a sweet surprise

Good news buoys me up all day, sending me gliding into the next moment with ease. And there are so many moments of goodness throughout the day that I never feel too stumbly. But this morning -- after I graded papers, wrote another letter of recommendation, and felt just a wee bit exhausted -- I found out some rather splendid news.

This website of mine, which has become one of the loves of my life this past six months, was nominated for Best Theme Blog in the Food Blog Awards of 2005, organized by Kate at the Accidental Hedonist. I'm truly honored. Entirely chuffed, as the Brits would say, which feels like the best word at the moment.

This food blogging community has been one of the best discoveries of the year for me, in a year full of discoveries. What delicious people you all are. It pleases me, no end, to be a part of this. And I'm thoroughly thrilled when those of you reading come to this site from search engines, trying to find gluten-free foods you can eat. Thank you for all your emails and lovely comments. You keep me taking photos and inventing recipes.

If reading this blog has brought you some pleasure, or some good meals you made from the recipes, then maybe you could wander over here to vote for my website as the Best Theme Blog. I'd be really honored.

Oh, and if you know anyone else who might like my site, enough to vote, well -- you know what to do!



In the meantime, I'd like to share some sweetness with you. Sweetness with a hint of tartness too.

On New Year's Eve, as part of the three-course meal I made for myself, I grabbed the seven or eight Meyer lemons sitting on my drainboard, and dabbled in some recipe creation. In the dead of winter, I desired sorbet.

Simple and elegant, this sorbet makes long, grey evenings feel more vibrant. Sweet, but not too much so. Puckish with lemon, but not overpowering. And in the lingering taste of the Meyer lemons, something mysterious. Your tongue will be tingling and asking for the answer to that mysterious taste. A hint of bergamot, perhaps?

When I gave some to my friend, Amal, on New Year's day, after our decadent risotto, she grew quiet for a moment. And then she said: "I don't even like ice cream. I haven't bought a pint since I returned to Seattle. But I love this." And then she grew quiet again, looking far away into the corners of the room. "This reminds me of walking with my grandmother in the afternoons, smelling her jasmine, being with her."

Nothing could have made me more happy in that moment.

Meyer lemon sorbet

one and one-half cup of granulated sugar (I used the extra-fine baker's sugar)
two cups water
one egg white
3/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
zest of one Meyer lemon

Beat the egg white in a stand mixer until it is frothy. While you are letting it beat, boil the water and sugar together until the mixture boils. Let it boil for one minute, then slowly drizzle it into the frothy egg white.
Allow the mixture to stop steaming, cooling off just a bit.
Add in the Meyer lemon juice and zest. Stir until just mixed.

Chill this zesty liquid completely in the refrigerator (at least one hour).

Put the chilled liquid in your ice cream maker and let it run for about fifteen to twenty minutes. If you take it out now, before it's completely hard, it seems to make the taste all the sharper. Transfer the sorbet into a freezer-safe dish and freeze it to desired hardness.

Enjoy.