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Forbidden Fruit

12.2.11
photos by gluttonforlife

The grapefruit (Citrus × paradisi) is an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados, a subtropical citrus tree known for its pleasingly sour fruit. It was originally named the “forbidden fruit,” though until the 19th century it was called “shaddock.” (Huh?)  Its current name alludes to the cluster formations of the fruit on the tree, which look like grapes. My in-laws sent us a baker’s dozen from Florida last week, and they are ruby red inside and bursting with juice. My first thought? Sorbet. Read the rest of this entry »

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Home Brew: Vin d’Orange

6.1.11
photos by gluttonforlife

I love a little tipple before dinner, especially in the summer. It just feels a little indulgent, leisurely. The apéritif was actually a 19th century invention for the purpose of delivering extremely bitter, malaria-fighting quinine. Herbs and spices were added to mask the disagreeable flavor and voilà! A French invention, of course. Although most agree that 18th-century Italians were well versed in the aperitivo. Campari is a perfect example of such a slightly bitter and agreeably complex concoction. I use the word tipple because the apéritif is a light drink, a small amount of alcohol just to awaken the appetite. (For you tee-totallers out there, I am going to do a post on the non-alcoholic versions very soon.) I personally love Lillet, technically called a tonic wine because of the addition of a liqueur of Chinchona bark from Peru which contains quinine.

 

You can create your own version, by steeping citrus fruit in rosé with a few spices. Julia Moskin, in her fantastic online DIY cooking handbook for the New York Times, provides a great recipe, adapted from London chef Sally Clarke. The original version is made with Seville oranges, which I happened to have on hand from making marmalade. Julia adapts it with more readily available citrus. It has a powerful flavor that develops during a 6-week fermentation period. So, if you want to serve yours on July 4th, as I do, you’d better get cracking.

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Lady Marmalade

3.23.11
photos by gluttonforlife

OK, I’m going to say it: I’m OVER winter. Jeez. More snow? Is this really what we need? And still no working sink or shower in our bathroom. So where’s the motherfucking silver lining? (Wow. In real life I have a mouth like a truck driver, but on the blog I rarely stoop so low.) But wait. Yesterday I made marmalade, and today there are five gorgeous jars of the stuff glowing on the kitchen counter. Canning doesn’t have to be such a big deal, you know. It’s not imperative that you slave over a hot stove for hours and hours, putting up jar after jar of whatever it is. You can simply look in your fridge and see that you have an enormous bowl of malingering kishu mandarins left over from the 10 pounds you ordered on a lark in January—plus the odd Meyer lemon and pink grapefruit—and decide that you’re going to make a discreet quantity of marmalade, just for yourself and the occasional very lucky friend. Read the rest of this entry »

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Kishu? I Don’t Even Know You!

2.22.11
photos by gluttonforlife

I come from a very linguistically focused family where all sorts of word games (not to mention mind games) were the order of the day. I’m very into language and its limitless possibilities for manipulation, including the humblest pun. Never can resist. Ingredients are sort of like words, able to be tossed together in seemingly infinite combinations, so that cooking becomes a kind of jazzy poetry (rap?!) or improvised narrative. The kishu is a sweet little grace note, an ampersand between clementines and satsumas. This tiny mandarin, only slightly bigger than a jawbreaker, originated in China and arrived in Japan around the 17th century, where it is known as mukaku-kishi. Mukaku means seedless, which they are. They have a super-short season and are not that easy to come across. I got mine through Local Harvest, a locavore network that helps you find farmers’ markets, family farms and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, and through which you can buy produce, grass-fed meats and other coveted items. My kishus came from Churchill Orchard, a small organic farm in Ojai, California.


kishus are a bright spot in winter

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{Eating, Health}

C is for Citrus

1.26.11
photo by gluttonforlife

Winter citrus: it may not be exactly local, but it’s American and it’s in season now. Just when you couldn’t possibly feel more desiccated, chapped, pasty or vitamin-C deprived, there is a burst of juicy refreshment in the form of tart-sweet oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes and kumquats. Peel some grapefruit segments and toss them into a salad with thinly sliced radicchio, toasted walnuts and pecorino. Grate some orange rind into your morning oatmeal. Or make grapefruit brulée by dotting a half with brown sugar and chopped fresh mint and sticking it under the broiler for a few minutes. Add some zip to your fizzy water with lemon-rosemary syrup. Or make lemon curd and spread it on store-bought shortbread or a piece of sourdough toast or your finger. Toss sliced kumquats with arugula and toasted almonds. Squeeze fresh orange juice and mix it with good tequila and a little pomegranate molasses. Make some clementine granità. If you’re really lucky, you might come across some wild (kaffir) limes, like the ones I brought back from LA (see above). I’ve been doling them out to make them last longer—their tropical perfume is so fantastic. Squeeze just a quarter of one into a glass of water and it becomes an exotic elixir. I just used the last one in a pineapple sorbet. Snow? What snow?

