Sonia Tastes Hawaii

Homemade Holiday Gifts - Mixed Bean Soup fixings

Simple gifts sometimes are the best!

Here is something we did about 14 years ago for family and friends and decided to do again this year for close friends and neighbors. 

 

Mixed Bean Soup

 

Combination of several types beans and peas

I used:

Baby limas

Large limas

Navy beans

Black beans

Great Northern beans

Light red kidney beans

Small red beans

Pinto beans

Garbanzo beans

Green split peas

Black-eyed peas

Green whole peas

Green split peas

Yellow split peas

Lentils

Pearl barley

 

Swansons Flavor Boost concentrated broth liquid packets - chicken flavored with no MSG

Goya Adobo Seasoning with no MSG

Dried oregano, thyme and ground black pepper

Fresh garlic cloves

Amounts are up to you and depend on how much of the bean mix you put in the bags.

 

Place the liquid packets of concentrated broth, the measured amounts of seasonings and the garlic cloves in Zip-lock small plastic snack bags.

 

Mix all the beans and peas together except for the lentils, yellow and green split peas and the pearl barley in a large container and mix well.  The reason to not mix in the peas, lentils and barley is they are much smaller and sink to the bottom.

 

Using clear plastic bags, fill with amount of bean mixture desired; add the rest of the peas, lentils and barley. 

 

We used white porcelain mugs large enough to use as soup mugs.

Place the bean mixture bags inside the mugs and the small envelope with the seasonings can be fitted also inside the mugs alongside the bags.  Close the bag tight with ribbon or twistie.

 

Wrap in decorated cellophane and tie with ribbon.  Add gift tag or card with list of ingredients and note to add water and chopped onion.

 

For a couple I used two mugs and one bag of the bean mixture and seasonings.  For individuals only 1 mug with the bag of beans and seasonings.

We had a bit left over which we will cook in our crock pot!

Gifts from the Kitchen - Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

I'm visiting on the mainland for a few weeks and I helped my niece Madeline make these last night.  Absolutely delicious and could definitely be habit forming!
Wonderful as "Christmas Gifts from Your Kitchen".

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup crushed Graham crackers (* see note below)
1/2 cup margarine or butter - room temperature (* see note below)
1 cup peanut butter - smooth or crunchy
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounce bag of meltable cocoa chips (* see note below)

Crush the cookies in a food processor or in a plastic bag with with rolling pin.  Mix and cream them with the butter, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla. Form small balls by rolling a small amount between your hands and place on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan. Chill for about half an hour or until firm.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler - microwave is cleaner and
easier. You will probably need to zap it a few short times to get it to right
consistency.

Dip each peanut butter ball into the melted chocolate. You might have to put the
chocolate in the microwave a couple of times in between dipping batches of
peanut butter balls.  Place the covered balls back on the parchment covered pan or tray to dry. 

 Store in cool area in a tightly covered container.

NOTES:
* instead of Graham crackers we used Galleticas de Maria, but Lorna Doones,
vanilla wafers or even shortbread cookies can be used.

* we used butter

* the cocoa chips we used were from Wilton's candy melt chips, the cake
decorating company, but German Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate squares can
be used. Be sure to read the microwave melting directions.

YIELD: we got 55 balls using the smallest size of a spring-release ice cream or cookie dough scoop

SOURCE: Not sure. Very easy, fast and absolutely delicious!

Homemade Queso Blanco

Queso blanco is simply 'white cheese'.  In Cuba we used to also call it farmer's cheese or 'queso de campo'. 

Queso Fresco (Fresh Cheese) and Queso Blanco are slightly different in texture although even in Mexico or South America the two names are sometimes used interchangeably. They are similar in taste and style but made differently.

Queso Fresco is made with rennet and will melt when heated. 

Queso Blanco can be made with lemon juice or vinegar and will soften but not melt when heated but can be sliced and fried.

