Welcome to Out of the Bottle: The Scented World! Once a month, I'll be writing about fragrant food and plants, interviewing perfumers, artists, scientists, and other people who use scent in their work, and reporting on exhibitions and lectures related to scent. I'm currently in the process of gathering topic ideas and contacting prospective interviewees, so if you think there is something deliciously smelly I should go eat, a person I've just got to talk to, or you're wondering how those magazine people out in Brooklyn who let an artist bomb their offices with oak moss are doing (and I intend to find out), please make suggestions in the comments. You can also contact me by email: alyssa at nstperfume dot com.
Four years ago, a few heady months after I discovered Now Smell This, I wrote a grateful fan letter to Robin in which I confessed I'd developed a slight (ahem) case of fragrance addiction. I also tried, with my new perfume vocabulary, to describe the scent of the Meyer lemons I had just harvested from the tiny tree in my backyard.1 So I thought we'd begin with a dish featuring those lemons — pan fried scallops with Meyer lemon glaze — accompanied by a champagne cocktail made with gorgeously fragrant elderflower cordial.2 Please put on your garden hats and white linen Gatsby trousers now.
Cocktail first. You want well-chilled champagne or prosecco, good but cheap enough to make you feel relaxed. Dry is better, since the cordial is sweet. If you are thinking ahead, chill the cordial too. Either way, pour no more than a measure (about 2 Tbsp) of cordial in the bottom of a tallish, thinnish glass, less cordial for smaller glasses. Now pause and lean over the glass to sniff the amazing scent of passion fruit and magnolias and — what else? Sniff again to find out. Violets, maybe. Add the wine, stopping a good two fingers from the top. Stir gently. Violent fizzing will occur. When things calm down, sip. Ah. If too sweet, drink a few sips and add additional champagne, or amend with a slice of Meyer lemon, which you might want in any case. Or a twist of Meyer lemon skin. (Oh yes, do that.) If you prefer martinis, try the cordial with Hendrick’s gin, and Lillet Blanc, shaken, very cold. It tastes like spring, and the purest water, and will knock you for a loop in five minutes. Everyone sipping? Good. Let's talk about fruit.
Believed to be a cross between lemons and mandarin oranges, Meyer lemons are sweeter, rounder, juicier, and more thin-skinned than regular lemons. When fully ripe they are deep golden color, just to the yellow side of orange. Most importantly for our purposes, they smell like heaven’s idea of a lemon. All the sharp, bright, soapy notes that make lemons say “clean” are gone, and in their stead are floral notes, hovering somewhere between apples, orange blossoms and honey, that smooth and sweeten the citrus into something delicate and intoxicating. The fruit of a Meyer lemon tree smells almost exactly like the flower, and its juice is only slightly more astringent than its skin.
Meyer lemons can be used in any recipe featuring lemons save those that depend on the high acidity of regular lemon juice (as in ceviche). These scallops are, as Nigella Lawson says, more of a suggestion than a recipe, but they are delicious nonetheless. Simply fry your scallops3 in a small amount of butter (you need some fat to amplify the flavor of the juice in the glaze) over moderately high heat. When they’re done, remove them to a serving dish and squeeze your Meyer lemons directly into the still-hot pan, using your hands to filter out the seeds, or fish them out of the pan afterwards, as I did. The juice will bubble up with the butter, and scallop juices and the whole will smell fantastic. Inhale deeply through your nose, but stay alert — the juice will reduce into a sticky, caramelized glaze within seconds. When it does, pour it onto the scallops and remove the pan from the heat (but don’t wash it until you’ve read the next paragraph). I had a pound of scallops and used approximately 2 Tbsp butter and two lemons which was just fine. Better than fine. You can certainly use more juice and add additional butter to the glaze if you like (or some of the champagne or cordial, but that’s another recipe).
