different ingredients take different amounts of time. So you're better off staggering when you add each ingredient and have them all finish at the same time. That being said, once you have a good understanding of how things cook, you can get really creative. (BTW, I could not find my photos of these dishes so you get a pic of this weird tattooed bunny mannequin instead. I am full of sheet!)

Gochujang chicken

Ingredients
4 tablespoons gochujang (spicy Korean chili paste)
3 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 one-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
4 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed or canola, plus more for drizzling
2 pounds squash, such as butternut, acorn, or delicata, unpeeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 5 loose cups)
1 pound turnips, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 1/2 loose cups)
10 scallions, ends trimmed, green and white parts separated, but not chopped
Kosher salt
2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 bunch radishes (about 10 ounces), trimmed
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional)

Procedure
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the gochujang, soy sauce, ginger and 3 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl or resealable bag. Add the squash, turnips and scallion whites, toss to coat with glaze, or seal bag and shake to coat. Lightly season with salt and transfer to an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Season the chicken with salt and toss to coat in whatever is left of the glaze in the bowl or bag. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side up on another baking sheet. In the original recipe it was all on one sheet but I found the vegetables got soggy, followed by mushy, so I separated it.

Roast until vegetables are tender, chicken is cooked through and the skin crispy and browned in spots, about 40 minutes. Check your chicken and make sure it is done. Skin should get crispy and dark.

While the chicken cooks, thinly slice the scallion greens. Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, cut the radishes into thin rounds. In a small bowl, toss the sliced scallion greens and radishes with the rice vinegar and sesame oil, if using. Season to taste with salt and set aside to lightly pickle.

Top the roast chicken and vegetables with the quick-pickled scallion-radish mix and transfer to serving plates. Serve with steamed rice, if desired.

Za’atar chicken

Ingredients 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, pressed, or minced
2 lemons, zested
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more sprigs for garnish
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons za’atar, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or marjoram, plus more sprigs for garnish
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 pound tiny potatoes cut in half

Procedure In a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, 1/3 cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za’atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Overnight is way better.

When ready to cook, heat your oven to 425. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, put on oiled sheet pan, along with the potatoes which have a drizzle of olive oil and salt on them. Cook for should take 25-30 minutes. Make sure to mix it a little and check that the potatoes are tender.

While the chicken is cooking, place remaining 2/3 cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use). To serve, place chicken and potatoes on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce.

Rhubarb Roasted chicken

Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
5 thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
8 ounces rhubarb stalks, sliced into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
3 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
1/2 cup cilantro or mint leaves and tender stems

Procedure
Heat oven to 425 degrees and line sheet pan with parchment paper. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with coriander, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Place onion wedges on the prepared sheet pan and lightly season with more salt and pepper. Add chicken and thyme sprigs to the pan and drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over everything. Toss until well coated, then spread chicken and onions in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is in the oven, combine rhubarb and 3 tablespoons honey in a medium bowl. Lightly drizzle with oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss until rhubarb is well coated.

Remove chicken from oven and carefully spoon rhubarb onto the hot pan around the onions and chicken. Continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through, and the rhubarb and onion are tender and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes longer, tossing the rhubarb and onions (not the chicken) once about halfway through.

Stir the rhubarb and onions very well, making sure to incorporate all the browned bits and chicken juices from the bottom of the pan (this is the tastiest part). Then sample a piece of rhubarb. If it’s very tart, drizzle with a little more honey, tossing well. Serve chicken with rhubarb-onion mixture garnished with herbs.

Cocktails, Schmocktails! Cucumber-Lime-Mint Elixir and Tarragon-Meyer Lemon Syrup

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Lately, I find more people are looking for non-alcoholic options at cocktail hour. There are many options out there which include alcohol-free spirits as well as vegetable and fruit mixers. Most of them are simply awful, so I started making my own. I work with a client who has to monitor her glucose intake, so most fruit concoctions are out. Which leaves delicious vegetables and citrus! I have 2 recipes to share which are great mixed with tonic, ginger ale, or plain old seltzer. And if you aren't avoiding booze, I suggest hitting them with vodka, tequila, or gin.