Equipment needed

Heavy bottom pot large enough to hold the amount of milk

Colander

Large bowl or 8 cup meassuring cup

Cheesecloth

Skimmer

Queso Blanco

1/2 gallon (2 quarts or 8 cups) whole milk*

1 Tablespoon sea salt

3 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar or lemon juice

*I used 1 cup Half & Half and made up the rest of the milk amount with the whole milk.  It gave the cheese a little creamier consistency.

Line the colander with a couple of plies of cheesecloth.  Make sure to place the colander over a bowl or an 8 cup meassuring cup to catch the whey.

Pour the milk in the pot adding the salt.  Heat until just to the boiling point stirring every once in a while.  Do not let it stick to bottom or boil over.

Turn to low and add the vinegar or lemon juice, stirring for a bit.  Turn heat off.

Skim the curds into the colander that has been lined with cheesecloth.    Pour the rest of the whey to drain so that you can catch every bit of curds.  Let it sit for a bit while draining.  You might squeeze it a bit.

Unwrap the cheesecloth and press cheese into the mold, plate or bowl.  If you want a denser consistency, press out the remaining liquid by placing a plate over the cheese and a weight over it.  Let it sit for about an hour or so.

Refrigerate.

Just before serving, I sprinkled with a bit of seasoned salt that was given to us as part of a Christmas gift.

Serve with crackers.

Buen Provecho!

 

 

 

 

Coffee...The frisky berry

   

Today, September 29th, is National Coffee Day and in celebration, I am resurrecting and old article I wrote for The Hawaii Tribune-Herald of Hilo in February 2003 when I was their weekly food columnist.

COFFEE…The frisky berry!

Have you ever wondered how coffee was discovered? 

According to records, coffee was first found in the upper plateaus of Abyssinia
(modern day Ethiopia) around the latter part of the 10th Century.  But there
are some sources that state coffee was found even earlier than that.

Coffee (Coffea arabica), the seed of a cherry from a shiny leafed small tree,
grows only within ranges from sea level to approximately 6,000 feet in a narrow
sub-tropical belt.

The popularity of coffee spread all over the Middle East, through centuries of
nomadic travels due to the trade and bartering generated during those travels.
Coffee reached Arabia where many coffeehouses started to sprout.  It eventually
reached Spain with the Moors who had settled there and to England during the
Crusades.

Coffee became the “patriotic drink of choice” in the American colonies due to
England’s Tax Law of 1773, where by trying to do away with the middle merchants
and underselling tea, the British East India Company was hoping to avoid going
into bankruptcy. 

The colonist’s response was to stage the first major protest against 
“taxation without representation” by dumping hundreds of tea chests into
Boston Harbor in December of 1773.  This act of revolt has been known ever
since as “The Boston Tea Party”.  As word spread throughout the colonies,
other coastal towns in every one of the thirteen colonies joined in and
dumped their tea into the ocean.

 


As legend goes the coffee berry was discovered by Kaldi, a goat herder or
shepherd who, around 600-800 AD, was tending to his animals one night on the
mountainside in Eastern Africa, around the regions of what we know today as
Ethiopia. 

Kaldi noticed that his herd was acting quite merry and strange, leaping and
cavorting after eating the little red cherries from bushes growing wild in
the area.  Curious, he picked some and tasted them himself. He found that
the berries invigorated him and made him wide-awake!

Kaldi decided to take the berries to the abbot of the monastery in his
village.  Upon hearing the report on the goats’ behavior after eating the
berries, the abbot condemned them as evil and threw them in the fire to
cleanse them. 

The wonderful aroma of the berries as they roasted brought all the villagers
out to investigate.  Soon they were raking them from the coals and grinding
the roasted berries between rocks and adding hot water to make a drink.   
From then on, legend says they all embraced coffee drinking as it kept them
awake during the long hours of prayers in the mosques and monasteries.

Apparently, the Dutch were the first Europeans to grow coffee commercially
in Java around 1696.  The French took the plant to the Caribbean, where many
of the islands depended on coffee crops for their survival.  It was being
grown in Cuba as early as 1748. 