If you have enough scallops to make a meal, or are using them as an appetizer, bon appetit. If, like me, you can never afford as many as you want, try putting them, still warm, on top of a pile of butter lettuce, letting the juices dress the tender leaves. Top with a few slivered almonds, or some chopped basil, or some thin strips of the Meyer lemon skin (oh yes, do that) and a grind of pepper. Or you could do as I did and swirl some freshly made angel hair pasta, still dripping wet from the boiling water, through what’s left in the frying pan and use that as your base with the same additions. I’m sure other possibilities are occurring to you right now: grilled sourdough with a bit of crumbled bacon, basmati rice with a few drops of orange blossom water, or a few bright slices of strawberry. Whatever you try I urge restraint: let the Meyer lemons take the starring role. They were the point, after all.
I ate my scallops on my pasta, unadorned, my hands still fragrant with oils from squeezing the lemons. Every time I lifted the fork to my mouth, that distinctive, floral citrus perfume came wafting off my skin to my nose. It was wonderful.
Note: image is MA2006.OAP.Jan.Lemon by Elaine with Grey Cats at flickr; some rights reserved.
1. Supposedly, Meyer lemon season runs November-March, but they're still available in my market.
2. I use St. Germain's. If you know of a better one, do say so.
3. Scallops make me nervous. I love them, but they are expensive, and turn bitter when cooked too long, so I often undercook them. Don’t do this — they lose half their sweetness. The key is to give them plenty of space, in a hot, flat pan, so they caramelize instead of steaming in their own juice. Let them sit undisturbed until you flip them, and cook until just opaque. They'll continue to cook for awhile after you remove them from the heat. It will not harm anything to cut into one and check for doneness, and if you take them out too soon it’s not such a horror to put them back in the pan.
When I overcook scallops they turn into rubber balls– I really can’t say whether they’re bitter too! Seriously, your menu sounds delicious, and if I ever muster the nerve and focus to cook scallops again it will be to use your recipe. Bon appetit!
They do turn in to rubber balls! It’s a terrible thing…
Try letting them come to room temp and then cooking them one minute per side in the pan. I’m never patient enough to wait for room temp so I cooked mine longer–about two minutes each side, which seemed way too long, so I kept checking, but they turned out great. But of course it depends on the size of the scallop!
Good tip on temperature and timing– this could brace me for another attempt to cook scallops. Thanks, Alyssa.
My cooking style can best be described as “microwave friendly” but I really enjoyed this article. Lemon – in all its forms – is not only one of my favorite scents but also one of my favorite flavors.
Thanks, Thanna! You might try making lemonade out of Meyer lemons. I like to use bubbly springwater and a sprig of mint of basil when I do that. You’ll get all the benefit of squeezing the lemons with no cooking. Not even a microwave!
Hi Alyssa! Vegetarian here, but I enjoy all-things-Meyer Lemon and have on occasion grown saplings from the seeds (unfortunately they are not fruit producing that way…) The elderflower cordial-cocktail sounds divine. I’ll have to pick some cordial up the next time I’m at a liquor. Looking forward to all your articles! 🙂
Thanks for being so tolerant of my shellfish-loving ways! Perhaps you could try a similar process with some lovely shitakes or oyster mushrooms? A different recipe altogether, but now I want it for lunch… 😉
BTW, I love Lillet and always keep a bottle of either the rouge or the blanc in my fridge. I’m thinking that I want to try the cordial with the Rouge. Was your suggestion of Lillet blanc out of preference? Thanks!
I think the Blanc was mostly a color thing–you want the final drink to look like the miracle water it tastes like. But I’ve never tried Rouge so can’t comment on the flavor difference. Give it a shot and report back! Maybe it will be more sangria-ish, less martini-ish?
Haha, ok, thanks! I’m definitely more sangria than martini, if you know what I mean, so that makes sense. But I’ll give BOTH a try. Any excuse to bust out the Lillet is a good one. 🙂
Hee, hee! I must admit I fall more to the sangria side of the spectrum myself, but I make an exception for Hendricks…
I forgot to mention that the flavor difference I notice is that the Rouge has more of a floral bouquet, which is probably why I prefer it slightly. If you squint your eyes a bit, it’s *almost* like drinking a kind of rose-scented/flavored aperitif. Bon Santé!
I’ve never seen or smelt a Meyer lemon before, but it sounds like they would be delish in one of my favourite veggie oven dishes: courgette halves, hollowed out and filled with a mixture of feta, mascarpone, spring onions, lemon rind & juice and coriander – topped with melty cheese.
