The Other Woman Cooks

Just the word lemon causes my taste buds to perk up. There are all kinds of lemons... Lisbon lemons are small and seedless. Eureka lemons are the most common. Meyer lemons are a sweeter variety and have a hint of orange flavor. There are even pink lemons and thanks to a good friend with a yard full of tropical fruit trees, I've been lucky enough to try one!   Lemons are the most common flavor enhancer after salt and pepper. Lemons yield more juice at room temp than a lemon that is cold. However, since lemons are susceptible to mold it’s best to store them in the refrigerator crisper drawers. To maximize your juicing, leave your lemon out for a couple of hours before juicing. Roll the room-temperature lemon on the counter and apply light pressure with your hand as you roll it. Then cut and squeeze. The zest is also an amazing flavor enhancer. But for  today’s recipe all you need is the juice. So if you're jonesing  for a lemony rich appetizer or super tasty...

My dad came home after serving as a Marine in the Korean conflict and took a job as a tire builder in the same factory as his own father and several of his brothers. It was a good job but it seemed as if he spent a lot of time either on strike or laid off. French fries and pies was how my parents stretched our food budgets during those lean days.  As a child, I never felt as if we were missing a thing at the dinner table because of my father’s pies. While my father wasn't a baking aficionado, he knew how to make a mean pie crust and a darned good lemon filling.   Dad passed away more than twenty years ago. My favorite color has always been yellow. I think it might have something to do with the sweet memories of baking lemon pie with him!  ROGER’S LEMON MERINGUE PIE  Pie Filling 1 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups water 2 large lemons, juiced and zested (reserve ...

I have never attempted Crepes Suzette but today was Crepes Suzette Day.  Quiet Sundays are good days to try something new, there's no real pressure to succeed. I set out the simple ingredients I needed to recreate the storied and delicate classic French dessert. The usual flambe is fueled by Grand Marnier or the equivalent orange liqueur. Roadblock number one: no orange liqueur in the cupboard. There was, however, a brand spanking new bottle of Limoncello. Second problem: Don't know about you, but I'm too nervous to go starting anything on fire in my kitchen, I leave that sort of thing to the professionals. Since I'd already tossed classic out the window with the Limoncello twist, I decided to create my own non-flaming version of the sauce. Third issue: No vanilla extract but I did have almond extract. Another ad-lib. The results were astonishing! EASY CREPES SUZETTE Batter: 1 cup flour 4 large eggs 1 1/4 cup milk 1 pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon almond e...

There’s no butter in this baby and the texture is amazing. Substituting olive oil for butter cuts way down on the bad cholesterol pound cakes are noted for. A sprinkle of powdered sugar finishes off the top nicely before serving.  Add fresh local berries and voila! Heaven on a plate. Like having a diet soda to cut calories, using olive oil takes the sting out of that dollop of rich whipped cream.  LIMONCELLO POUND CAKE 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 2 cups sugar 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp grated lemon zest 5 large cold eggs 3/4 cup water 1/4 cup Limoncello liqueur Preheat the oven tot 350 °F. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 loaf pans.  Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly in a large bowl and sift together. Set aside. In a second large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, and zest on high speed until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; continue to beat until the mixture is thick and pale, ...

The key to achieving smooth, creamy, easy to scoop texture in this refreshing frozen treat is the addition of what makes a lemontini - vodka and lemon flavor liqueur. Pictured here as a tart-fresh accompaniment to an apricot rustic tart, it's luscious lemony tang compliments almost any fruit dessert or as stand-alone in a fancy glass.  Card your guests before serving. And remember, it must be 5 o'clock somewhere! LEMONTINI FROZEN YOGURT 8 cups plain yogurt 1/2 cup honey 3/4 cup granulated sugar (I use fine sugar) 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel 1 1/2 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon 1 ounce limoncello liqueur 1 ounce vodka Place yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined colander set over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. At end of 12 hours, discard the liquid and cheesecloth.  In a bowl combine the drained yogurt, honey, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and Ceylon cinnamon. Transfer mixture to ice cream maker and proc...

Experimenting in the kitchen is one of my favorite things to do. Two ripe avocados have been hanging out on the counter all week waiting to be sliced and eaten with the chicken salad I never made. Two packages of low fat cream cheese, a box of almond crisp cookies and lemon yogurt two days from the best used by date -- necessity is the mother of invention. What the heck. Turns out that avocado puree, lemon yogurt and cream cheese make a subtle interesting blend of flavors. The pale slightly greenish yellow color might take some getting used to visually. But the taste? Yummy. And yeah, those are homemade candied lemon peels hiding behind the cheesecake, ready and waiting to be used as garnish after dinner tonight. Happy Mother's Day! AVOCADO LEMON CHEESECAKE Crust 1 cup finely ground almond crisp cookies 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Thoroughly moisten the cookies crumbs with the butter. Press the crumbs in the bottom of an ungreased 8-inch X 3...