From Cuba, the Spanish took it to Central America and it eventually was
brought to Hawaii in 1825.  Now coffee is grown in several of the islands
with Kona grown coffee being the best known.  For the last few years though,
several coffee farms have sprouted in the Hamakua area with very good results.

Whether the legend of Kaldi and his goats is fact or fiction, coffee has been
around for centuries and I am so grateful to be able to greet each day with
that wonderful first cup of the aromatic brew!

CAFÉ CON LECHE CUSTARD
Café con leche is the traditional “latte” that most Latinos drink for
breakfast.  It combines a strong espresso coffee with steamed milk and
sugar.  Yields 4 portions

4 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2-1/2 Tablespoons instant coffee powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
Whipped cream
Chocolate covered coffee beans for garnish

Stir cornstarch in one cup of milk, stirring until smooth.  In top of a double
boiler, pour the cornstarch mixture, the rest of the milk, cream, instant
coffee powder and sugar.  Stir over medium-high heat until thickened. 
Cover and let simmer about 10 minutes.

Beat the eggs well.  Slowly add 1 cup of the hot coffee mixture to the eggs,
beating continuously so eggs don’t curdle. 

Pour egg mixture into remaining coffee mixture in the double boiler, still
over low heat, beating well to incorporate.  Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour into coffee cups.  Cover with plastic wrap, leave
to cool and refrigerate.  When chilled, top with fresh whipped cream and one
chocolate covered coffee bean.

(c) Sonia R. Martinez - originally published February 2003

Cacao - From Tree to Chocolate

Chocolate making is spreading on the Big Island!

There are several farmers on Hawai’i Island planting varieties of Theobroma cacao trees that produce cacao seeds or pods from which cocoa and chocolate is made. The best known varieties are Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario which is a hybrid mix of both Criollo and Forastero.

 

The quality of the chocolate depends on the variety of the tree, and Criollo is considered the best chocolate producing trees.

I recently participated in a fun one-day chocolate making workshop that took us from harvesting the cacao pods to making the chocolate and all the steps in between.

 

We arrived at the site early on a beautiful, sunny but breezy morning and were given a short orientation talk by Tom Sharkey, the owner of the little farmstead and a coffee and cacao grower.

Our group got paired up in teams of twos, one picking the pods and the other carrying a burlap sack to put them in. As we walked through the cacao grove, Tom explained and demonstrated what to look for and how to pick. He explained how the trees need to be trimmed by cutting all but the main trunk as the little trees grew to make it easier to harvest.

 

 

The pods are harvested approximately every two weeks and the ‘ripe’ stage can be red, yellow, orange or mixed, depending on the variety of cacao tree. We harvested approximately 300 pods that morning.  

As sacks were filled and dumped into a wheelbarrow they were taken to the shed where the processing started.

 

We were taught how to open the pods by giving them one or two sharp blows with a mallet and how to shuck the pods by removing the placentas with the seeds. Each pod can contain anywhere from 30 to 40 seeds.

After all the pods were opened and shucked, the seeds were placed in a large plastic container with drainage in the bottom to collect the juices. We were given ice-cold juice from a previous harvest to taste and found it delicious. The empty pods are recycled as composting material and nothing is wasted.

 

 

After the juices are drained, the beans are placed in a different container to ferment for 5 to 7 days, turning them each day, making sure that the beans are heating up.

After fermenting comes the drying stage; the beans are turned onto a mesh bottom drying rack in a single layer, in a well ventilated area and stirred daily. This process can take up to 6 days, depending on heat and air circulation, but dryness can be tested by opening a bean.

 

 

 

The dried beans need to be ground or cracked using a machine called Crackenstein or for small batches just simply a rolling pin. Tom has a machine he rigged up to separate the dried husks from the nibs, but a regular hand-held hair dryer can be used when processing small batches.

