Citrus

When you have your own website, you develop a thick skin and come to expect all sorts of questions, including being asked advice about marketing $4,000 keepsake boxes for storing chocolate truffles (“Don’t do it,” I responded) to inquiries about preferred styles and brands of undergarments (that one didn’t get answered). This recipe was a topic in an online forum that I came across, and some fellow remarked, “Why would anyone make their own marshmallows? Or graham crackers?” While I wanted to respond, “Well, why would anyone make a hamburger from scratch? Or a salad?” I thought that not getting to taste this pie himself was punishment enough. Personally, I can’t think of anything more fun than making marshmallows and graham crackers, but if you’d prefer to take a few shortcuts, I’ve offered suggestions in Variation.

This is the dessert for lemon lovers. It’s light, but supersaturated with lemon flavor. Semifreddo usually refers to a dessert that’s partially frozen, but this cake layered with lightened lemon curd was christened “semifreddo” by the Italian American chef at the time at Chez Panisse. I don’t know about you, but I find it pretty hard to win an argument with an Italian, so I let the name stick. I based this recipe on the lemon semifreddo that one of my colleagues, Linda Zagula, made at the restaurant. It was not only popular with the customers, but with me, too—I couldn’t resist sneaking a mouthful every so often. And from the scraped-clean spoons I’d find hidden in the pastry fridge after all the guests had gone home, I knew I wasn’t the only one.

American cheesecake is to Italian cheesecake what slouching around the house in a sweatshirt and jeans is to stepping out on the town in a tailored Armani suit. When I stopped comparing Italian cheesecake to its comfy American cousin, I was finally won over. Made with ricotta cheese instead of pounds of cream cheese and sour cream, it’s lighter and leaner, and perfectly accompanied by fresh fruit compotes or colorful sauces. For best results, use whole-milk ricotta cheese. Or even better, seek out fresh ricotta from a local producer. And be sure to watch it carefully during baking, taking it out when it is just barely set.

During a baking demonstration, I once inadvertently blurted out, “I don’t like sweet things,” at which point the room erupted with laughter. I didn’t quite see what was so funny until someone pointed out that I was making desserts. Well, yes. I was. But it’s true—I don’t really like oversweet desserts. I adore caramel and toffee more than anyone, but I like them paired with something to balance the sweetness. Sticky toffee pudding is the Holy Grail for toffee lovers. My version is topped with slices of kumquats as a puckery counterpoint to the gooey-rich sweet toffee.

Skirt steak is a chef’s best friend. Besides cooking up fairly quickly, it’s got a great flavor and a price tag that shouldn’t break the bank. However, I’ve found that traditional supermarkets sometimes charge substantially higher for it than Latino markets and carnicerias, so shop savvy—especially if you plan on cooking for a larger crowd. Use the carne asada in tacos, burritos, or tortas, or atop a piping hot plate of nachos. diced onions, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, sliced radishes, and, of course, more Sriracha make excellent toppers

Sriracha and seafood truly are a perfect match. To me, it’s an excellent example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, and this ceviche just reinforces my belief. I’m a fan of just scooping it up with tortilla chips or tostada shells, but you can also fry up any wonton wrappers you might have chilling out in your freezer, leftover from making our Sriracha and Crab rangoon Wontons (page 35), for a nice Asian twist. If you are unable to find persian cucumbers, feel free to substitute the english or hothouse variety.

While I was playing around with salad ideas in my head, my good buddy Elliot happened to email me asking if I’d make him a grilled-vegetable salad with a Sriracha vinaigrette. He’d been gallivanting about our local farmers’ market and forwarded to me a list of produce that had looked appealing that day. We gave it a go not long after, and I hope you do, too.

The literal translation of the name of this drink is “the Virgin’s tears,” as the red color of the beets resembles tears of blood said to have been shed by the Virgin Mary. This beverage originated in the state of Guanajuato, maybe as long ago as the end of the sixteenth century. I found a few different variations, but this one seemed to be the most common, and it’s quite special. Although this beverage is customarily prepared during Lent for the festivities of Friday of Sorrows (the Friday before Good Friday), it’s a wonderful drink during fall, when beets and apples abound. This recipe makes a large batch to share at your next gathering.