  

Cucumber-Lime-Mint Elixir

Ingredients
2 3-inch pieces lemongrass, crushed with a hammer or meat pounder (or a squeeze of lemongrass paste)
2 large English cucumbers, rinsed
2 large bunches mint, leaves only
2 whole limes, rinsed
7-10 large basil leaves
2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute like Swerve)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Procedure
Cut up cucumber and limes (skin and all) and throw into blender along with everything else. Purée till smooth and then strain. Mix with ginger ale, tonic or lemon lime mixer over ice.

Tarragon-Meyer Lemon Syrup

Ingredients
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
1 small bunch tarragon, plus some for garnish
1 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 cup sparkling or still water, divided

Procedure
Combine the sugar, water, vanilla, honey, and thyme into a pot and stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Strain to remove tarragon and allow to cool. Stir in lemon juice. Pour the syrup and lemon mixture into a glass with ice and top with 1/4 cup soda water. Garnish with a sprig of tarragon.

What's your favorite mocktal?

Meyer Lemon and Honey Jam — and the end of the world as we know it

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Greetings my fellow shut-ins! Wow, how life has changed since I wrote this post! I forgot about it, ate the jam already, and then just now I was going to write an inspirational post and this popped up in my drafts column. So I will post this now, and I will keep working on my next post which will be full of great ideas for bored, stressed people (my people!), fun DIY projects, and bad humor. Something to look forward to … in the meantime, wash your hands!

And now let's pretend life is normal.

It's Meyer lemon time! They just showed up in my regular old supermarket, so I figured I better get some and do something cool with them. Found this recipe for jam which is made with the whole lemon, pith and all (which sounded good to me). Then I added some great honey and a pinch of salt and ba-da-bing — a condiment with so many possibilities! From glazing grilled chicken, to a fantastic burst of flavor in my vinaigrette, it's even delicious in yogurt and blueberries — give it try!



Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Meyer lemons
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups honey

Procedure
Wash the lemons and place them in a saucepan that can hold them in a single layer. Cover lemons with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the lemons for 25 minutes, until the skins are tender but still hold together. Remove the pot from the heat and let the lemons cool completely in the cooking water.

Place the whole lemons in a blender and add two cups of the cooking water. Blend at low speed to break up the lemons. Take care not to purée them entirely smooth.

Pour the lemon mix into a low, wide pan and add two cups of honey and bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to medium-high. Cook, stirring regularly, until the jam thickens and sheets off the back of your spoon or spatula. You can tell it's nearly done when it hisses and spits when you stir. My batch took about 15 minutes, but times will vary.

When jam is finished cooking, remove pot from heat. Put jam into prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for ten minutes. When time is up, remove jars from canner and let them cool.

Lemon Cake — a blast from my past!

When I was young and had lots of free time, I developed my love of baking and cooking by working with my father in the kitchen. He was an amazing and intuitive cook and could remember flavors like some people remember places. But he did not like the feel of flour and never really got into baking — just eating — so that's when I started doing my own research and development. Clipping recipes from the NY Times, buying cookbooks and just making stuff up. This is also when I started my yearly tradition of making a small gift cookbook for my friends. I did it for many years, some years producing over 70 copies. This was when I was at the mercy of Kinkos! Oh the hours spent waiting and collating. Unfortunately, my busy schedule has prevented me from making these gift books in the past few years, but who knows? maybe this year I will get back to business.

This recipe for a simple — and rather delicious — lemon cake is from my first cookbook home-published in 1975 called Stacy's Occasional Eats which had 10 recipes typed by my mother Bernice and a silk screened cover. I think you can never go wrong with a lemon cake and everything you need to make it is probably in your kitchen right now! So give it a go, and remember the lemon can be exchanged for lime or orange or tangerine with delicious results!

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Procedure
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. In separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately to sugar butter mixture with milk beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down sides of bowl throughout the mixing process. Pour into loaf pan and smooth out top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean and top is golden brown.

While cake rests, in small saucepan combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the lemon juice and cook till sugar dissolves. Poke a number of toothpick holes in the cake and pour mixture slowly on top of the cake till it all soaks in. Let it cool completely in pan, then remove.

That's it, super easy. Whipped cream doesn't hurt!

