I come from a long line of people who love to whip up an abundance of food. Why cook or bake for two when you can share some of this and that with a neighbor, friend, or loved one? Just as I associate the word, …
I have always been drawn to still life paintings replete with an abundance of fruit, delicately-blown glasses, curious objects, loaves of bread, and dark or glowing light. Without realizing it, these images have molded my style.
I created a home where stands and bowls of fruit await little hands grabbing a snack or the casual passersby picking up a pair of luscious cherries or a crisp apple.
Will it surprise anyone that museums have always been my favorite places? When I would leave the museum in my childhood, I returned to a home filled with art, much of it made by my dad.
A recent visit to the Art Institute had me in one of my usual spots, the Cézanne gallery. I could look at these for weeks.
This month marks the third year of the Black Garden. Swiping through catalogs and exchanging seeds with friends, the possibilities are endless. Perpetually, predictably, unsurprisingly, I’m overwhelmed… until I’m not. I then remember that there’s not enough room for everything and there’s so much pleasure …
Over the weekend here in Chicago, my dad and I turned our gazes towards my mom as we watched her in action. She was negotiating something in her polite but determined way. With admiration in his voice, my dad said, ”Your mom is fearless.” “If …
The sweets of my childhood remain my all-time favorite desserts. Lemon meringue pie, ambrosia, peach cobbler, bread pudding, and key lime pie keep me drawing from a well so deep of memories, enough for a lifetime.
It surprises no one that all of these are fruit desserts; even my luscious bread pudding is studded with rum-soaked raisins. Fruit drives it all by its bright and tart notes and a more complex sweetness than plain sugar could ever give.
There’s one dessert that tops them all, my mom’s prune cake. Uhm uhm uhm. My love was, of course, inevitable. I was the kid who loved prune juice, the stewed prunes on my tray in old-fashioned cafeterias, and dried fruit plumped up in compote. While I like plums, I adore prunes. They make everything better.
As we write our second cookbook, my mom and I will again include the original prune cake recipe and then bravely (with hubris?) add at least one variation of this family favorite. Here is a peek of the new recipe in progress.
While warm, a vanilla-kissed syrup is poured over the cake, rendering it like an English pudding. I like it best slightly warm but others swear it’s better cold. I’ll let you be the judge. It may require tasting it repeatedly at every temperature. Ah, what price for art!
One of the best things about humans is that we seem always game to celebrate. Whether it’s National Hot Dog Day (July 20th), International I Hate Coriander Day (February 23rd) or Measure Your Feet Day (January 23rd), every day seems to be an opportunity to find …
When kissing, do you pucker up? Lips pinched and squeezed like a tulip, there’s a promise. Like gentle kisses, lemons present joy, pleasure, and a jolt to our systems.
There’s no flavor that I love as much as lemon. Whether it is in my favorite, tarte au citron or lemon tart, Greek soup, infusing a leg of lamb redolent of garlic and herbs, or vinaigrette, its contribution is unmistakable. Bright, fresh, sometimes bitter, mellowed by cooking, or packing a punch in its raw state.
Preserving, like planting trees, is having faith that there’s a future. Someone will enjoy it!
Weck Jars asked me to share this recipe with its community. With every jar purchased, a recipe card is nestled in the package.
Today is about that long-game lemon. We are preserving lemons like the cuisines of the Mediterranean do, especially those of North Africa. Salt and thyme are our friends here. In addition to boosting the lemony goodness, the salt extends the life of the fruit by months.
Preserved Lemons 🍋
1 (Weck 80) jar
Ingredients
6 lemons (preferably organic)
1 mandarin, clementine, or tangerine
~1/4 cup of kosher salt
6-8 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
If you bake, especially in the winter, you might enjoy your fair share of candied or dried citrus in your desserts. We’re going savory and heading to North Africa, specifically Morocco, with these preserved lemons.
Although we’re preserving the entire lemon, I suggest that you add just the peel near the end of your cooking to achieve that bright note. Bits of the pulp are a welcome addition to salads, vinaigrettes, marinades, and stews.
Now that you have a jar of preserved lemons, what are you making? Add to tagines (North African stews), grilled or roasted seafood, or your favorite salad. Rinsing before use wouldn’t be a bad idea given how salty they are.
Who tells the stories? Legend has it that the Greek god of the Underworld, Hades, desired the young Persephone, goddess of Spring. So he asked his brother, Zeus, if he could have her as his ”bride”. Will it surprise you to know that Persephone was …