When I was growing up, my sister and I often went to the market with my mom. There was a great juice stand where they made all kinds of aguas frescas and smoothies. This was my sister’s favorite one. It’s incredibly refreshing, and really good for you, too. The type of alfalfa used for these drinks resembles wheat grass and is grown abundantly in Mexico; you may be able to find alfalfa at nurseries and farmers’ markets. Pineapple is commonly mixed with a variety of green herbs. In the Yucatan, for example, it’s often blended with chaya. If you can’t find alfalfa or chaya, use a couple tablespoons of fresh mint.

This is essentially a fresh orange cooler with a little sparkling water, so it’s kind of like a natural soda. It isn’t as bubbly, but it is quite refreshing and flavorful.

This quick and refreshing drink is great on its own, but it’s also a good base for other beverages. Try stirring in some chopped fresh mint, raspberries, honeydew, or pineapple, or a combination. I’m not sure how it works, but rubbing the end really does help remove bitterness from standard cucumbers; the trick doesn’t apply to English or Persian cucumbers.

When I first moved to the States, I often had major cravings for this beverage. In Mexico, chia seeds are sold in most markets and spice shops, but I couldn’t find them anywhere in the States, and when I tried to explain what they were, people looked at me like I was crazy. Then, late one night when I was watching TV, I saw this thing called the Chia Pet. I had found my seeds! Chia seeds look like poppy seeds, but when soaked in liquid for a while, they bloom and develop an awesome gummy texture. This limeade is made using the whole lime, which gives it a slight bitterness, but trust me: it’s so good you won’t want to make it any other way.

Micheladas, often called cheladas, are drinks made with beer, fresh lime juice, and sometimes chile. Micheladas especiales, or cubanas, use the same foundation but add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and Maggy sauce, a popular seasoning that has a salty, caramelized, deep flavor. This raspado is inspired by these popular beverages.

This type of ice is very popular, and why wouldn’t it be? It has the perfect combination of sweet ripe mangoes, spiciness, a little acidity, and saltiness. This recipe calls for chamoy, a sauce or condiment made from pickled fruit, usually apricots or plums. Chamoy is a little salty and acidic and it’s an acquired taste, but I personally love it and encourage you to try it if you haven’t.

Sangrita, a spiced tomato drink served as a chaser for tequila, inspired this delicious paleta. For the sweetest and tastiest ice pops, make this recipe when tomatoes are at the peak of their season. To make the tomato puree, just remove the stems from perfectly ripe tomatoes, trim the tomatoes if needed, rinse them, then process in a blender or food processor.

Donají is a delicious traditional beverage in the state of Oaxaca, named after a Zapotec princess. The exact ingredients of this cocktail vary, but typically it contains mezcal and orange juice and is served in a glass rimmed with sal de gusano, a powdered combination of chiles, salt, and roasted gusano, a caterpillar that lives on the agave plant. It may sound strange, but it is so good. If you ever travel to Oaxaca, you must try it. Although I haven’t seen donají offered as a paleta flavor anywhere, I think it’s only a matter of time, because the combination is delicious.

Mexicans can never have enough limes. We put them in everything, so it’s no surprise that this flavor of paleta is one of the top three sellers everywhere. For this recipe, try to use the smaller limes, similar to Key limes, as they’re a little more tart. That said, these ice pops will be delicious with any lime juice as long as it’s freshly squeezed.

My childhood friend, Dan, loves grapefruit paletas and he kept asking me when La Newyorkina would have them available at the market. They did make a short appearance there, but I also promised I would include this recipe in the book. These slightly bitter ice pops are incredibly refreshing. I prefer to use Ruby Red grapefruit juice because it tends to be a bit sweeter and has a prettier color.

This is a wonderful all-purpose topping for cakes, fresh fruit, granola, and more. Though the taste is rich and velvety, it’s actually low fat and packed with protein as an added bonus.

Soufflés bring to mind fancy French restaurants, special occasions, and loads of calories. Why wait for a special occasion when you can whip up these incredibly light and delicate soufflés at home and save tons of calories? The Grand Marnier sauce is a must. For a richer sauce, you can use a half cup of evaporated skim milk and an equal amount of heavy cream.