LEMONY CILANTRO AIOLI →

Ingredients
·   ½ cup of mayonnaise
·   1 tablespoon of olive oil
·   1-2 garlic cloves finely minced or grated and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt
·    ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
·    1 teaspoon lemon zest
·    3-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
·    1 tablespoon cilantro chopped (fresh lemon balm is a good substitute if you don’t like cilantro)
·    2 teaspoons minced capers
·    2 teaspoons hot sauce (or more to your taste)
·    Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
Mix the ingredients and place in the fridge for at least a half-hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

*Note: make the aioli or remoulade ahead and refrigerate before you cook the shrimp cakes.

Blueberry Sauce →

Quck and easy to make...here’s a delicious blueberry sauce to pair with Semolina Ricotta Cake (Migliaccio), pound cake, or cheese cake. It’s also wonderful just spooned over vanilla ice cream. You can use fresh blueberries if available, but frozen at home or frozen berries from the supermarket work just as well. Enjoy!

Blueberry Sauce
Yield about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

• 2½ -3 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries

• 5 tablespoons sugar

• ¼ cup of water

• about a 3-4 inch strip of lemon zest (no white pith)

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2-3 tablespoons Limoncello (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Mix the blueberries, sugar, water, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

2. Strain the liquid into a blender or food processor and add half the berries reserving the remaining fruit and lemon zest. Buzz the mixture for 20-30 seconds.

3. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan and add the reserved berries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and limoncello if using. Bring to a boil over medium heat, simmer, and reduce the liquid for about 5 minutes.

4. Remove the lemon zest and cool the sauce to room temperature. The sauce thickens as it cools and will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in a covered container.

*NOTE: if you want a slightly thicker sauce, mix 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth and add to the sauce while still hot; stir and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Semolina Ricotta Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Pickled Asian Pear →

Sweet, tangy, savory, crunchy Pickled Asian Pears make a good addition to salads or pureed root vegetables. Don’t overcook them or you’ll lose the “crunch”. Try them diced as a garnish on bleu cheese or brie spread on crackers. Lots of options open to your imagination!

Ingredients:

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

• 1 Asian Pear

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice from market

• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

• a few red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation:

1. Peel, quarter and core the apple, then cut each quarter lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.

2. Boil vinegar, water, sugar, salt, pickling spice, ginger, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in a saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.

3. Add the pear and remove from heat.

4. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cool. Chill, uncovered, until cold, about 1 hour.

Serve with a crisp, crunchy salad dressed with Japanese Salad Dressing.

Adapted from: https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Pickled-Asian-Pears-with-Lemon/

Cranberry Ginger Jalapeño Pomegranate Relish →

This sweet-tangy-savory 5TastesTable cranberry relish/condiment with crunch and a hint of heat will stand up and complement the richest main course you serve for Thanksgiving or any other special meal. It’s not Grandma’s or Aunt Millie’s cranberry sauce, but if you want to try something new, give this one a try. It may become a family tradition! The list of ingredients is long, but it comes together quickly in less than a half-hour. Make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to a week.

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 medium lemon

• 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup diced (1/4 inch) crystallized ginger (about 2 1/2 oz.)

• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

• 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp. powdered cinnamon)

• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1/4 cup Tawny Port (optional but recommended)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils

Preparation:

1. Grate the yellow zest from the lemon. Using a small sharp paring knife,
cut away and discard the thick white pith. Cut the lemon crosswise in half 
and pick out the seeds. Dice the lemon into 1/4 inch pieces. 

2. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the cranberries, diced lemon 
and zest, sugar, ginger, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cinnamon stick, mustard
and salt. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often to help dissolve 
the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is thick and
the cranberries have burst, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Let the relish cool for 20 minute and process in a food processor until slightly chunky.

4. Cool completely and stir in the pomegranate arils. The relish can be prepared up to 1 week ahead, covered tightly and refrigerated.

5. Remove the cinnamon stick just before serving. Serve at room temperature. 

Adapted from: https://www.epicurus.com/food/recipes/cranberry-ginger-and-lemon-chutney/