A Lemon Kind of Day

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade . . .

Or set a pretty table to enjoy your new Citrus Salad Plates from Williams-Sonoma . . .

And some of your other favorite lemony things.

Like the lemon embroidered napkins that a friend gave you . . .

To go with the little lemon bowls that she found, I think, at Pier1 a while back.

These plates are so fresh looking, my mouth is puckering just thinking about lemons!

But, what can you make besides lemonade with this wonderful fruit?

Well, Crab Cakes, with a Remoulade Sauce and a squirt of lemon juice might be the very thing . . .

Followed by some Lemon Vegetable Rice . . .

And ending with Lemon Mousse.  I took the Silver Palate recipe for Lime Mousse and simply replaced limes with lemons.  Here's the recipe posted a while back:  Lime Mousse.  It was sublime!

Despite all the lemons, the taste was subtle in each of the dishes and left us feeling refreshed.  And now, I wish I had seen this quote before I started:  "When life gives you lemons, it's time to do Tequila Shots."  (Or Lemon Meringue Pie, or Lemon Squares, or . . . ).

Chicken Noodle Soup

Here's la soupe au poulet et nouilles —

Chicken Noodle Soup, elevated to something magnifique . . .

by merely serving it on the dashing Lion's Head Soup bowl . . .

And then, for dessert, Lime Mousse, from the Silver Palate Cookbook.  This is part of the standard repertoire in the Cheney household, and we never seem to tire of it — plus I got to use up the leftover limes from last Sunday's Irish Whiskey Mules.  Bon appétit!

Ocean Dreams Tablescape

My dear, dear brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Barb, came to Chicago for a family reunion, and we invited them to dinner so we could have them all to ourselves and catch up before the rest of the family descended.  It was a cozy dinner for just the four of us.  It's summer, so with beachy thoughts in my head, the inspiration couldn't be anything but the ocean . . . 

This table came together so easily!  I already owned everything I needed, so it was just a matter of putting things together.  There's no stress at the beach!  It's a rule!  I started out with the white homespun tablecloth that's become an indespensable go-to item in my tablescaping arsenal . . .  I used this tablecloth here, for Easter.

The tablecloth was followed by Barcelona seagrass placemats from Crate and Barrel . . .

I love the color and the weave . . . and feels like it belongs with beachy things . . .

Then I used my ever-reliable white Traditions dinner plates from Williams-Sonoma, followed by glass Orion salad plates from Crate and Barrel . . .  I bought these salad plates ages ago, and I could kick myself for not having bought more.  The rippling is reminiscent of the ocean . . . how perfect can it get?

I fell in love with these soft, crossed-dyed napkins from Pottery Barn.  The color is called Blue Opal, and it seems fitting considering the many shades of blue that form the fabric, just like the ever-changing colors of the ocean . . .

A beautiful marine blue for the water goblets . . .

I picked up the fresh limonium at my local supermarket.  It reminded me of seaweed growing on the ocean floor, and I liked how the purple looked with the other blues on the table . . . 

Mr. Octopus guarding the salt and pepper cellars . . .

Red pepper flakes to go with the spicy menu . . . 

I pulled out my lantern and kept layering the blues by adding some sea glass pebbles . . . I first used this lantern in my first Watermelon table.  I love its shape and the fact that it works with so many different tables.



More whimsy with these mini-bottles of Tabasco sauce from World Market . . . I tend to go easy with the spices on the food, and offer guests a variety of ways to crank up the heat to their own taste . . .

The table is set . . .  Now for the menu:

Bacon Corn Muffins

Caesar Salad

Shrimp Creole, Cuban-style

Brown Rice

Baked sweet potato fries

And for dessert . . . Lime mousse topped with a dark chocolate/macadamia dolphin . . .

And the most important touch of all . . . wonderful family and lively conversation!  Here is my brother-in-law nibbling on fish crackers while we waited for dinner to be ready . . . 

One last look at the table . . .

Wishing you ocean dreams . . .

Lime Mousse

This recipe came from The Silver Palate Cookbook. I'm on the second copy of this wonderful cookbook and it's covered with food splatters and comments written on the margins. Next to this one I wrote: “Oh, my God! This is too wonderful!”

This recipe is a tried and true masterpiece and I've made it many times. It's one of my husband's favorites. It's silky smooth and refreshingly tart, making it a great finish to just about any meal. Impress your friends . . . or butter up your husband, next time you need the kitchen ceiling painted . . .

Here's the recipe:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter

5 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup fresh lime juice (7 or 7 limes)

grated zest of 5 limes

2 cups heavy (whipping) cream, chilled

1. Melt butter in the top part of a double boiler over simmering water.
2. Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl until light and foamy. Add mixture to melted butter. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes a custard, about 8 minutes. Do not overcook or eggs will scramble.
3. Remove custard from heat and stir in lime juice and grated zest. Cool to room temperature.
4. This step is unorthodox but crucial. Using an electric mixer, whip chilled cream until very stiff—almost, but not quite, to the point where it would become butter.
5. Stir lime custard into whipped cream until just incorporated. Pour into 8 individual glasses or a serving bowl. Chill for at least 4 hours.

8 portions (or 6 large ones if you can't seem to find your other two glasses . . . )

And, yes, I still have more limes . . .