Did you know that the trusty little lemon is used for a multitude of purposes, culinary and nonculinary? It has been used for sore throats, facials, in toothpaste, in detergent, for bleaching agents, and especially in every cuisine possible. I ask you, what would the world be without Lemon Meringue Pie? It may be the one citric fruit used in more dishes than any other. Over fish, chicken, in salad dressings, in pies, cakes, cookies, sherbet and especially in our cool summer drinks.
This brings me to the topic…Make it Lemon! Raised in an Italian home, one thing Italians love is gelato, meaning ” ice cream” in Italian. My grandpa, Jerome Castrogiovanni, used to have his ice cream “buggy” and would travel the streets in Palermo, Italy, yelling out “Gelato”. One of those delicious flavors was of course, lemon. Gelato is a more dense ice cream than we Americans dish up and the lemon flavor was intense and wonderful. Another treat Italians hold dear is Italian ices,that now come in an array of flavors. But when I was growing up it was called Italian Lemon Ice. I really can’t think of anything more welcomed on a hot summer day, especially after a large meal, than lemon ice.
Lemon ice can be made by the gallons and brought to the picnic in a large cooler. We have done this many times, and all day long people would get their plastic cup and scoop out lemon ice. While we visited under the pavilion, as long as we had our spoon and a cup of lemon ice, the day was perfect. So, why not give everyone a treat this weekend, and make up some lemon ice. Your kids will love you for it, and the barbecue will taste even better.
Happy summer,
Rosalie
Pure delight!
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