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Thursday, March 1, 2018

Some Lemon and Gingery Things


 What's New In My Feb/Mar 2018 Kitchen


Lemon Drops, a classic hard candy, are reputed to offer some health benefits by stimulating the salivary glands to combat dry mouth, and in minimizing nausea. Medicinal? perhaps, but in February these sugar coated, puckery lemon-flavored candies were an overly tempting snack. I had to order a second bag quickly.  



It's routine to find fresh ginger root plus some sliced, pickled ginger in my fridge, and a jar of powdered ginger in the spice cabinet, but now these standard items have a lot more company in the pantry as I explore ginger's digestive and anti-nausea attributes. I might have been a bit over-enthusiastic in adding more ginger to the kitchen.   



Lemon and ginger cookies and tea breaks have been almost as popular as afternoon naps this month.




Not one of my favorite spices, ginger has always seemed far too pungent, a bully battling to take center stage and overpower other more subtle flavors. That said, I was surprised to find ginger listed in more than a handful of my recipes on the blog. Evidently I enjoy ginger in Asian dishes, in desserts, quick breads, and sauces and more. Note to self: toss those tired old attitudes and embrace new flavors.



I have no clue how Rose Flower Water and Orange Flower Water will work in my kitchen, but I couldn't resist ordering them both when placing an order with a new-to-me spice company. Mmmm, the aroma alone was worth the purchase price. This duo will hang out in the pantry, waiting for a time when I have the energy to search for appropriate recipes and experiment. Madeleines come to mind, but I'm hoping for something more adventurous. Uses/recipe suggestions anyone?



Dark chocolate and nuts - oh my, need I say more?! Who would guess that we first tasted them at a medical clinic? These amazingly delicious bars could become addictive if more than a few ever made it into my kitchen. We currently share a bar, divided carefully in half, and leave no stray bits on the plate. It takes considerable willpower to ignore their large-quantity availability at Costco. Check out the package statement "Ingredients you can see & pronounce" - that's a good thing, but should be the standard for more food items.

That's it for new things in my kitchen lately, it has been a quiet, eat comfort food, snuggle up with a book and a blanket kind of month. Finally the days are growing longer and official Spring is only 20 days away. Bring it on! Now, click over to the monthly IMK roundup at Sherry's Pickings to see what's happening in other kitchens around the globe. You will enjoy the people you meet there. 



12 comments:

  1. hi Dee
    are you not well? it sounds a bit ominous with all the mention of nausea etc. hope things are okay. yum to lemon drops. and thanks for joining IMK this month. cheers S x

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    1. Hiya, Sherry. I'm working through the side effects of a new medication, thus the nausea issue. Ginger and lemon are useful non-drug aides and who doesn't love lemon drops?

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  2. Try the almond and rosewater biscuits recipe on my blog - they are gorgeous!

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    1. I just popped over to check out the recipe, and yes! It sounds divine. Then I dreamt my way through a dozen more of your tempting cake and biscuit posts - 😋 yum

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  3. I love anything lemon...but ginger comes and goes for me. Ginger beer, gingerbread, pfeffernusse I will never refuse though! As for the rosewater - I just made some rose hibiscus shortbread fans (a Dorie Greenspan recipe - https://doriegreenspan.com/recipe/cookiesandkindness-recipe-for-june-rose-hibiscus-shortbread-fans/) I'd highly recommend them, I used Celestial Seasoning Raspberry Zinger tea for the hibiscus tea. Will be interested to hear how the madeleines turn out (I'm still learning). =)

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    1. Jen, thanks for the Shortbread link - I love most things Doris but haven't thought about Red Zinger in years😊

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  4. Lemon and ginger are among my favorite flavors. I just saw some recipes for Mediterranean rice pudding that had both rose water and orange-flower water! I have all of these flavors on hand as you do. We must be on the same page, but I haven't had one of those classic lemon drops in years. I just eat lemons (even the peel)!

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Oooh, Mae, just the thought of nibbling on a lemon draws a pucker. Mmmm, a rice pudding does sound soothing and delicious.

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  5. My first thought was "are you pregnant?" Ginger and lemon were the only things that calmed my stomach during my own pregnancy. Candied ginger is a perfect companion to chocolate, and such a satisfying and simple dessert. Love all those gingery products.

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    1. Too funny! nope, definitely not pregnant. Mmmm, candied ginger and dark chocolate sounds irresistible, and maybe even heart-healthy. I'm in.

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  6. You took me back some years with those lemon drops!

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    1. Agreed, these are classic old school hard candy.

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