"lemon" news and stories

Is a dish lacking something you can't pinpoint? Try a tiny bit of salt if you must, but don't forget the secret weapon tucked in the fridge or lolling on the counter.

It's been remarkably frigid out here on the east coast of late and the bone chilling weather seems to be bringing with it another round of sniffles and head colds. Doctors advise that there's not much to do for a cold other than drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. We can't help you with the rest, but I've got a tasty suggestion for making those liquids go down easy.

Whip up a quick infusion of honey, lemon and ginger. Simply grate a half inch chunk of ginger into a large mug. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon in on top (you can also add the zest if you're feeling daring) and add a heaping teaspoonful of honey (feel free to adjust the sweetness level to your personal taste). Fill the cup with boiling water and stir to combine. Drink while still warm and repeat as necessary.

It will soothe a sore throat, help with the cough (truly, honey has been found in scientific studies to calm a cough nearly as well as cough syrup) and taste good to boot!

So do you believe we're in a recession? Retailers sure seem to, especially specialty retailers. In the kitchenware store, the season's usual large bundles of roasting pans and pie plates, while still available, are being supplemented by smaller displays of beckoning trinkets for inexpensive shopping fixes. If one is a classic movie fan, one remembers Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffanys -- wherein, broke but shopping, they consider a platinum dream from a CrackerJack box as well as a silver telephone dialer. More practical (and, at around thirteen bucks, more economical) is the Microplane Multi-Citrus Tool, and I have to admit that I have succumbed.

As most slashfoodies know, zest is the outer skin of a citrus fruit, used as a flavoring agent in everything from sauces to baked goods, as well as a garnish. The zest contains a high concentration of the oil of the citrus fruit, which contributes a highly concentrated burst of both flavor and aroma. As experienced eaters know, there is no substitute for fresh zest -- a lemon pound cake, for example, will simply taste better if you add fresh zest. As experienced zesters know, the challenge while zesting is to get just that outer layer of skin without getting any of the white pith that separates the flesh of the fruit from the skin.

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I've already covered the cheap and environmentally-friendly way to indulge in your sparkling water and soda whims with a home carbonater. But what about bubble-free beverages?

Lemon-scented H20 may have ticked off some restaurant goers out there, like Slashfood's Annoying Restaurant Trends revealed, but it's still a great way to get flavor in your beverages without spending a lot of money and downing a lot of artificial flavoring and sugar.

Just fill a carafe with water, and add one slice of lemon. Almost immediately, you'll be able to taste the lemony scent to your water. The neat thing is that you can keep filling it up and having more, so one little slice of lemon can fuel many glasses. The most I've left one in my carafe is 4 days. After a day or two, the water tastes almost like lemonade -- just a sweet-flavored, lemony water, without the tart bite and sugar needed to tame it.

In a world where we need to cut back and watch our spending, something like this can save our cash for other foodie areas. Why spend $1-$5 a pop for a bottle or two to drink when you can save that cash and get that great cut of meat, fish, or other tasty ingredients?

I hate when odors become a problem in the kitchen, especially when they've become attached to containers and the microwave. Here are a couple of deodorizing tips.