 

When roasting small batches of nibs, set a toaster oven at 425oF and roast for 9 minutes, then down to 325oF for another 9 minutes and finally bring the temperature down to 259oF for 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To grind the nibs a large Champion juicer can be used or a peanut butter machine to turn the nibs into paste. The paste is then placed in a Santha wet grinding-mixing machine for conching, for 2 to 4 days, adding sugar and vanilla slowly after paste is liquefied (about 12 hours). At this point you may also add cocoa butter and lecithin (emulsifier), but we didn’t add anything but sugar and vanilla to our batch.

Sugar can be adjusted according to your taste. Our dark chocolate was made using 75% cacao to 25% sugar.

 

 

 

 

To temper, the chocolate should be brought up to 115 to 120 degrees, then removed from heat and cooled to approximately 82 F. Bring the temperature back to 88-90 degrees and maintain while pouring into molds by working quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Squirt bottles work well for pouring the liquid chocolate into the molds. To minimize air bubbles, first tap the squirt bottle and after pouring, tap the molds to remove as many bubbles as possible. Chill for about 15 to 20 minutes to set and pop loose from mold.

Each participant left on a chocolate high with a few packages of the chocolate and a potted one foot Criollo variety of cacao tree.

For more information on Tom Sharkey’s chocolate making workshops contact him at tshark@hawaii.rr.com Tom also runs Sharky's Cafe on the first block of Waianuenue Avenue in downtown Hilo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary:

Cacao: the name of the tree and the pod, not to be confused with cocoa a product derived from processing the cacao beans

Nibs: the clean, roasted and slightly crushed cacao bean. The taste is slightly bittersweet and richer than the chocolate made from them.

Conching: the process by which the chocolate is processed to avoid grittiness by keeping the chocolate in a hot liquid state until completely smooth.

Tempering: the final process which gives the chocolate a satiny and glossy finish by removing all crystallization from the liquid.

Recommended reading:

The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural and Natural History of Chocolate with Recipes by Maricel Presilla

Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth about the World’s Greatest Food by David Wolfe

Making homemade cheeses.........

(Photo credit) - Chef Olelo pa'a Faith Ogawa with her mobile phone...

 

I attended a fun all day cheesemaking class yesterday in Waimea, offered by Vicki Dunaway who works with Dick and Heather Threfall at their Hawai'i Island Goat Dairy.

 

We donned aprons and hairnets and after reviewing the packed full folder-packets Vicki had put together for us, we got started with the cheesemaking process.

 

(Photo) Olelo pa'a adding renet to the feta mix

 

We made several cheeses in class - cottage cheese, feta, havarti and camembert, but the camembert didn't turn out so it was added back to the whey from the other cheeses.

 

(Photo) Feta cheese in molds 

 

My share of the feta cheese was brought home and set to brining in a 10% salt to water mix.  I will be packing it in olive oil and adding fresh rosemary, garlic cloves and some of the red hot Hawaiian chile peppers to it.

 

Several members of the class took half gallon jars of whey home to make ricotta with.  I took 2 half gallon jars. 

 

(Photo) Filling half gallon jars with whey after the class.

 

I started to make my ricotta when I got home - it was a very primitive set up since I had to use my meat thermometer to make sure I reached the right temp for the whey/milk combination and my meat thermometer shaft was not long enough to just clip on the edge of my stockpot... I had to hold the thermometer with one hand and stir with the other...hot work...but I got it done and to the mix I added the bit of salt and then apple cider vinegar...and made ricotta!

(Photo) Vicki during class 

 

Ratio of whey and milk to acid for ricotta = 2 gallon fresh whey - 1 quart milk - 1/4 cup acid (lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar)

 

I started with about 1 gallon of fresh whey (Ph of about 5) and added 1/2 qt no fat milk - if you want it creamier use whole milk or add a tablespoon of cream -  and 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

Heat to 200 degrees slowly on low temp - use a long shaft thermometer that you can clip on lip of stockpot - stirring often.

 

(Photo) is it cheese yet? 

