When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemon Curd

I have a new mantra for you. When life gives you lemons, make lemon curd. A longtime favorite in England, lemon curd has in recent years begun popping up in everything from gourmet cupcakes to restaurant breakfast menus. When a friend gave us a bag of lemons, I researched making my own lemon curd at home and found that it's not to difficult - especially when you have Alton Brown to guide you.

Here's his simple recipe for lemon curd. I made a batch and for Valentines Day, I used it as a filling in mini puff pastry tarts, topped with a single fresh raspberry. They were adorable and my friends and co-workers went crazy for them. Enjoy!

Lemon Curd
Recipe from Alton Brown

5 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

4 lemons, zested and juiced

1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Alton Brown's Vegetable Soup

I have already explained my love for food celebrity Alton Brown in the past (specifically, back when I went a little biscuit crazy). This week found me singing his praises yet again when I tasted the following recipe for vegetable soup. My whole family was shocked at how much flavor can be found in a pot of just vegetables in broth, essentially, perked up with a squeeze of lemon at the end.

This recipe makes a lot, and is fantastic for lunch leftover purposes. This soup actually tasted better on the second day, and kept well for several days in the fridge. Long live Alton!

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (from approximately 3 medium leeks)

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic

Kosher salt

2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (approximately 2 medium)

2 cups peeled and diced potatoes2 cups fresh green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes

2 ears corn, kernels removed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn kernels, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Serve immediately.

Southern Biscuits, Alton Brown-style

Because the picture I posted last time made my mouth water, and because I had lots of strawberry jam and wanted to give it away to some friends with something of the baked variety, I made biscuits tonight. I found the most fantastic recipe by Alton Brown, one of my favorite Food Network celebrities. Watching Alton cook is like observing what might occur if Bill Nye the Science Guy took to experimenting in the kitchen. I love the way he uses food science to create perfectionist alpha recipes, explaining the history and culture behind each targeting dish as he goes.

These biscuits tastes exactly as a biscuit should taste, and the texture is divine- crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy inside. Paired with jam or honey, they are to die for. Note: If you use the 2-inch biscuit cutter that he suggests, you will end up with closer to 2 dozen mini-biscuits. At least I did. For medium size, try 2.5"; for large size, try 3".

With no further ado, I give you.... Alton Brown's Southern Biscuits.

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.