Adventures in Molecular Gastronomy, Part 1

What is Molecular Gastronomy? It's a culinary trend that started around 1992 — a style of food preparation that blends physics and chemistry to transform the tastes and textures of food. It borrows tools from the science lab and ingredients from the food industry to make foods we think we know behave in a totally different way. Two of the big superstars in this weird world are Wylie Dufresne, who runs a trendy East Village establishment called WD-50 (which will soon be closing due to real estate issues), and Ferran Adrià, chef at Spain's now-closed 3-Michelin star elBulli which was voted the best restaurant on the planet a few times. Some of the things you can do with this technology are make liquids into foam, gel, pearls, or crusty bits. Some people find this amazing, I always found it kind of disgusting. Flavored saliva has never been a goal of mine.

So with this totally biased outlook, I never really explored this technique, but was secretly curious how it worked (I like to know how everything works). And then, much like other trends, it passed from the realm of ultra-haute cuisine into the realm of DIY, so I figured now was my time to try it out. In stepped Uncommon Goods, an online catalog full of all kinds of cool stuff from earrings to housewares, and they sent me a molecular gastronomy starter kit to review.

For those who don't want to read the whole thing, here's the TL;DR version: It's cooler and more fun than I expected. But I need to try some things again, because, apparently, I'm incapable of reading all the instructions first. I'll post a follow-up review next week.

So, the well-designed and beautifully packaged kit costs $65.00 and comes with everything including sachets of chemicals, a DVD, a beautiful recipe book (there's a $49 version that comes without the book) and even some cool tools (which I did not open because I did not recognize them until half way through my tests). There is enough stuff to do lots of different experiments so I will continue my tests and will post again when I make something actually edible with my bits. In the meantime, here are the results of my first 3 tests.

All recipes are from the pamphlet that comes with the kit. A note about that little booklet – I started at the beginning and started making the first recipe, which was confusing, but I forged ahead anyway. It wasn’t until later that I realized that along further in the pamphlet were more explicit instructions, including troubleshooting tips and technical points. I should have read the whole thing first!

Reverse Spherification - Yogurt Ravioles

Ingredients
2 cups water
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup 2% plain yogurt
Sodium Alginate 2 grams (1 sachet provided)
Calcium Lactate 2.5ml (1 sachet provided)

Procedure
In a flat-bottomed bowl, dissolve the Sodium Alginate in 2 cups of water using a hand held burr mixer. Set aside for 15 minutes. Dissolve Calcium Lactate in milk and yogurt using a spoon. Fill one measuring spoon with the mixture and drip it into the sodium alginate bath. Stir the spheres for 3 minutes to allow the membrane to form. Using a slotted spoon, remove the Ravioles and put into a bath of water to rinse.

My problems
I apparently do not follow instructions well. I used low-fat yogurt and fat-free milk, I think this was why things were so wobbly and gooey. I also could not figure out how to get a smooth, round ball. It wasn't until I realized there were tools provided in the larger box which would make this job easier. Needless to say, I will redo this test and repost results later. The other problem is the instructions say do not let them touch while you are stirring them, does this mean you need to make one at a time? I did however make a cool-looking Michelin man out of yogurt!


   

Emulsification - Lemon Cloud

Ingredients
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup lemon juice
2 g Soy Lecithin (1 sachet provided)

Procedure
Combine Soy Lecithin, lemon juice, and water and, using a hand blender, whip it up to produce foam.

My problems
I did not get much foam. Then I read the technique notes which said the best way to use the hand mixer is in a flat-bottomed bowl with the hand blender at a tilt with it partially submerged. Okay, but what do you do with the foam?


 

Gelification - Balsamic Vinegar Pearls

Ingredients
4 cups cold vegetable oil
3/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 g Agar Agar (1 sachet provided)

Procedure
Place the oil in a tall glass and put into freezer for at least 30 minutes. Combine Agar Agar and Balsamic vinegar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove oil from freezer. Using the pipette provided, pick up some balsamic mixture and drop it into the oil. Pearls will form and drop to the bottom. When you are done, strain out pearls and put into a bowl of water to rinse. You can reuse the oil. The pearls look just like caviar!

My problems
Whoops, I had none! This recipe was by far the winner! These are cool and delicious and would be great in a salad, on a piece of fish, or with some cheese, or a beautiful garnish on an hors d'oeuvre.

  

In conclusion, I had fun with this kit. It’s always good to learn something new. I plan to doing more experimentation and will start to find recipes (using the big book provided) that hopefully create products that are tasty, not just strange, and will post again next week.

Thanks again to Uncommon Goods! Check out these links for these cool wine glasses and wine-related gifts!