 

It took a while of stirring the whey, milk combination to reach the 200 degrees needed and since my thermomether is a meat one and not one of the ones with long shaft, it was ackward to hold it with one hand over the edge of the stockpot and into the liquid to get a constant reading....but I will certainly be investing in a proper thermometer now....

At about 140 degrees add salt. I used less than a Tbsp. ...
Continue heating and stirring periodically until it reaches 200 degrees.  do not let it boil

Turn off and add acid (lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar- I used the apple cider vinegar) and stir.

Let it sit a while

Prepare a colander lined with layers of cheesecloth and set it over a grid (I used one of my cookie cooling racks) or an oven rack - and set it over a larger container to catch the whey dripping - I used a large glass bowl.

Start laddling the mixture into the cheesecloth covered colander and keep adding as it drains - let it sit a few minutes. You can squeeze it to drain more but I didn't want a very dry ricotta so I let it retain some moisture.

 

(Photo) my ricotta - I got about a pound of ricotta for my gallon of whey and milk  mix.

The leftover whey I saved to add to our dog Phoebe's food - she loved it!  If you have chickens or livestock mix it with their water.  According to one of the attendees, a couple of days after starting to mix whey in the water for her chickens, the eggs were actually bigger and better.

I bought a cheesemaking book and will be trying my hand at others...  I'm strting with the easier ones...!  I think either mascarpone or queso blanco will be next...

Taste of Puna 2010

After a one-year hiatus, the Taste of Puna Cookoff was held once again this past May 15th.  Sorry I'm late with this post, but my computer was giving me all sorts of troubles and finally died....but you don't want to read about that...You want to know about the contest!

The entries in all three categories were all beautiful and delicious...the judges had a very good time tasting and it was hard to choose winners. 

Carl Okuyama,owner of Foodland in the Kea'au Shopping Center and founder of the Taste of Puna some 13 years ago; Valerie Ferrari, Director of Marketing for the shopping center and Steve Hansen, the 'Big Island Event Guy' did a great job of planning and coordinating this fun event.

The Taste of Puna stresses the use of Puna grown, raised or produced foods, and recipes were judged not only by taste, presentation and creativity but also by the use of locally grown products.

The Pupu Category:

1st Place - Noel Morata with his beautiful Fluffy Ravioli, Bok Choy and Papaya - these flat raioli were deliciously delicate and almost like 'stuffed crepes' with a papaya sauce drizzled over them.  This dish was a very elegant presentation.

2nd Place: Amanda Fergerstrom with her innovative Aunty Tita's Island Taco - fresh lettuce served as the wrap under the veggies which composed the filling.  Light and tasty topped with an avocado slice.  I would have loved a squirt of lime over it!

3rd Place - Lisa Velez with a local kine version of 'Taco Dejas' - a combination of Puerto Rican and Hawaiian ingredients plus their own garden tomatoes, ginger, limes and onions,  The masa for the pastry made use of taro flour.

 

The Entree Category:

1st Place - Peter Kaluna with a delicious Mauna Loa Morning brunch combination - almost a bit too much to eat, the judges could not get enough.   The French Taost was made with thick slabs of Hawaiian sweet bread dipped in egg batter and then in a mixture of chopped macadamia nuts, flaked coconut and ground up Corn Flakes all mixed and toasted.  Served along with the French Toast were Purple Sweet Potato Hash and "Lava Rocks" Goat Cheese, Puna "Best Bee's" Honey and Vanilla Creme Anglaise.  A carved papaya served as container for a rich Kea'au Papaya, Banana and Spirulina Smoothie.

2nd Place - Graciano del Mar with Ohelo Berry Coconut Shrimp - the use of ohelo berries was inspired in this delicately creamy and delicious shrimp presentation.

3rd Place - Bill Eger and a Paniolo Style Old Fashioned Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes and Salad - I loved the meat loaf cooked in the old fashioned black cast iron Dutch Oven. The mashed potatoes were very creamy and the use of their Mountain View home grown combination of Tellicherry black and red pepper gave it a distinct flavor.  The side of salad included watercress also grown in his home garden.

