Smorgasbord January 2022

by RogerJanuary 11, 2022

In today’s smorgasbord episode we cover some updates to the show, cooking prompts for 2022, review “In Bibi’s Kitchen,” and talk about preserving lemons.

Mentioned in this Episode

A new year brings some new tweaks to the show. Every year I get inquiries from listeners about how they can support the show. Aside from using Amazon affiliate links from various episodes or my general home and kitchen link, there hasn’t really been another option. Now you can buy me a coffee! This is a simple to use service where you can pitch in a few dollars to support the show (completely optional of course, nothing expected!). In the future I may add other items like exclusive episodes or other resources, but this is a good start.

Keep up with all the 2022 cooking prompts by searching for the #cookingprompts hashtag on Instagram. The prompt this week was “Make a main course recipe where fruit is one of the stars of the dish.”

I am working on setting up some sort of live events (probably through Facebook Live for starters). If you don’t already follow the page or are a member of the group, now would be a good time to do that!

Cookbook Review and Giveaway

Today’s review is for “In Bibi’s Kitchen” by Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen. You can find the reprinted recipe for the shiro that I talked about at Vogue UK, or slightly adapted at the NY Times.

Preserving Lemons

They are a staple of North African cuisine, but can also be widely used wherever you seek the mellow brightness of preserved lemons. Note you can preserve nearly any other citrus, including limes and oranges, using the same method. Paula Wolfert is always a trustworthy source and her simple recipe includes an optional spice mixture. By the way, dehydrating citrus can be another good way to preserve and concentrate citrus flavor. You can use dehydrated citrus by adding it to stews and braises, grind them up for spice blends, or simply put a slice into a mug with hot water (or cold) for a simple citrus tea.