Lemon Cream Icebox Cake

The Altitude Adjustment Section
No-bake dessert recipes are great for hot summer days. I usually go with the classic Nabisco famous chocolate wafers and whipped cream, but this recipe I found on the Kitchn website uses graham crackers, and lemon cream — what a great idea!

Ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large lemons, zested and juiced
25 to 30 graham crackers, from about 4 sleeves
1 cup Lemon Curd (store-bought or homemade)slightly warmed, divided

Procedure
In the bowl of a stand mixer whip the butter until very soft. Gradually whip in the cream. When it has been smoothly combined with the butter, add the sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Whip until the cream forms firm peaks, then slowly beat in the lemon juice. Continue beating until completely combined. The cream should still hold soft peaks. Smear a small spoonful of the lemon cream in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay down a layer of graham crackers and spoon 3/4 to 1 cup of the whipped cream over the top. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the lemon curd. Repeat three more times, finishing with a top layer of whipped cream. (You will have four layers of graham crackers, and four layers of whipped cream.) Drizzle the final 1/4 cup lemon curd over the top of the cake in three straight lines, then draw a knife through these lines perpendicularly, creating a streaked checkerboard pattern. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours, until the crackers have softened to a cake-like texture (test this by inserting a thin knife along the side and bringing up a few crumbs). This can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time, but it is best consumed within a day or two, as it will get soggy if it sits too long. Serve with fresh berries, yum!

Leek, Lemon, and Feta Quiche

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Have you heard that Quiche is making a comeback? What's next, cupcakes? Ha ha, anyway I love this combo of flavors and it has a cheater's crust: commercial puff pastry. Obviously, you can use a traditional rolled-out pastry crust or even a nut crust.

Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 pound leeks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup half-and-half
3 eggs
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Ouzo
2-1/2 ounces feta cheese, cut into 4 (approx 1/2-inch) slices

Procedure
Preheat oven to 375F. Thaw puff pastry according to package directions. Rinse off any visible dirt from the leeks and slice the roots from the end. Remove the dark green tops, leaving a couple inches of light green with the white portion of the leeks. Halve the leeks lengthwise, then cut crosswise in 1/2-inch slices. Dump the slices in a colander or salad spinner and rinse thoroughly. Let the leeks drain well, or spin dry. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the leeks and cook until they are wilted; don’t cook them so much that they give off liquid. Turn off the heat and let sit. In a mixing bowl using a whisk or fork, beat together the half-and-half, eggs, lemon zest, salt and pepper and add the Ouzo. Prepare the pastry crusts. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Line a shallow pie plate with the pastry. Press the pastry up the sides to make a nice edge. Fill the quiche. Distribute the leeks evenly across the bottom of the dish. Pour the milk mixture over the leeks. Top the quiche with the crumbled feta. Bake 30-40 minutes. The center should be solid and the crust and top nicely browned. Let the quiche cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Quiches taste great hot, room temperature, even cold.

Stuffed Lemons in the Oven

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I love when I discover a recipe with a procedure that never occurred to me. It opens up all sorts of new possibilities. This is such a recipe which I found online.

Ingredients
2 lemons
2 balls buffalo mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
4 anchovy filets
4 fresh basil leaves
2 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Procedure
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the ends of the lemons & discard them (don’t cut in too far — you want to keep a closed bottom). Then cut the lemons in half crosswise, giving you little lemon bowls. Using a small knife, remove the lemon flesh, leaving you with 4 hollow lemon rind bowls. (Again, you don’t want to break-into the rind.) Cut a piece of mozzarella to fit inside, then lay a basil leaf, half an anchovy fillet and half a cherry tomato on top with a pinch of salt & pepper and a little drizzle of good olive oil. Put another slice of mozzarella on top — the lemon should now be filled up. Do the same to the rest of the lemon bowls. Place on a baking sheet & cook in a preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden & bubbling. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. To eat: scoop the mozzarella out and eat with the bread to soak up any juices! I was thinking this would be delicious with gorgonzola and caramelized apple slices or how about Robiola and a little fennel, need I go on?

Lemon Verbena

Excellent Ingredient of the Week
Lemon verbena is a really special flowering perennial herb in season right now. It has a strong lemon flavor, but that doesn't quite cut it as a description. Lemon verbena's flavor is also rounded out by the lack of acidity that comes with lemons, and a distinctly herbal green flavor that comes from the leaves, similar to lemon basil. It's a great addition to the garden.

