Lemon bars are one of my very favorite desserts – they always have been.

The next time I tasted lemon bars as good as these, was six years ago in California. I was playing bride’s maid in a friend’s wedding, and was thus a lucky witness to all that goes on behind the scenes in the days before such a big event. There were many things to be done – pick up the dress and hide it away, cut out place cards, catch up on old memories, stack cumbersome boxes as UPS dropped them off, find thread to stitch girls into their dresses… you get the idea. In order to keep us going, we ladies required regular nibbles – including the Maid of Honor’s lemon bars (homemade from freshly picked Meyer lemons).

I kept the recipe and made it many times – with success! They always turned out because I followed the directions. Problems arose, however, when I got a scale and began weighing ingredients (like butter) in grams. Despite careful calculations, my lemon bars were no longer turning out the way I wanted – something had gotten lost in translation.

Finally, this weekend, I succeeded in making my best lemon bars yet. The main secret was going for more butter than less and doubling the top layer (filling) on the original recipe. I also used a rectangular cake pan (like for making a loaf), so ended up with a much thicker crust. In other words, these are very “gourmand” lemon bars.

Instead of powdered sugar, I used “cassonade” (except for the sprinkles on top). This is a type of crystal-like brown sugar that is easily found in French groceries stores. It’s a staple in our house.

Most important: DO NOT OVERCOOK THE TOP LAYER!!!

Shopping List

For the crust:

125 grams softened butter (that’s a standard small “stick” in France)

¼ cup cassonade sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup flour

For the filling:

4 eggs

½ cup sugar

4 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons lemon juice

Recipe:

1. For the crust, beat all the ingredients together and bake for about 20 minutes (180C/350F). You’ll put this back in the oven, so don’t worry about it being undercooked.

2. Set aside and let cool while preparing…

3. …the filling. Mix all the ingredients and pour over the crust.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes. Don’t overcook or it will become chewy and lose the moisture. The filling should just barely be solid when you take it out. If you touch it, you fingertip should leave a mark.

5. Let cool and cut into squares. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

I had leftover Mexican rice for lunch the other day and, even though I didn’t heat it back up, it tasted pretty good.

10 foods that are always better the next day:

Homemade vegetable soup (unless it has tiny noodles that will get soggy)

Mom’s Christmas Eve posole (made with hominy and fresh green chili)

Birthday cake (but only when eaten for breakfast)

Lasagna (the cheese gets even crustier when reheated)

Gaspacho (with lots of tomatoes)

Thanksgiving leftovers (no comment)

Steamed green beans (sprinkled with soy sauce/sesame seeds, served cold)

Curried lentils (they only get stronger)

Hummus (with garlic)

Chocolate mousse (if it lasts that long)

It’ll still be good tomorrow, even cold:

Omelet (really, it’s not bad)

Leek Quiche (to eat with your hands)

Mexican rice (to eat with a fork)

Pizza (yeah, I think I’m over the breakfast thing though)

Elbow pasta (turn it into a salad)

Baked salmon (on a sandwich)

Vinaigrette (…and the next day, and the next day…)

Moelleux au chocolat (though it’s no longer moelleux)

Basil pesto (so many uses)

Homemade apple pie (or any pie for that matter)

Devour it now, ‘cause it won’t be the same in the morning:

Guacamole

Caesar salad

Half a banana saved in the fridge

Nachos

Homemade sushi

Vegetable tempura

Grilled cheese sandwich

Bagel with cream cheese

Fresh spring rolls

Mayo and sprout sandwich

(Do I really have to comment on these?)

Back to the Mexican rice. It’s kind of like risotto, in the sense that you begin by browning the uncooked rice in olive oil. I was inspired to recreate the flavorful rice that accompanies the “northern” New Mexican food back in Santa Fe, so I put in several familiar ingredients such as onions and hot chili powder. Since we don’t have freshly roasted hatch green chili in Paris, I used some fiery red peppers from the local farmers’ market. Though I didn’t do it this time, I think fresh corn (which is in season right now) or red beans (for example) would be welcome additions.

This recipe makes enough for four – or for two with leftovers!

Shopping List

1 cup white rice

2 large pinches saffron powder

Chili powder (adjust according to spiciness)

½ chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 small, spicy red pepper or prepared green chili (diced)

2 bay leaves

½ cup diced tomato

Olive oil

Salt

Cilantro (on top)

Black olives (on top)

Recipe:

1. In a cast iron skillet, sauté the rice in a bit of olive oil with the saffron and chili powder (about 5 minutes).

2. When the rice begins turning translucent, add the onions, garlic, peppers or green chili and brown (about 5 more minutes).

3. Cover with water and add the bay leaves, tomatoes, and some salt. Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer until the rice is completely cooked (about 20 minutes). Keep adding water in small amounts as needed (avoid letting the water run out and the rice burning on the bottom). Stir occasionally.

6. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Top with cilantro and black olives. Serve with your favorite Mexican classics: enchiladas, fajitas, rellanos…

I think it’s funny that I learned to make salsa in  Paris- out of pure necessity, really.

Ever since leaving for college, one of the reasons I find myself regularly returning back to sunny Santa Fe is for the unmatched northern-style New Mexican food – warm flour tortillas, chunky green chili sauce, cheese tamales wrapped and steamed in corn husks… and, of course, the world’s most cheerful tomato salsa. When you grow up on this fresh local fare, your life just isn’t the same without it.

Thus, the reason I taught myself to make this tomato salsa in our tiny kitchen in Paris. Fortunately, we have a bigger kitchen now, but when I first tried it a few years ago, we had neither a countertop nor an appropriate sieve. It took me hours to chop up all the ingredients, strain out the extra liquid, and try to add spice without… well… any spice.

Since then, I’ve simplified my approach- a fine sieve and admitting I wouldn’t have exactly the same ingredients as in Santa Fe helped. This recipe, which I made in about 30 minutes the other day, is based on traditional New Mexican salsa, but uses ingredients that are very easy to find in Paris!

Shopping List

6 cloves of garlic

½ red onion

6 medium-sized tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Hot chili sauce (sauce piquante in French)

Ground chili pepper flakes

Salt

Pepper

A bunch of fresh cilantro (look for coriandre in France)

Recipe:

1. Mince the garlic and onions. Set aside.

2. Gently mix the tomatoes in a blender. Don’t smash them too much! Just until they are the right size – small chunks.

3. Strain the extra juice from the tomatoes through a fine sieve (set aside for use in another recipe, so you don’t waste it). You may leave some liquid of course, but you want the chunks to dominate.

4. Add tomatoes, garlic and onions in a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients to taste. I add the cilantro last, but lots of it!

Be careful – disappears quickly next to a bowl of tortilla chips.