Denise Gianatasio is a Northport Village resident and freelance writer. She is a licensed agent at Signature Premier Properties, 172 Main Street, Northport 631-754-3600. Denise enjoys cooking and sharing her recipes and family stories, as she wants to inspire a warm sense of home with her readers. Please feel free to contact her for any advice you may need at dishinwithdenise@yahoo.com. |
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Summertime, Summertime~Lemon time. It’s not very often I get excited about sweets or desserts~ as creative cooking is my talent and true passion. Baking requires measurements, perfect timing, exact amounts, no improvising and real directions to ensure it turns out right. No room for error. With every good meal though this chef knows finishing off with a sweet or treat seems to delight. Remember it’s the encore to your meal and lingers on in memory. I try to keep it real simple, especially during Summertime. My favorite ending is usually a refreshing classic Italian lemon ice with a mint sprig for a clean cool desert. Although dessert is the last course of your meal~lemon ice is a traditional palate cleanser by nature, customarily served in the middle of the meal to remove flavors from the palate so that the next course can be most enjoyed. I find it is just as refreshing at the end of the meal and may actually aide in digestion. I often make this from scratch and lots of fresh lemons… (But that’s another recipe~ I will share someday.) To simplify: Ralph’s Ice is really delicious. Served with the perfect accompaniment are my homemade~ lemon walnut biscotti~ just bursting with lemon flavor. To really impress serve the Italian lemon ice in a martini glass with the cookie a fresh grate of lemon rind and that clean bright summer mint sprig. No one ever leaves unhappy. And usually I’m begged to send a couple home with my guests to enjoy again with morning coffee! Ingredients Whisk flour, salt, baking powder and soda in bowl. |