The oil from lemon verbena have moderate antioxidant and antibacterial properties — you'll often see lemon verbena as a scent ingredient in soaps and perfumes. It also makes a delicious tea when brewed on its own or in a mixture with other herbs. Lemon verbena is an ideal choice for simple syrups you can drizzle over fruit, mix into whipped cream or add to cocktails. A great way to enjoy the flavor is a refreshing herbal & floral ice cream.

5 ways to use fresh lemon verbena:

• Infuse lemon verbena flavor into oil for use in your favorite recipes
• Use your favorite white wine vinegar to extract the flavor of lemon verbena into a flavored vinegar
• Blend lemon verbena leaves into a zingy pesto for dressing grilled vegetables or chicken
• Add the brightness of chiffonaded lemon verbena to an aioli dressing that goes well with greens or over fish
• Use lemon verbena as a flavor agent when brining meats or poultry before cooking

Lemon Custards with Lemon Verbena

Ingredients
1 cup water
14 2- to 2 1/2-inch-long fresh lemon verbena leaves
10 2 x 1/2-inch strips lemon peel (yellow part only)
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Procedure
Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in medium saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes. Add sugar; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream. Whisk yolks to blend in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Whisk in lemon juice.

Strain custard through sieve into 4-cup measuring cup. Divide among six 2-cup ramekins or soufflé dishes. Cover ramekins with foil. Place ramekins in 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake custards until just set, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let custard cool and set up over night in the fridge. Garnish with a fresh leaf and some blueberries.

Herb and Citrus Yogurt Granita

Altitude adjustment section
How about a simple little recipe which incorporates sweet and savory — garden herbs to be specific — in a light, no-bake dessert that's great with some grilled apricots as garnish?

Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 cup fresh citrus juice, (tangerine, lime, Meyer lemon, orange or combinations are excellent)
1/4 cup citrus zest
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped fine

Procedure
Whisk together all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until well combined. Pour in a shallow metal pan and allow to freeze. Remove from freezer and break up and throw into your food processor the pulse till evenly broken up. Refreeze and puree again. Let sit at room temp or in fridge 15 minutes before serving and break up again if necessary. Garnish each serving with a sprig of thyme.Or you can give it a smoother texture by processing the mixture in your ice cream maker. That method gets my vote!

Grilled Lemon and Herb Flatbread

Nice New Nibbles
I thought I would do a vehicle for dips. A great bread or cracker is the base of many great snacks. Yes, you can buy some good ones in the store, but homemade flatbread is so much better! With this basic recipe you can do all kinds of variations with herbs, citrus zest, seeds, etc. This makes 6 individual flatbreads.

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 tablespoon mixed fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme and oregano
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing

Procedure
Stir together the yeast, 3/4 cup warm water and sugar and set aside for a few minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, herbs, fennel seeds, lemon zest, salt, pepper and olive oil. Stir in the yeast mixture and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball. Lightly oil a large bowl and add the dough, turning it to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Heat up your cast iron grill. Divide the dough in half and form three equal balls from each (6 balls total). On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 1/4-inch thick round or oval. Brush both sides with olive oil. Place the rounds on the grill, and cook, flipping once with a spatula, until well-marked and cooked through, about 2-5 minutes per side. Be careful not to char the flat-breads. Serve immediately, or wrap in aluminum foil and keep in a warm oven until ready to eat.

Greek Yogurt and Lemon Tea Cake

The Altitude Adjustment Section
You know the French, they just seem to have a way with food. It's all about excellent ingredients prepared properly and enjoyed slowly. How can you argue with that system? The 4 ingredient pound cake called quartre au quartre which I have posted has become my stand-by go-to cake served with anything from berries and cream to chocolate sauce. Here is another excellent and easy cake which uses Greek yogurt and lemon, you must try it!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups AP flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
3/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a standard 81/2 by 41/2 loaf pan with non-stick spray. Dust with flour and shake out excess. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips rub the sugar and the lemon zest together in a separate bowl. Now add the yogurt, veggie oil, eggs, and vanilla to the sugar zest mixture and whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients just till blended, no electric mixer required. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake about 50-55 minutes or until top is golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan 15 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan.

Saffron Panna Cotta

The Altitude Adjustment Section
This is Mario Battali's recipe for the yummy, easy dessert we had at Babbo. I'm sure he stole the recipe from someone — after all he is a convicted thief when it comes to his employees!

