I made this citrus bundt cake, the flavor was great, the texture not perfect - it was a bit dense and not as airy looking as the picture. I noticed that the amount of flour listed was 240 grams or two cups. I believe 240 grams is one cup (as 120 grams of the sugar listed is 1/2 cup). If 1 cup of flour was meant, in stead of the two cups I used, the cake would have been fairly flat (unless it rises more with the same amount of baking powder and less flour). What was intended?
This picture looking down on the cake is just so pretty that I can't resist giving it a try. Such an interesting combination of ingredients. I wish I had a meyer lemon tree growing in my yard but I live in the wrong part of the country.
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Ms. Handler,
Meyer lemon trees do very well in pots which can be moved inside during cold months. It's a really hardy hybrid; give it a try!
Meyer lemon trees do very well in pots which can be moved inside during cold months. It's a really hardy hybrid; give it a try!
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I've already baked this recipe twice, one for the homeless and one will be served as a birthday cake for a friend. (I wrote about this bake on my foodblog: https://flourishen.blogspot.com.) I've baked and cooked so many of Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes; they're always on point and delectable. "A childhood scented with citrus" goes even deeper with his childhood story. Really remarkable. I'm glad that he is now a NYT contributor.
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Thank you for sharing your love of lemons (and citrus) and the memories they evoke of your brother. I am very sorry for your loss. Amazing, isn't it, how scents evoke such powerful memories.
I have grown lemons and citrus for years. Long ago I read that Italy and Israel have the best lemons, so I got trees from both places (my husband brought back the trees from Israel). There are still many more kinds from Corsica and Sardinia that I would like, as well as more from coastal Italy, and I still want a lemon tree from Greece from where I lived ages ago.
That said, with my 27 citrus varieties aside, nothing ever seems quite as magical as the lemon. The all-too-familiar Meyer goes with (and in) everything. The Ponderosa and Etrog pack a powerful punch; the Italian Feminellos leave a lingering lemon taste in everything. The Israeli, Eurekas, Genoas and Santa Teresas change from sweet to tart depending on the weather. Each fruit imparts a truly different character to homemade limoncellos, desserts, fish, chicken (especially), breads, etc. No, all lemons (and citrus) are not the same.
Thank you again for a wonderful reminder of how the smell of a single fruit can bring memories of sunny, happy times or even a missing friend.
I have grown lemons and citrus for years. Long ago I read that Italy and Israel have the best lemons, so I got trees from both places (my husband brought back the trees from Israel). There are still many more kinds from Corsica and Sardinia that I would like, as well as more from coastal Italy, and I still want a lemon tree from Greece from where I lived ages ago.
That said, with my 27 citrus varieties aside, nothing ever seems quite as magical as the lemon. The all-too-familiar Meyer goes with (and in) everything. The Ponderosa and Etrog pack a powerful punch; the Italian Feminellos leave a lingering lemon taste in everything. The Israeli, Eurekas, Genoas and Santa Teresas change from sweet to tart depending on the weather. Each fruit imparts a truly different character to homemade limoncellos, desserts, fish, chicken (especially), breads, etc. No, all lemons (and citrus) are not the same.
Thank you again for a wonderful reminder of how the smell of a single fruit can bring memories of sunny, happy times or even a missing friend.
5
A pleasure to read about your childhood in the hills outside Florence as I am sitting in the living room looking out into our part of the same hills. The house that we restored had the same crumbling, somewhat mysterious feel that you evoked.
Of course lemons are always aplenty here too!
Saluti
Of course lemons are always aplenty here too!
Saluti
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Loved this article. We are going to try the recipes today.
I made the orange cake for a dinner party the other night but adapted it for a gluten free guest. I used 1 cup almond flour and 1 cup Cup for Cup gf flour. Same cooking time, everything else the same. It came out great - moist and light. Sadly there were no leftovers.
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I wonder how the got lemons to Wrowclaw before Easter. A feature of my grandmother's babka.
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Yotam
As always, your prolific and delightful writing is exceeded only by your love for cooking and the fantastic recipes you have shared.
I too have cooked my way through "Jerusalem" and "Plenty" and continue to do so many times.
I went to cooking schoold in Europe to learn both classical and nuvo methods but have long given them up for the delicious mediterranean and middle eastern cusine you have given us...
I will absolutely try this Rosemary cake this weekend along with one of your other special dishes.
As always, your prolific and delightful writing is exceeded only by your love for cooking and the fantastic recipes you have shared.