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Condimental: Sunny Side Up

12.16.10
photos by gluttonforlife

I’m a sucker for citrus. It’s such a relief when oranges, grapefruit and lemons begin flooding in from California and Florida at this time of year. Although I adore very tart lemons, I love the lightly sweeter and more perfumey Meyer variety. Their smooth, thin skin is an electric golden yellow that seems to compensate, just a bit, for the lack of sunshine these days. I grabbed an armload at Fairway yesterday and, since they are a bit fragile and don’t keep for so long, I’m going to immediately turn them into syrup and marmalade. The former will make wonderfully refreshing spritzers, especially with the addition of fresh rosemary. The latter will nicely cut through the rich fattiness of roasts or perhaps even our Christmas goose. And, of course, you can always preserve some lemons, as I’ve done again this year. Here’s a recipe from last spring, along with one for chicken tagine, and a place to order organic Meyer lemons, if you’re so inclined.


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Local Brew

11.10.10
photo by gluttonforlife

On a blustery day in the city, I used to love to pop into the tiny bakery at Balthazar where fresh breads and piles of scones and canelés fogged up the windows. Passing up all the baked goods, I would come out with my frozen hands wrapped around a steaming cup of their housemade ginger-citrus tea. Often, it would be so acidic that my teeth would squeak against each other, but I loved the way its spicy sweetness warmed my blood. Now that I don’t live near Balthazar—or anything resembling a bakery, or even a café for that matter—I have devised my own recipe and, being rather better balanced, I actually prefer it. That said, I was able to procure Balthazar’s recipe and so also offer that to you here. Frankly, I’ve never tasted either cinnamon or mint in their version, and so did not include that in mine. Suffice it to say, either way this delectable brew is sure to help you ward off a chill and possibly even the flu as we head into winter’s cold embrace.


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You Say Yuzu, I Say Citron

4.20.10
photos by george billard

I’ve decided to post about this delicious Korean “tea” because, even though it’s delicious hot and is particularly helpful during cold and flu season, it can also be enjoyed on ice throughout the warmer months. I was first served this wonderfully flavorful brew at Jin Soon in the East Village, where I occasionally have a pedicure (although I stopped wearing polish on my toes a couple of years ago). They call it “citrus tea.” When I asked about it they told me it comes “pre-mixed,” and when I pressed them they said it was from a can with Korean writing on it. Hmmm…I could tell it didn’t really have any actual tea in it, but I was perplexed by the type of citrus, as it was sweet without any hint of bitterness despite the pulpy rind floating in it. I next encountered this tea at HanGawi, a favorite vegetarian Korean restaurant, where the ginger tea with pine nuts is also a winner. And by then I got a clue and googled it to find out just what exactly I was drinking. Read the rest of this entry »

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Agent Orange

2.7.10

photo by george billard

Here I am, still carrying on about citrus. Have you bought any of those gorgeous Cara Cara oranges yet? These juicy, low-acid, virtually seedless navels are an excellent source of Vitamins C and A, fiber, potassium, and Lycopene, a disease-fighting antioxidant. Plus their bright coral flesh is super-sweet and delicious. They’re wonderful just peeled and eaten plain, or sliced with fennel for a simple salad, or squeezed for juice. But last night I used them to make a special treat: ice cream! I found a great recipe that Sheila Lukins (R.I.P.) managed to weasel out of Bill Gross, the former executive sous chef from Café Gray, Gray Kunz’s now sadly defunct dining palace in the Time-Warner building. (I’ve been a huge fan of Kunz’s since his glory days at Lespinasse in the St. Regis.) I really enjoyed making this ice cream. There are a couple of extra steps essential to its rich, complex taste, but the resulting adult creamsicle extravaganza (shades of Orange Julius if you grew up in California) is so worth it. Read the rest of this entry »

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Sweet & Sour

1.30.10

citrus


I’m trying to cut back a bit these days. Too much indulgence catches up with me quickly, always manifesting in the body. My pants are tight, my neck hurts, my skin is blotchy. Last night, I slept 12 hours. One minute I was watching “The Baader Meinhof Complex” (boring, or was I just too tired?) and the next I was face down in the pillow. I’m in recovery. This means clean eating, exercise and plenty of rest. A lot of soups, as you’ve seen, the requisite daily juice and maybe the occasional treat of fresh sorbet. When I was in LA, I swooned over all the citrus. Oranges, satsumas, mandarins, grapefruits, and the lemons, especially the fragrant Meyers, even growing in friends’ back yards. So lucky. Shopping at Fairway on our way back from the airport, I picked up armloads of citrus. The result was this intense and refreshing sorbet, a gorgeously concentrated flavor, spiked with spicy ginger. Read the rest of this entry »

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