Ingredients
3 1/3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon or orange
3/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 cup whole milk

Procedure
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, lemon or orange zest and saffron threads. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring gently, then remove from the heat. Let the mixture rest for ten minutes to develop the flavor and color.

Stir the powdered gelatin into the cream mixture until it dissolves. Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve, then stir in the milk. Pour the mixture into chilled dessert cups or wine glasses. If desired, the panna cotta may be unmolded by running the tip of a knife around the edge of the cup, dipping the cup quickly into hot water, and gently shaking the custard onto a plate. Serve with fresh fruit. When we had it, it was served with candied tangerine pieces.

Preserved lemons

Excellent Ingredient of the Week
Preserved lemon or lemon pickle is a condiment that is common in Indian Cuisine, North African cuisine, and especially Moroccan cuisine. Diced, quartered, halved, or whole, lemons are pickled in a brine of water, lemon juice, and salt; occasionally spices are included as well. The pickle is allowed to ferment at room temperature for weeks or months before it is used. The pulp of the preserved lemon can be used in stews and sauces, but it is the peel (zest and pith together) that is most valued. The flavor is mildly tart but intensely lemony.

How to Make Preserved Lemons

Ingredients
8-10 Meyer lemons*, scrubbed very clean
1/2 cup kosher salt, more if needed
Extra fresh squeezed lemon juice, if needed
Sterilized quart canning jar
* You don't need to use Meyer lemons, regular lemons will do, it's just that the milder Meyer lemons work very well for preserving in this way.

Procedure
Place 2 Tbsp of salt in the bottom of a sterilized jar. One by one, prepare the lemons in the following way. Cut off any protruding stems from the lemons, and cut 1/4 inch off the tip of each lemon. Cut the lemons as if you were going to cut them in half lengthwise, starting from the tip, but do not cut all the way. Keep the lemon attached at the base. Make another cut in a similar manner, so now the lemon is quartered, but again, attached at the base. Pry the lemons open and generously sprinkle salt all over the insides and outsides of the lemons.

Pack the lemons in the jar, squishing them down so that juice is extracted and the lemon juice rises to the top of the jar. Fill up the jar with lemons, make sure the top is covered with lemon juice. Add more fresh squeezed lemon juice if necessary. Top with a couple tablespoons of salt.

Seal the jar and let sit at room temperature for a couple days. Turn the jar upside down occasionally. Put in refrigerator and let sit, again turning upside down occasionally, for at least 3 weeks, until lemon rinds soften. Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.

To use, remove a lemon from the jar and rinse thoroughly in water to remove salt.

You can add spices to the lemons for preserving: cloves; coriander seeds; peppercorns; cinnamon stick; bay leaf.

What to do with them:

• Make traditional Moroccan Tagines with lamb or chicken
• Puree 1 cup preserved lemons with 1 jar mango chutney and serve with grilled fish
• Blend lemons with yogurt and use as a dip
• Mix the chopped lemons with with green olives and make a nice hors d'oeuvre

Lemon Basil Sherbet

Special Bonus recipe
I found this recipe on food52.com, a site that never lets me down. It's great and I didn't even use an ice cream maker. I froze it in a metal tray then put it in the food processor and whipped it up before serving.

Ingredients
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
8 fresh basil leaves, divided
2 cups whole milk
Juice of 3 lemons, chilled
Pinch fine sea salt

Procedure
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the half-and-half, sugar, honey, and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add 4 whole basil leaves. Using the back of a large spoon, bruise the basil leaves against the bottom of the pot. Cover and let steep 15 minutes.

Remove the basil leaves and discard, then whisk in the milk. Place the mixture in an ice-water bath or refrigerate until completely chilled. Slice the remaining 4 basil leaves in very thin strips. Whisk the lemon juice into the chilled sherbet base, add the sea salt, and stir in the sliced basil. Taste for sweetness; adjust by adding an additional tablespoon or two of honey, if needed. Freeze the sherbet mixture in an ice-cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions. For optimal flavor and texture, freeze sherbet for a couple of hours before serving. This would also work with lime, rosemary, lavender, orange, you get the picture.

Guest Bram Meehan: The Sour

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Caskstrength's Bartender Re-education Plan brings us the Refreshing Beverage of the Week: The Sour.

