Someone (who makes his living as a sous chef) once told me that there are 5 food ingredients you can't live without-- onions, garlic, salt, olive oil, and lemons. (He happens to be Greek, so that may have something to do with his choices!) I tend to agree, and I try to keep all five at hand in the kitchen. About a year ago, lemons were quite expensive, so I started to buy lemon juice in a bottle to cut costs.
Now that the price of lemons has gone down (they're usually three for a buck around here), I am purchasing them fresh, but it doesn't hurt to have bottled lemon juice in your fridge. It's great to have an acid like this for marinating meats, putting some zip in salads, and just splashing in a glass of ice water for extra vitamin C.(Did you know that in many cultures, hot lemonade is considered a medicine? In 18th century America, people used to drink beer instead of water, because water sources were often polluted. They used to give alcoholic beverages to everyone in the family, even the kids, because of the risk of disease. And hot lemon water was one of the drugs-of-choice dispensed by midwives in the 1700s to cure all kinds of health problems.)
One of my favorite splurges, gastronomically speaking, is buying lemon curd. It comes in a jar, and is sort of a very tart lemon pudding that packs a wallop.Yes, you can make it yourself, but that involves cooking over a double boiler, something I simply have not found the patience to do. Lemon curd is so versatile! The next time you want to impress someone at a potluck, bring some lemon curd tarts with you. Here's how. Buy a pre-made pie crust (think Pillsbury Doughboy) and bake the pastry in small tart tins. (You can find these mini pie tins at garage sales or local flea markets.) When the pastry is done, dollop some lemon curd in each one and garnish with either a mint leaf or a fresh raspberry. Delicious, and good-looking too. You'll gain points for flavor AND presentation, but don't be surprised if people gobble them up so fast you're not sure you even brought them to begin with.
I could go on all day about lemons. Lemonade is the ultimate "Vitamin Water." As someone who once studied chemistry (organic), I can tell you, I read all food labels. The only difference between regular lemonade and a so-called "Vitamin Water" is a dose of Magnesium as an electrolyte. (Take a multi-vitamin with Mag and make lemonade and spend way less. Plus, there's no waste from the plastic bottle if you avoid these pre-packaged beverages.) When I go to the gym I always tote lemon water. Someone once asked me why my water looked so cloudy, and I told her that I put a teaspoon of lemon juice in each container (about 20 oz.). Now, everybody is doing it.
With lemons, even if you are ailing and hungry and don't feel like cooking, don't call for a pizza! Using a bit of lemon zest (scraping the peel), you can make a gourmet meal in about 15 minutes by cooking fresh pasta (linguine is my favorite) and then sauteing it with garlic and olive oil, sprinkling on some parmesan cheese, and topping it with the lemon zest and some basil.
Lemon is super in iced tea, works wonderfully to tenderize chicken before a stir-fry, and adds a much-needed bite to creamy desserts like ice cream and cheesecake. Please reconsider our friend the lemon the next time you're pushing a cart in the grocery store.
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