I wrote an ode to anchovies on Monday and got a wave of great feedback. Thanks for all of your wonderful notes and suggestions — I’m thrilled to be surrounded by so many small-fish aficionados. (A-fish-ionados?) Give it up for the ’choves, as one passionate reader calls them.
Next up on my all-time B.I.F. (Best Ingredients Forever) list: lemons.
I’m a lemonhead from way back. As a small child, I always chose lemon tarts over chocolate chip cookies, lemonade over chocolate milk (assuming I couldn’t have both at once). As I write this, I’m sipping from a mug of hot lemon water, a simple brew that keeps me cozily hydrated all winter long.
(Pro tip: Keep a bowl of cut, seeded lemon wedges in the fridge to make it easy to add a squeeze to a mug of hot water or a glass of seltzer, not to mention to a dressing, sauce or any dish that needs a little zip; more on that in this video at 1:38.)
Lemons, like all citrus, are in season in winter, which also happens to be when their zesty tanginess is most needed.
A small complaint, given the wildfires in Southern California — please take care of yourselves — but we’re in the middle of a cold snap here in the Northeast. Sarah DiGregorio’s lemony Greek chicken, spinach and potato stew is a lively dish made for cold temperatures. A simple mix of lemon, garlic and plenty of herbs brightens the foundation of ground chicken (or turkey) and potatoes, which is then rounded out with silky spinach. Sarah calls for crumbled feta cheese and crushed pita chips to garnish the top, adding just the right salty crunch.
Featured Recipe
Lemony Greek Chicken, Spinach and Potato Stew
Lemon and salmon is one of those hallowed pairings, with the acidity of the citrus tempering the richness of the fish. This combination shines in my super simple broiled salmon with mustard and lemon, a 15-minute dish with a savory, caramelized crust. Serve it over rice with some extra mustard and olive oil, which can act as a sauce.
Would you like a salad with that? I never say no, and in our house, lemon dressings (citronettes) are the go-to. Our teenager, as designated salad maker, has her own personal no-recipe recipe: a few handfuls of greens in a big bowl, a light coating of good olive oil, a few drops of lemon from the trusty citrus wedge bowl and a sprinkle of salt, all tossed with her hands. She tastes a leaf or two as she goes in order to adjust for oil, lemon and salt, and in this fashion eats about half her salad before dinner.
If you’re the measuring kind, you’ll find that Ali Slagle’s arugula salad with Parmesan is perfectly proportioned, with a gossamer cap of shaved cheese to boot. Or for a wintry salad with a brilliant, juicy crunch, David Tanis’s fennel and celery salad with lemon and Parmesan brings together the best of all citrusy, cheesy, salad-y worlds.
Lemon plus pepper is another classic combination, and Ali uses it to great effect in her lemon-pepper tofu with snap peas. It’s a characteristically smart recipe. The coating of cornstarch and sesame seeds makes the tofu nice and crisp when you sear it, while the black pepper, ginger and lemon zest add a pungent jolt. A drizzle of tahini sauce conjures a nutty richness. It’s a 30-minute marvel.
Lemon desserts are my soul mates, and I’ve whisked and nibbled my way through plenty of them at New York Times Cooking. One of my sentimental faves dates back to 2002, when Regina Schrambling adapted Jody Adams’s lemon-almond butter cake. A cross between a cake and a tart, it’s got a lemon-curd filling covering a tender layer of almond cake, all topped with a dollop of almond-scented whipped cream. It’s a wonderful way to end any meal.
Naturally, you’ll want to subscribe to get these bright recipes, along with the thousands of others available at New York Times Cooking. If you need any technical advice, send a note to cookingcare@nytimes.com for help. And if you’d like to say hi — or tell me about your own B.I.F. list — I’m at hellomelissa@nytimes.com.
That’s it for now. See you on Monday.