Ingredients and Procedure
Spirit + (Lemon or Lime) + Sugar + Shake + Strain = Sour

There you go. Two parts spirit (pretty much anything, Andrew says), one part each of lemon or lime, and simple syrup. He's right, it's a great, classic drink that shows how good simplicity can be when done well. To learn why you should avoid mix and some of the other finer points, be sure to read his whole post.

Strawberry Lemon Sorbet

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I was wandering around the Internet yesterday and I stopped at Food52, which is always full of great ideas. They have started this new section called genius recipes (that might be a slight exaggeration) but this is a pretty unique recipe so I had to try it, and it's really good. It’s from the River Café in London (where Jamie Oliver got his start, but try not to hold that against them). Strawberry lemon and sugar, that’s all you need.

Ingredients
2 lemons, 1 seeded and roughly chopped and the other juiced
2 cups sugar
2 pounds strawberries, hulled

Procedure
Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Add the strawberries and juice of 1 lemon and pulse till smooth. Taste and add more lemon if you want it tarter. Now put in your ice cream freezer and process as directed or just freeze it in a metal pan. Take out of freezer let soften a little bit, then refreeze and serve.
Note: I have also tried it with a mixture of strawberry and raspberry, lemon and lime.

Pork Picatta with Garlic Spinach

Low-Cal But Still Lovely
Pork Piccatta, what a great idea! Pork tenderloin is low in fat easy to work with and not too expensive. Lemon, butter and capers give this dish delicious flavor. A side of garlicky spinach — made in the same pan — makes it a super easy meal.

Ingredients
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, divided
1 pound lean pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 16 thin slices
2 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
3/4 cup canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp butter
1 Tbsp capers, drained
1/2 tsp minced garlic
12 oz baby spinach leaves

Procedure
In a small bowl, combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle over both sides of pork, shaking off excess. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork (in 2 batches if necessary) and cook until just cooked through and golden, about 1 1/2 minutes per side; set aside on a serving plate and cover to keep warm.

In a cup, whisk together broth, lemon juice, cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until blended. Pour into same skillet and whisk to combine with pan drippings; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat; stir in butter until melted. Stir in capers and spoon over pork; cover to keep warm. Heat remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach to skillet in batches, tossing mixture and adding more spinach as some of it cooks down. Cook, tossing, until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper and serve with pork.

Yields 4 slices pork, about 3 tablespoons sauce and 1/2 cup spinach per serving.

Magic Lemon Posset

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Here is a great dessert from merry old England. Lemon Posset is an amazing bit of science. I really don’t understand how it works but it does. I always thought if you add lemon juice to cream it will curdle and become like scrambled eggs, but instead in this recipe the lemon juice cause the cream to set up silky smooth. Trust me — it works! It's best to make this a day ahead of time so it sets firm, but in a pinch 3 hours will work. Okay, are you ready? It’s so simple!

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Procedure
In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and cream and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. This is the only tricky part, as it really wants to boil over. Don’t take your eyes off the pot! Remove pan from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let cool 5 minutes, then pour into 4 ramekins and chill overnight, or at least 3 hours.

Serve with whipped cream and berries if you like or some simple cookies on the side. I was thinking it would also be fab made with lime juice. I don’t think OJ has enough acid in it to set the cream, but you can try it and find out. Let me know how your experiment goes!

Citrus-Almond Poundcake - the altitude corrected version

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Okay I fixed this recipe and now it works perfectly for Santa Fe's altitude. It's really easy and quite yummy so give it a go!
Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
Flour for pan
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 cups granulated sugar
7 ounce tube of almond paste
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Procedure
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and flour an 8-cup Bundt pan. Put lemon juice, orange juice and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over low heat; cook until the sugar dissolves and remove from heat. Set aside, this will be your glaze when cake comes out of the oven. Next, put almond paste and remaining 2 cups sugar in food processor and process until well combined; add butter and continue processing until light and fluffy. With the machine running, add eggs one at a time along with zest and vanilla, and continue to process until smooth. Stop the machine, add the flour, baking powder and salt, and pulse a few times just until the dry ingredients are integrated (be careful not to over process, or the cake will become tough). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let cool slightly. Pour the citrus soak over the cake and let it sit for about 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the cake releases from the pan easily onto a flat plate. I helped it loosen by going around the pan with a thin knife. Let cool. Cut into slices and serve with almost anything!