Yum!
Hmm…. I just tried to post a comment and somehow it disappeared. I’ll try, try again….
Brava Alyssa on your maiden post here on NST, and welcome. Wonderful article. I love Meyer lemons in guacamole as well, and I *used* to use the identical recipe (suggestion) for very thinly sliced chicken breasts before I became a vegetarian.
Little tech fail–see my reply below…:-)
YAY for Veggies! We should exchange recipes, Rapple 🙂
Absolutely!
Can I join as a part-time/faux veggie?
(It’s Complicated: I’ll only eat organic meats, but since my financial situation won’t allow that expense very often, I’ve been a de facto veggie for most of my life)
Thanks very much, Rapp! Love the idea of the chicken breast…
Hey nice to see you posting on NST, Alyssa! Great post. That elderflower cordial is calling my name. I need to try Meyer lemons, too, obviously. Can’t believe I haven’t yet.
Hi Aimee! Well you know, I still have a nearly full bottle of St. Germain’s in the freezer. Just sayin’…
Oooo, that sounds like an offer I can’t refuse. Email me about when you’re not too busy, and I’ll have no trouble helping you with that cordial.
Thank you for the recipe; I will have to try it out sometime. I have a Meyer lemon in my backyard, and last season my approximately 10-year-old tree produced 220 lemons, so I am always looking for new ways to use them, although lemonade is my favorite. I have only seen them for sale in our markets here once, and they were going for an astronomical price, about $3 or $4 per pound. I believe they are said to produce year-round in very mild winter areas, but here on the Gulf coast they are definitely seasonal. I have harvested lemons as early as late September and as late as March, depending on the weather. I too love the scent of the Meyer lemon–sometimes, I will take one I have just picked, and scratch the rind a little so I can inhale that delicious aroma. If only someone made a perfume that smelled like that!
220 lemons! What a fantastic harvest! Have you tried Moroccan preserved lemons? Just split the lemon into quarters from the top, leaving the bottom intact. Pack salt (I use sea salt) in between the sections, squeeze as many as you can in a mason jar, fill the remaining space with lemon, put the top on and wait a few weeks. Delicious with all kinds of savory dishes, and they make gorgeous gifts.
I have been waiting for a Meyer lemon perfume for forever. What’s wrong with all those So Cal indie perfumers? 😉
Make that “fill the remaining space with lemon juice.” You can add a few cloves, a cinnamon stick or some peppercorns if you like, too.
Does this require any refrigeration, or do you just store at room temperature? I had to deal with quite a few lemons at once in January, as we got a near-record cold snap (three consecutive nights below 25 degrees; the coldest temp recorded was the second night when it dropped to 8 degrees), and there were still about 70 or 80 lemons left on the tree. I just picked everything that was still on the tree, squeezed the lemons, and froze the juice. I also froze some of the rind. Now I am looking forward to enjoying home-grown lemonade in the summer heat. It always seems a little odd that we drink so much of it in the winter, although our winters are fairly mild. Mostly, I am thankful that the tree survived the cold with only very minor damage, mostly a few frost-bitten leaves, but no dieback.
Whoopps! Typo alert–that should read *18* degrees, NOT 8 degrees.
No refrigeration needed–the lemon juice is a natural preservative, as is the salt, so as long as you fill to the top and put the lid on tight you should be OK. If you’re nervous about it, you can stick it in the fridge. I get a little too cavalier about things like that sometimes… 😉
Wow! I am so jealous, 50 Roses. There’s a recipe for Shaker lemon pie that uses lemons sliced paper thin – rind and all. Tart and delicious! I’m thinking it would be a good one for you to try with your bounty.
Oh yes, also known as Lemon Chess pie… I’ve never made one, but that would be great with Meyer lemon!