The Dessert Category:

1st Place - Sunserene Queveda with a wonderful Pumpkin Creme Brulee.  By far the best pumpkin flan or creme brulee I've ever tasted.  Sunserene grew the pumpkins herself and then roasted it to get a nice flavor.  I'm sure the creaminess and smooth texture was also due to the use of her own chikens' freshest eggs. 

2nd Place - Tiari Correa with her Guavalicious Guava Cheesecake - a combination of shortbread and cheesecake plus the creamy guava filling gave this delicious dessert three distinct textures.  A drizzle of guava syrup added a final touch.

3rd Place - Shane Hanaoka's ono Banana Liliko'i Upside-Down Cake - The youngest contestant has a bright future in the culinary world.  Shane is a first year student at the Hawai'i Community College School of Culinary Arts in Hilo.  Imua, Shane!

I know my fellow judges had as hard a time as I just tasting the entries.  The dishes were all so good we wouldn't have minded eating every last bit of each!

Notes from the Herbal Garden

Two of my favorite pastimes are cooking and gardening, which seem to go together. When you plant an herb garden, you get double the satisfaction!

Living in Hawai'i , you can plant an herb garden at any time, but this seems to be the perfect time of year to start one. The nights are a little cooler, the sun is still hot in the daytime and we should soon start getting some refreshing rain. If you don’t have the patience to wait for seeds to sprout, get cuttings that you can root in a glass of water or buy plants at your nearest nursery.

If you do go the seed route, my son came up with an ingenious idea so the birds would not get the seeds before they could sprout. We had some old wood framed window screens which he used over the seed plantings and just propped them up with big rocks on each corner. This way, when the first sprouts come up, they still have room to grow without getting mashed down. This system also serves as protection during heavy rains.

Planting herbs in raised beds seem to give them the drainage many herbs need to thrive. It is also an easier way to harvest them. Mints and other invasive type herbs do better in containers where you can control the spreading. Herbs are usually tough and trouble-free, but pests and diseases do sometimes attack. Pinching off affected parts is a quick and effective control measure.

Using fresh herbs in cooking is as old as the first time someone thought that a certain piece of green leaf would go well with a certain other ingredient.  Of course, the amount of herbs used in recipes is a matter of personal taste, but when following a recipe that calls for either dry or fresh herbs and you need to substitute, use this rule of thumb conversion: 1 tablespoon of fresh equals one teaspoon of dry.

When making stews or any recipe that needs to cook for several hours, you can avoid cooking out the fresh or dried herb flavor, by adding it in the last stages of cooking.  On the other hand, when preparing foods that will chill, you should do the opposite and add the herbs several hours in advance to give the flavors time to meld.

When cooking with herbs that are tough (Cuban or Caribbean oregano for one and bay or laurel leaves) or have woody stems and you want to use the whole stem, such as rosemary or even thyme, crush the herbs a bit and place them in a stainless steel mesh tea ball which you can then insert or drop into the cooking pot.  I have several sizes I use for just this purpose.  You can fish out the whole thing and not have to pick the herbs out before serving the dish.  

When harvesting your herbs, they can be preserved for months in the freezer.
You need to wash and dry them first, by laying on double layers of paper towel and then patting dry with more towels.  Place them in freezer bags. 

Some of the best herbs for freezing include tarragon, basil, dill, chives and parsley. Parsley, perhaps the most commonly used of all herbs, is also packed with Vitamins A and C.  When you eat the little piece of fresh parsley that is garnishing your plate, remember that it not only serves as decoration, but it can also be used to freshen your breath after eating.

The best herbs to dry at home are bay leaves, marjoram and oregano.  The microwave is the handiest method to use for herb drying at home.  Wash them well and pat them dry before placing the leaves between layers of paper towels.  At the lowest setting, zap them for about three minutes.

