*This was originally written for the column I used to write in Dean & DeLuca’s Gourmet Food Blog.
Hi friends of Dean & DeLuca! I’m so excited to have been invited to contribute to this delicious blog. I hope what I offer you through my writing and recipes will entice you to cook more often, explore new ingredients, think outside the box and then spread the word about what you make! I’m personally excited to start playing around in my cocina and sharing my culinary adventures with you.
When I visited Dean & DeLuca in SoHo a few weeks ago, I felt transported to a market in Barcelona, Paris, or Italy. As I wandered, I thought about what my first blog post would be about and considered sharing a piece of my culture with you. Lemons came to mind! In Cuban cuisine (and most Latin), we use lemons or limes to marinate our proteins, especially chicken. They give meats incredible flavor. But a post about savory foods is for another day. I was in the mood to make something sweet, cool and summery. I’d recently tasted an amazing raspberry sorbetto at an Atlanta Gelaterria. It was so good, with the perfect amount of tartness; I challenged myself to make a lemon variety at home.
I put my creative hat on and thought hard about a twist I could put on the sorbet to make your taste buds giddy. Imagine the bitterness and tartness of a lemon sorbet offset by balsamic vinegar. (No, I’m not crazy). I perused the oil and vinegar aisle at Dean & DeLuca. I picked a cute little bottle of Balsamico Suite Balsamic Vinegar off the shelves that spoke to me! I tasted it and took a deep, joyful sigh. It had a sweetness to it that I knew would perfectly complement the sorbet and give it an unexpected kick!
An unorthodox move (for most), adding balsamic to sorbet, but then again, the infusion of the unexpected flavor and the brilliant contrast in color fully justifies it!
Try my recipe yourself. And, let me know if it works for you!
Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.
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Lemon Sorbet Drizzled with Balsamico Suite Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup juice from fresh lemon
- 3 tbsp. Balsamico Suite Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest
- 1 strip of lemon peel
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Method:
Bring water, sugar and lemon peel to a boil to make a simple syrup. Remove from heat and let chill. In large bowl, mix simple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Stir well and pour into an ice cream maker. Follow product manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour mixture into tightly sealed container and freeze for 3-5 hours, or until correct consistency to serve. Remove from freezer and fluff sorbet using a fork. Form into balls and serve in lemon cups or a bowl. To finish, drizzle with Balsamico Suite Balsamic Vinegar.