I too have cooked my way through "Jerusalem" and "Plenty" and continue to do so many times.
I went to cooking schoold in Europe to learn both classical and nuvo methods but have long given them up for the delicious mediterranean and middle eastern cusine you have given us...
I will absolutely try this Rosemary cake this weekend along with one of your other special dishes.
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The citrus cake is a marvelous recipe, particularly if it is soaked either in cream sherry or citrus-based liqueur. But rosemary and olive oil read strange: one associates these two with savory, rather than sweet, dishes.
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Having sampled rosemary used in a sweet apricot gelato, and having cooked pastries with olive oil rather than butter, I can assure you the flavour is delicious, an intriguing variation on the usual flavouring. Be sure you use a milder olive oil rather than one of the bitter ones, if you are concerned.
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Don't knock it till you've tried it! Olive oil cake is delicious.
So, cream of tartar or lemon juice stabilizes egg whites! I didn't realize. It's breaking some of the bonds in the protein. Thanks, lemons are a lot easier to find in my kitchen in Sunny California!
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What a beautiful essay. As wonderful as these pages are, I am not accustomed to seeing such eloquence amid the recipes. Wonderful to have a new voice in the Cooking section!
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Well, first of all, that was a lovely piece...just for the pleasure of reading it.
I'll be trying out all of these accompanying recipes. It's been several years, at least, since I first discovered Orange Polenta Cake (from "Ottolenghi: The cookbook"). That cake has been a regular hit in this household ever since.
Thank you,
David Terry
I'll be trying out all of these accompanying recipes. It's been several years, at least, since I first discovered Orange Polenta Cake (from "Ottolenghi: The cookbook"). That cake has been a regular hit in this household ever since.
Thank you,
David Terry
5
What a beautiful, evocative article. So sorry you lost your brother.
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Thank you for breathing sunshine (and magic!) into an otherwise rainy and foggy New England morning. It served as a much-needed reminder that spring will be here soon, and in the meantime, we can brighten up our days with citrus!
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What does this mean, avoid crushing the membranes when juicing? I understand about the bitterness of the white pith, of course, but this sentence means to me that the segment membranes also add bitterness. Does this mean that he suggests we remove the segments from their membranes, and then make juice from them? That's a lot of work..... I really like my wood lemon reamer.
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Just finished watching another season of GBBO. Looks like one of the contestants was inspired by Mr. Ottolenghi! Can't wait to try.
P.S. A sweet story!
P.S. A sweet story!
What a gift to wake up on a dreary very ordinary Wednesday to this beautiful piece. Wonderful!
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I, too, live in a climate without frost–with a prolific lemon tree–and look forward to using your citrus recipes. Would you consider sharing one for your Mum's limoncello?
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Welcome Yotam! A couple of years ago I cooked my way through _Jerusalem_ and still prepare some of those recipes even though it's just the two of us.
Your tip about beating the egg whites with lemon juice is brilliant. I always learn something from you.
Please write again!
Your tip about beating the egg whites with lemon juice is brilliant. I always learn something from you.
Please write again!
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I loved reading your story! What wonderful memories you have that still linger in your senses. We too have a drawf meyer lemon tree in a terra cotta pot growing in our yard. I love using lemons in my cooking as well and the ability to walk outside and grab what I need is so satisfying. I will be trying these recipes, so generously shared. Thank you!
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Lemon sponge cake with a thick crust of sugar on top . That is light American dessert !
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Greatly enjoy reading Yotom's description of the light desserts he has shared so far. His style is as refreshing as his recipes! Look forward to trying the rosemary, olive oil, orange cake. Nothing beats the appeal of a kitchen counter with succulent lemons in a bowl resting near a sunny window. As Yotom says, a bit of lemon can make the food sing.
17
Oh wonderful, Meyer lemons are abundant in my retirement community and rosemary is in the yard. I may never get to Mr Ottolenghi's restaurant in London, although that excursion is on my bucket list, but I will be happily grateful for all the exquisite recipes he so generously shares with the world! Please invite him to write often.
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Thank you for sharing such a lovely story.
I adore lemons and we now have a terra cotta pot growing a Meyer lemon dwarf plant on my patio. I'll be trying these recipes very soon.
I adore lemons and we now have a terra cotta pot growing a Meyer lemon dwarf plant on my patio. I'll be trying these recipes very soon.
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This is one of my favorite cakes, made even more special now because of the warm memories associated with it.
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