The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Get a squeeze of sunshine with lemon loving recipes
Something about preparing a lemon recipe brings a bit of sunshine into the home this time of year.
Looking at the display of lemons and other citrus fruits in the supermarket makes me think of warmer weather.
Lemons play roles in cooking, eating and drinking; drizzled on seafood, sprinkling its zest on cakes and desserts, perking up a sauce, salad dressing or soup with the juice or simply squeezed into a glass of water. Lemon adds a tangy punch of flavor to sweet and savory dishes.
Looking through my collection, “The Compleat Lemon: A Cookbook,” by Chris Casson and Susan Lee fit the bill for this column. (Published in 1979 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.) Although out of print, the title is available through several online sources. You might think I misspelled a word in the title. “Compleat,” according to Collins English dictionary is an archaic spelling of “complete,” used especially in the titles of handbooks, in imitation of “The Compleat Angler,” by Izaak Walton, first published in 1653.
The authors include lemon classics, such as the popular Greek soup, Avgolemono, lemon chicken and lemon meringue pie, as well as some surprises.
Last weekend, I prepared the authors’ recipes for lemon loaf and lemony creamed spinach. The lemon loaf was light and so refreshing. Inhaling the fragrant citrus while baking and then tasting the first slice, hot out of the oven, perked up a dreary winter afternoon. This recipe for creamed spinach, a side dish served at steakhouses, will give the steakhouses’ recipes a run for their money.
While writing this column, I received this reader request. Mary Dean wrote, “Hello — my husband showed me an old article of yours (about the Fig Cooking School) and I noticed that it requested food questions. If it’s still appropriate to send one. I am wondering if you by any chance know where I can buy preserved lemons here in New Haven. I even know where to get fresh (well...) durian, so I can’t believe no one stocks such a comparatively unobjectionable and useful commodity!”
I quickly wrote back to Mary: Thanks for getting in touch. I do welcome food and cooking questions, as well as recipe requests for dishes you enjoyed at a restaurant, so please feel free to write to me. It is a coincidence that your request for preserved lemons came today, I worked on a column about cooking with lemons! There is an easy recipe for preserved lemons in an older book from my collection and I will include it in the column. So keep an eye out for it. Edge of the Woods on Whalley Avenue in New Haven carries preserved lemons. You might also check with Whole Foods and Fresh Market.
Perhaps other readers know of other sources of where to buy them. Please let me know so I can share it with Mary. 2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1⁄2 cup milk
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1⁄3 cup chopped walnuts
TOPPING
1⁄2 cup superfine sugar 1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice 1⁄2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a medium-size loaf pan lightly. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer, combine butter with sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. To this, add half of the milk, then half of the flour mixture, and repeat, beating until combined. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest and the walnuts, and then pour batter into pan. Bake for 1 hour — a fork inserted in the center should come out clean. Meanwhile, mix superfine sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a saucepan and heat for 2 minutes. When pan is removed from oven, immediately pour topping on loaf. Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Remove to a rack. Let cool.
Note: When I prepared this recipe, I omitted the walnuts and substituted a 1⁄2 cup of shredded coconut.
Lemony creamed spinach
4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 small garlic clove, minced 3 tablespoons flour
13⁄4 cups milk
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, well drained
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon setting it aside, and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Add butter to the skillet and saute the onion and garlic in the drippings and butter until tender. Blend in the flour. Cook a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; gradually stir in milk. Return to stove and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add cooked spinach, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice, cooked bacon, salt and pepper; cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 8 as a side dish.
Note: I was tempted to use precooked bacon; I realized, however, that using the drippings from the refrigerated bacon cooked with the recipe will achieve the right flavor.
Preserved lemons
6 medium lemons
1⁄4 cup to 1⁄2 cup salt 1 cup fresh lemon juice
Quarter each lemon lengthwise from the top to within 1⁄4 inch from the bottom so that lemons can be reshaped. Sprinkle the inside of the lemons with salt. Sprinkle a thin layer of salt on the bottom of a sterile quart-size jar, then pack the lemons in the jar — pushing them down upon each other so that their juices are squeezed out. Sprinkle in any remaining salt. Add enough fresh lemon juice to cover, but make sure there is some air space at the top. Seal and shake well. Let stand in a warm place for at least 2 weeks, shaking every so often. Rinse lemons before using to remove briny taste.
Culinary calendar
⏩ Wine Tasting Hosted by The Wine Thief at Barcelona, Feb. 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Barcelona, 155 Temple St., New Haven. 203-7721944. $25. A tasting of 30-plus wines. Explore the world and find your new favorite. Light food will be served. https://bit.ly/2SNxNjA
⏩ 23rd annual Old Saybrook
Chili Fest, March 2, noon-3 p.m., Old Saybrook Town Green, Main St., 860-388-3266. Competition with chili from 20-plus chefs. The top three winning chilis will be honored with a donation to the charity of their choice. Ballots are $10 each and can be purchased at ballot stations along Main Street during the event, and in advance at the Chamber of Commerce office, 1 Main St. oldsaybrookchamber.com.
⏩ Paella Party, March 2, 6:30-9 p.m., Chef’s Emporium, 449 Boston Post Road, Orange, $59.99. Reservations 203-799-2665. https://bit.ly/2tuOWQK Explore the authentic flavors and traditions of Spain. Create an authentic Spanish paella with chicken, chorizo and asparagus.
⏩ Ravioli Workshop, March 7, 6:30-9 p.m., Chef’s Emporium, 449 Boston Post Road, Orange, $59.99. Reservations 203-799-2665 https://bit.ly/2ByxIq0 . Make classic fresh pasta dough and create burrata ravioli with browned butter sage sauce, and a seasoned pork, goat cheese and Fuji apple ravioli. Bring a bottle of wine or beverage.
⏩ Easter Seals 26th annual Chocolate and Food Festival, March 9, noon-5 p.m. Naugatuck Event Center, 6 Rubber Ave. Naugatuck, 203-754-5141. Sample your favorite chocolate and food from local chocolatiers and bakeries. Artisans who will be there to sell their homemade crafts. Adults in advance $20, at door $25, children 3-11 $5. Tickets at https://bit.ly/2IwnU5T Cooking questions? Email Stephen Fries, professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, at gw-stephen.fries@gwcc.commnet.edu or regular mail to Dept. FC, Gateway Community College, 20 Church St., New Haven, 06510. Include your full name, address and phone number. For more, go to stephenfries.com.