The most popular herbs to plant seem to be basil, rosemary, chives, parsley,
cilantro, mint, oregano, tarragon and thyme.

(c) Sonia R. Martinez

(Parts of this article first appeared in the Hawaii Tribune Herald of Hilo - September 14, 2004)

Is it a yellow orange or a Meyer Lemon?

About 6 years ago we bought two little citrus trees in one gallon pots. One was supposed to be a Mexican lime and the other a Meyer lemon. We planted them close together due to space limitations and my son wanted to have more or less “one tree trunk” producing two kinds of citrus.

They grew, but nothing happened at all until year before last when one of them flowered. We had no idea which one. Although it had quite a bit of blooms, it produced only one fruit by Christmas of ‘08, but it was enough to determine it was the Meyer lemon. The Mexican lime has never bloomed at all.

Last year, the little tree bloomed all over and we have been able to harvest quite a few lemons – 13 big lemons so far and we still have another 14 left on the tree.

The 13 lemons yielded almost 6 and half cups of juice!

The Meyer lemon tree (Citrus x meyeri 'Meyer') aka Valley Lemon in Texas, was named for Frank Meyer who introduced the tree to the United States while working for the USDA in China in 1908. After a virus infected the trees in the ‘40s, the trees were banned as a precaution since the virus could possibly attack other citrus varieties.

Lucky for us, a new and hardier version of the Meyer was discovered and the tree re-introduced in 1970 and went on to become a favorite in the home garden or patio, since they grow so well in large pots.

The shape of the Meyer lemon is rounder than other lemons, almost as big as an orange and the flesh is orange-yellow in color.

The fruit can be used as you would that of any other lemon, but it will have a distinctive and milder taste. At the end I list some ideas for using the fruit. I found them by doing a search on the Internet and through discussions with some of my Internet foodie friends.

As I mentioned above, our little harvest yielded a lot of juice. Some I froze in ice cube trays to then save in freezer plastic bags to use in iced tea or for cooking. Some I froze in small sized plastic bags and ended up making lemonade with the rest.

 
Meyer Lemon Lemonade

2-1/2 cups Meyer lemon juice
2-1/2 cups simple syrup
12 cups cold water

To make the simple syrup you need to bring to a boil equal portions of sugar and water until sugar dissolves completely. Do not boil for long or the syrup will get too thick.

Mix all ingredients well and pour into a pitcher or a cold drink dispenser jug and refrigerate.

I love to serve it with a sprig of spearmint.

Limoncello
Limoncello is a lemon liqueur that originated in the Amalfi coast of Italy and has become quite popular in the States. The lemons used there are traditionally Sorrento lemons, which are huge yellow lemons with a lot of juice, but almost any lemon zest can be used.

Zet or peel from 2 pounds of lemon – yellow part only
4 cups of 100 proof vodka
3 cups sugar
3 cups water

When peeling or zesting the lemons, be careful to peel the yellow only. If by chance you get some of the white pith, scrape it with the edge of a spoon. The white pith will give your liqueur a bitter taste.

Steep the peel in four cups of 100 proof vodka in a large bowl covered with a tea towel or cheesecloth for one week at room temperature. Make simple syrup by stirring three cups of sugar and three cups of water in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; cool. Add to the vodka mixture and stir. Strain the liquid into bottles; seal and chill the limoncello for one month. Pour into small glasses and enjoy!

YIELD: Not supplied
SOURCE: Bon Appetit, May 2002

Limoncello Spritzers
The recipe for the spritzers is one my friend Diane shared in her family blog. The photograph is also courtesy of Diane.

Ice cubes
Seltzer water
Limoncello

Place ice cubes in a pitcher and add Seltzer and Limoncello (1 1/2 cups Seltzer to 1 1/2 cups Limoncello for 2 drinks).
Stir and serve in wine goblets.
Garnish with lemon slice if desired.