50 roses, one of my favorite lemon treats is lemoncello, which Italians make at home with lemons, vodka and sugar. You can just google “lemoncello recipe” to find out how to make it. Seems like it would be worth trying out with your bounteous Meyer lemons!
correction of spelling: that’s LIMONCELLO. the best comes from the area around Sorrento in Italy. No vodka in it, just grain alcohol. The recipe you have probably put vodka in it as the odorless and tasteless type of alcohol easiest to buy in shops. If you ask for grain alcohol, you might have to walk a bit before finding it. The result should be yellow clear liquid. anything opaque pastel yellow with lots of sugar in it is called crema di limoncello.
Thanks for the corrections and additional information, Dorycubana – I’ve never actually made limoncello myself, but I’ve really enjoyed sipping it! 🙂
This is so fun, and I’m looking forward to reading more in the future. Glad you’re on board. 🙂
Thanks, Miss Kitty! It’s a real thrill for me to go from fan to writer!
welcome Alyssa, great post, keep eating-drinking-writing
Meyer lemon sounds oh so good, I wish I could order a decant(slice) from the perfumed court : D
Thanks Ami! You can’t order them from the Perfumed Court, but I did see a few places online that offered trees!
Love both scallops and champagne cocktails so look forward to trying these recipes. I’ve never tried Meyer lemons before, are they widely available?
Hi Jirish. I live in Texas and see them at farmer’s markets and upscale grocery stores. If you have a Whole Foods or Trader Vics in your area, you might try giving them a call to ask. If you’re in the So Cal region where they’re grown you are definitely good to go.
Oops, should have stated where I live – in Chicago. I should be able to find it somewhere here. Will have to check out the larger produce markets, or Fresh Farms, which specializes in international produce/products. I know they have fresh durians there, so they should have Meyer lemons, right?
Sounds very likely!
I think you meant Trader Joe’s, but your mention of Trader Vics brought back memories of cheese-tastic good times!
Ha, ha, ha, ha! Yes, yes indeed I did mean Trader Joe’s. But you and I and the werewolves of London will be at Trader Vic’s!
Here in California, they’re backyard fruit everywhere (well, not in the Sierras) but I’ve never seen them for sale commercially!
I begin to see just how much of a sucker for good writing I am. I hate seafood of all varieties, and I rarely drink alcohol anymore, yet you made my mouth water. What a fun expansion of NST! 🙂
Oh what a nice compliment, thank you Boo!
Alyssa,
Welcome to NST. I really enjoyed your writing and now my mouth is watering for scallops and a champagne cocktail.
Thank you! And hope you get to have both, soon…
It’s great to add this element, Alyssa–thank you for bringing this to NST! I am a huge fan of St. Germain liqueur, which is so fragrant and flavorful, and have had both the cocktails you suggest. The gin-elderflower-Lillet is my favorite (we add sparkling water and consume by the liter) and it is just as refreshing and enjoyable as can be. I must warn people, though–I’ve had bottles of St. Germain go bad on me. It really is best to keep it in the freezer once opened.
Oh those are both great tips! It would never have occurred to me that a liqueur could go bad. Luckily mine’s been in the freezer ever since I got it–at the ready… 😉
Welcome Alyssa! What a fun and inspiring subject. I love Meyer Lemons so much and the only problem is that I can only find them once in a blue moon. I am SO jealous of 50_Roses’ prolific tree in her backyard – how lucky is that?! Your cocktail suggestions made me swoon. I can’t wait to try everything and look forward to your future posts. 🙂
Thanks for the welcome! I don’t know where you live, but you might try growing Meyer Lemons yourself. My tiny, much-neglected tree is in a pot, and in spite of my abuse it keeps producing. When it gets cold I take in inside and put it in a sunny window. It instantly rewards me by bursting into bloom and scenting the house!
Wow – you actually get fruit from one grown in a pot?! I love houseplants – I have them all over the house. A Meyer Lemon is being added to the collection!
It’s a pretty big pot–and it does prefer being outside when it’s warm–but yes, definitely!
I have read that many people DO grow Meyer lemons in containers. They also say the Meyer lemon actually has a low heat requirement (it doesn’t need hot temperatures, just warm), so that it can be grown indoors as long as it gets enough light. I actually tried growing mine in a pot for two years, and it didn’t seem to like it much, so I transplanted into the backyard, and now it is about 10′ tall and about 12′ across. It may have just been my particular tree or the location on my patio. In any case, it would be worth trying if you are in a location too cold to grown them outdoors. BTW, “too cold” means that you can expect to get temperatures below about 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Mind did survive it for a few nights, but regular exposure to those temperatures would probably not be good for it. Fortunately, that was a very rare event for us. The Meyer lemon is actually relatively hardy for a citrus, and much hardier than true lemons, due to its orange ancestry. One of my coworkers had an orange tree and a key lime. The orange tree came through fine, but the lime is D-E-A-D.
Thanks for the info ‘Fiddy’. 😉 I’m in Maryland so I definitely can’t plant one outside – but you can bet I’m gonna try one in a pot. Can’t wait!
Nodding along furiously to post, and to comments. Have been an elderflower liqueur fan for a few years now…and also the ginger liqueur offered by the brother.* Which brings me to an alternate to the cocktail you suggest:
Use ginger liqueur in lieu of the Lillet. (Phew! Say that five times fast. Or type it five times fast. 😉 ) Anyway, for reals, it works. Shaken with ice, poured like a martini.
BTW, I love the Lillet. Chilled blanc is a warm weather indulgence.
As for Meyer lemons, Bond No. 9 Little Italy is the closest I’ve come in a fragrance.
Fun post; nice to have you here!
Forgot the * ….
The dude who started St Germain was one of two heirs to a certain champagne fortune…the house was sold off, the brothers told to do what they would with their share. One started St Germain…the other Domain de Canton.
I like to think I am bringing filial happiness back to the bros whenever I shake one up… 😉 …I know I am bringing ME happiness… 😉 :).
Ha! Was just about to ask you to explain when your other comment appeared. Love the idea of re-uniting the brothers–and the idea of ginger cordial. Yum!
Little Italy reminds me too much of orange creamsicles to get Meyers, but I see where you’re going. Strangely, the only perfume that comes to mind for me is Chase Papillons, the Extreme version.
And I can see why orange creamsicles…the lemon reads more loudly to me, though. To me, it’s a limoncello. 🙂
I’ll have to find something similar to your Meyer lemons here in Europe! You make them sound delicious, and I love adding lemon peel to nearly everything,. My easiest spring recipe are still slightly crunchy green asparagus, with just a squirt of olive oil and lemon peel..
If you do find something let us know! I think you probably have all kinds of locally grown fruits that we can’t get. Europe–especially the Mediterranean countries–don’t seem to have been quite so tyrannized by the homogenization of agribusiness as we have here in the States.
I really enjoyed this, Alyssa! I can tell your articles are going to be a lot of fun. Glad you are writing for NST!
Thanks so much!
Alyssa, I love this new feature and the way you express your passion for the world of fragrance! I’m in Northern CA, and we have a dwarf Meyer lemon in a half barrel on the deck (next to two others planted with my other favorite fragrant citrus, Satsuma mandarins). This is looking like a good year for our Meyer lemon – many blossoms! I really appreciate your cooking idea, and I want to try Rappleyea’s chicken breast suggestion (perhaps a little butter and Meyer lemon would be a yummy drizzle for grilled shrimp, too, with or without a bit of cayenne?). Oh, and Meyer lemon sorbet is another good and easy treat! I’ll stop here, but your drink idea has me drooling too (I’ve not tried elderberry anything!). Again, thanks! 🙂
Mmmm…I see those shrimp in my near future. And big thumbs up on the sorbet, too. I have a recipe for elderflower and gooseberry sorbet I’m dying to try when I can get my hands on the gooseberries…
And forgot to say thanks for all the nice words! (Distracted by the shrimp–must be time for a snack 😉
Oh oh, my 3/4th bottle of St Germain has been sitting on the counter for a couple of months. Ummmmmmm guess I better go fix a cordial to see if it is still yummy.
Sounds like you absolutely must…
Oh, Alyssa! What a fantastic concept for a regular feature, and such a great post. I feel more civilized just reading it 🙂 And add me to the list of vegetarian nondrinkers whose mouths are watering after this!