Diane used Meyer lemon slices from her garden for the garnish.
NOTE: The above amounts are per the recipe by Michael Chiarello, but Diane and her daughter found they liked more Seltzer mixed into the drink than called for. She also thinks that a touch of mint would be a nice addition.

YIELD: 2 drinks
SOURCE: Diane Willis
If you like home style Italian food, try Diane's Un Saludo a las Cucinas de Italia blog http://asalutetothekitchensofitaly.blogspot.com

You can also find Diane’s recipe for Limoncello Cheesecake in the following blog link: http://asalutetothekitchensofitaly.blogspot.com/2010/01/limoncello-cheesecake.html

If you have more lemon peel than you need for making limoncello:

Other tips for using Meyer Lemons –

*From my friends Diane in California and Deb in Georgia –Use a vegetable peeler and save the peel before juicing the lemons. Freeze the peels in small snack size bags. When lemon zest is needed, just take the needed amount out, defrost, mince and you will have fresh lemon zest to use in baking and all types of recipes.

The Meyer Lemon peels can be candied as well. They are really tasty and make pretty decorations for cup cakes, cakes, tarts, and other pastries.

The following are by Amy Scattergood Los Angeles Times Staff Writer in the January 16th, 2008 issue.

* Infuse your favorite olive oil with Meyer lemon peel: Warm a cup of olive oil and the peel from 2 lemons over very low heat for 15 minutes, then allow cooling for half an hour. Strain and pour into an antique bottle with a tight stopper.

* Make Meyer lemon vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil, Meyer lemon juice, a splash of champagne vinegar, sea salt, cracked black pepper and a little lemon zest.

* Add Meyer lemon peels into a jar of honey and allow to sit for a few weeks; the peel will perfume the honey while it slowly candies in the jar.

* Perfume your sugar bowl by stirring strips of Meyer lemon peel down into the sugar.

* Make hollandaise sauce with Meyer lemon.

* Whisk the zest of a few Meyer lemons into your favorite meringue recipe.

* Throw the peel of a Meyer lemon on the grill before cooking shrimp.

* Peel a whole Meyer lemon in one continuous long strand and drop the peel into a mug of hot chocolate.

Banana Macadamia Nut Bread

The original recipe is for use in a bread machine.  I don't have one so I made it by hand. If you use a bread machine, add the ingredients in the order given in the original recipe.

The following is how the original recipe reads, below is how I made it. I did
not make the Chocolate Banana Spread.

Banana Macadamia Nut Bread

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium)
1 Tablespoon butter - softened
1 egg white
2 cups bread flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 3/4 teaspoons regular active dry yeast or 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Follow your machines instructions. Serve with chocolate banana spread.

Chocolate Banana Spread

1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips -- melted

Mix together.

Yield: 1 lb loaf
Source: Unknown

By Hand Method:

1/2 cup warm water (120 F)
2 Tablespoons sugar
1- 3/4 teaspoons SAF instant yeast

1 Tablespoon butter - softened
1 egg white
1/3 cup mashed ripe Brazilian Apple banana

2 cups bread flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped and toasted macadamia nuts

Mix the sugar and yeast in the warm water in the measuring cup
Mix the butter, egg white and mashed banana in a small bowl
Mix the flour, salt and mac nuts in a larger bowl

Mix the butter, egg, banana mixture into the flour mixture and add the yeasty
water. Mix well

Spray the bread mold with Baker's Joy and add granulated sugar to coat all sides
and bottom. Pour in bread mixture and fill in all sides. Let it rest for about
10-15 minutes. It almost doubled.

Bake in 350 F preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes.
Let it cool for about 5 minutes and turn over onto a cooling rack.
Slice and serve.

My observations:
The crumb was very nice and the granulated sugar coating on the mold gave it a
slight nice little crunch on the outside. Not much, just enough.
The banana taste did not come through as much as I would have liked, even though
our little bananas are very sweet. I think it needed more.
The macnuts gave it a nice texture.

I will make this again but next time I will add more bananas.