🙂 Thank you! And I hope you saw the vegetarian and non-alcoholic swap-out suggestions on your way down the comments… (Wild mushrooms for the scallops, fizzy lemonade with basil or mint for the drink.) I did worry about non-drinkers while I was writing, but the post was already too long!
I did see those, thank you! Maybe I just miss seafood and alcohol, though, because the “originals” really got me going 🙂
Alyssa, the St Germain is still ok, however I think it is best to freeze it from now on. This morning I filled a small pitcher with water and put a cucumber cut up in small pieces in the water and now it tastes really refreshing. Guess what I just did with the St Germain after reading this post? Yes, I did. 1 1/2 ounce of Hendricks Gin, 1/4 ounce of St Germain and a couple ounces of cucumber water, in a large martini ice filled glass. Delish. I just created a wonderful drink!
Oh that cucumber water sounds perfect for the Hendrick’s! Enjoy!
My stepmom has a very old Meyer tree that produces oodles of fruit. I take a bag home with me when I go there for Christmas, and can often make them last without molding (they shrivel but the juice is good) until May. I also have some of the juice frozen in to ice cubes. The Meyers in the store seem to have been hybridized to have thicker, less fragile peels, and they don’t seem quite as heady to me.
When I use them for lemonade, I usually add some fresh ginger.
Your scallops recipe sounds delicious – I have never cooked them, but perhaps I will take the plunge.
Wow–until May? That’s great. No doubt you’re right about the Meyers in the stores. Still–better that than nothing!
Hi, Alyssa, and here’s to the launch of your column! I look forward to reading you!
It so happens I love both Meyer lemons and elderflower liqueur (are there brands other than St.-Germain?).
Meyer lemon really is hard to describe, and I wonder how available they are outside of California nowadays. I love them just squeezed in water, and I’ve also made lemon meringue pie from them. The zest is fantastic grated in all sorts of things — including over pasta served with a bit of fresh ricotta cheese and Italian parsley. What’s amazing is that you can actually eat the flesh almost like other citrus, almost like a tangerine. They’re beautiful. I wish I had a tree, as they disappeared from my local Trader Joe’s (and I think the farmers’ markets too) a couple months ago.
I discovered that elderflower liqueur and gin make the perfect cocktail. I had one recently at a local Santa Barbara restaurant and I have to check back to find out what gin they used. Not one of the usuals, and not Hendricks or Plymouth, either. Delicious.
Hi Joe, thanks for the toast! *clink* I love the idea of the zest with ricotta–you could take that in a not-too-sweet dessert or breakfast direction quite deliciously.
And meant to say–I haven’t seen other brands, but apparently elderflower everything is much more common in the UK and Europe.
Alyssa, I so enjoyed this piece. I love cooking, and love scallops, and love elderflower cocktails – you’ve hit all the buttons. I don’t think Meyer lemons have made it to the UK – we just get waxed or unwaxed! Hmmm, I wonder if mixing lemon juice with mandarin would work….?
Thanks, Nina! Mandarin+lemon certainly wouldn’t hurt–try it and report back! You might also try (just brainstorming here) regular lemon juice with some orange blossom water.
Hi Alyssa – I love your first column and look forward to many more.
I personally find there is a holy synergy that occurs when freshly-chopped rosemary is heated in the hot, hot cast iron skillet with some oil and butter and the scallops are caramelized in same. The brown bits and tiny bit of liquor that seeps out of the scallops form a sticky delight that you must scrape out and dress the scallops with. Heavenly when then drizzled with a squeeze of a tart citrus. Sadly, Meyer lemons are a bit too tame for me. We in Florida like our citrus zingy. I do think, however, the zested rind of one might be a nice accompaniment.
Texas likes a bit of zing, too, Anya. Got to have those limes with the chiles and the beer, you know. 😉 Can definitely see how you’d want the more astringent lemon to stand up to the rosemary.
What a great article. I lost my sense of taste a few years ago but find that texture and smell can still help me enjoy a meal. Your description of this meal (and its variants) brought me much enjoyment. I look forward to trying the scallop recipe as it would fulfill my “sense” needs in spite of my inability to taste. I look forward to reading more from you!
Oh, I am really moved by your comment, thank you for writing! I’ll be thinking of you as I put together future taste/smell posts–will have to think/write more about texture…
Wonderful post, Alyssa, and great discussion! I will certainly be seeking Meyer lemons and elderflower cordial in order to try these treats and very much looking forward to your future posts.
Thanks, Noz!
Another thing I like to make with Meyer lemons is lemon pudding. It sounds as it would not work–a recipe in which the two main ingredients are milk and lemon juice(!)–but it does work if you do it right. The key is to cook the mixture of milk, sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks first (essentially making an unflavored pudding), then take it off the heat, let it cool a bit, THEN add the lemon juice and DO NOT APPLY ANY MORE HEAT. If you heat it after adding the juice, it will curdle. You also need to use a fairly high proportion of cornstarch and egg yolk. They help to “set” the milk mixture so the milk protein does not curdle when the lemon juice is added. You can keep this pudding in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or so (although it usually does not last that long in my house).
Oh my goodness, I get nervous just reading this recipe, 50! Maybe it helps that you are a chemist? Will have to buck up and try it sometime, though, as it sounds delicious. Scallops today, lemon pudding…next month…or…sometime… 🙂
Enjoyed your post so much. Brought back memories. When I was 12 I begged my dad to buy me a little lemon tree we saw at a garden center in Sacramento. We had just moved there from Alabama. Little did we know how prolific that Meyer lemon tree would be. My dad passed away 3 years ago and I now live in the south again. This summer I finally got another Meyer lemon tree and it makes me feel close to him everytime I count the little lemons on it and breathe in the smell of the blossoms.
What a beautiful story, thank you for telling it–and what a wonderful memory to have of your dad. I wish you many lemons and blossoms from your new tree…
Two of my favorite topics — food and fragrance — together at last! Wonderful column, Alyssa, and I look forward to many more… Quince? Durian? Lovage? Szechuan peppercorns? So many mouthwatering ideas…
I’m a certified booze-hound, but for you non-drinkers looking for elderflower, Ikea carries a non-alcoholic sweetened elderflower concentrate.
Oooh, ideas! Finally! Thank you, Lily. Off to google “lovage”…
St. Germain is heaven in a bottle. Thank you SO much for this post; I already know both the champagne cocktail and martini recipes are gonna make my summer *that* much brighter. 😀
Yay!
Alyssa,
great start to what look like a fabolous yummy smelly column.
have you ever prepared a salsa from home grown tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. If one would be able to bootle this…. I once asked a professional cook how he gets rid of all the smells caught in his clothes after a day of cooking. he said. that’s easy, mint! Rub mint between your palms and then rub around your neck and behind ears. instant to kill to frying fish, meat and onion smells. He sadi thaht all the cooks smell of mint if they are going for a drink straight after work….
another idea: which perfume(s) would be bon ton to wear if going to a dinner where the smell of the food is important (I mean it always is, but if going to a barbeque or on the coast near the grill full of fish and you have just spritzed Opium on your wrists, this can be difficult to bear for others around you. and they might complain that you perfume is in the way of their enjoying their meal to the fullest. (and though I hate to admit and defend my right to wear what I like to death, they do have a point).
Smell of coctails: one my fantasies of a perfect summer cologne would be bottled Long Island Ice tea – not too citrusy, but still zingy and refreshing….
I love that story about the chefs! Maybe I should do a little survey of local chefs and their favorite smells and de-smelling methods…hmmm…might have to sample some of their cooking along the way…
I’ve made many a tomato-basil salsa, yes, though I usually let local farmers do the tomato growing. We have very hungry, active birds, squirrels and possums in my yard.
Wow- that sounds like a great recipe. I’ll have to look around for Meyer lemons and see if they’re still available. If not, I take it that the recipe will work with regular lemons?
Oh, sure. You’ll probably need to buy the big, organic lemons, though, or several of the smaller ones, since ordinary lemons have less juice. And it will have more “zing,” as Anya says. One European commenter above said she was going to try mixing lemon and mandarin (or orange) juice–that’s a great idea, too. You could add a few drops of orange blossom water at the end to approximate the floral quality of the Meyers.