Weekend Wokking #13 (Lemon)

Lemons are one of my favorite fruits. I love their tartness. I love their bright sunny color. I love the flavor they add to my favorite baked chicken recipe. And I love that with Weekend Wokking, I get 10 recipes to celebrate the luscious lemon.

So without further ado, in alphabetical order by the name of the recipe...

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The first lemon recipe is Fried Calamari with Lemon Aioli from Sijeleng of Javaholic in Northern California. Sijeleng says he likes squid best simply fried and with a simple sauce. You'll get no argument from me with how bright and cheery his calamari and lemon aioli look. I love the addition of thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves in the aioli.

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Tangy lemon rice is a South Indian favorite says Yasmeen of Health Nut who gives us a healthy Lemon Brown Rice recipe. Her recipe also includes other healthful ingredients such as ginger and turmeric.

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JS and TS of Eating Club Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada, have done it again with a Lemon Chamomile Tiramisu. The sisters said they wanted to come up with something unique and they certainly have. They used candied lemon zest as a garnish and limoncello and chamomile tea to dip the ladyfingers for a refreshing take on this classic Italian dessert.

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Fellow Vancouver, Canada resident, Christine of Kits Chow gives us Lemon Granita. She adds extra lemon oomph by adding limoncello and lemon balm. And just look at the pretty lemon cups for serving this icy treat.

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Jeannie of World is My Oyster in Southern California tempts us with this luscious Lemon Tart. The eggy, zesty lemon curd filling looks creamy and smooth. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

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Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok in Portland, Oregon offers an artfully plated Lemon-Mint Tart. I was surprised at the light color of the tart since the recipe includes 1/2 cup muddled mint leaves. After straining the mint, it didn't affect the appearance at all, yet provides a lovely fragrance and flavor to the dessert.

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Rita of Pink Bites in Seattle, Washington gives us a colorful Light Lemon Basil and Shrimp Pasta. I love the simple list of ingredients that seems so healthy yet flavorful.

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Ning of Hearth and Hearth in Manila, the Philippines offers a recipe for Pan-Seared Fish with Lemon and Capers. The combination of lemons and capers reminds me of chicken piccata, yet with the healthier option of fish. Healthy and tasty.

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Wandering Chopsticks from Southern California give a quick and easy Strawberry Lemonade. I thought it best to keep it simple to celebrate the lemon. Strawberry lemonade reminds me of bright, sunny summer days.

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Sweatha of Tasty Curry Leaf in Bangalore, India offers a Tangy Lemon Sorbet. Such an artfully presented lemon sorbet. The addition of ginger and mint provide a little nuance and flavor. I can imagine eating a lot of this during the summer.

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Thank you everyone for your patience in my posting of this round-up. I had no idea when I decided to create Weekend Wokking last year that I would get so many entries from so many bloggers from so many countries. From May 2008 starting with ASPARAGUS to May 2009 with SPROUTS there were 131 recipes from 49 participants from 11 countries including Canada, China, Denmark, India, Malaysia, Norway, the Philippines, Serbia, Singapore, United Kingdom, and all over the United States.

But most of all, Weekend Wokking wouldn't have been quite as successful without the tireless participation of Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok and TS and JS of Eating Club Vancouver. These ladies tied for first place with 10 entries. Second place is Ning of Heart and Hearth with 9 entries. When I worried there wouldn't be enough entries, I could always count on them to submit a recipe.

Marija of Palachinka had 5 entries, but takes the martyr prize by hosting Weekend Wokking three times!

All that hard work surely should be rewarded. So to thank you, I offer up some of my favorite kitchenware and gadgets. From the top left: a simple knife peeler that makes julienning vegetables easier for such dishes like Goi Du Du (Vietnamese Papaya Salad), a skimmer spoon to remove scum when making broth, long bamboo chopsticks for the wok, and porcelain spoons.

Ladies, please pick one of the items above and email me your mailing address.


If you choose the spoons, I can send you a set of four, let me know which design you'd like, or if you want a mismatch of one of each.


But we're not done. If you've participated in Weekend Wokking in the past year, please leave a comment telling me which item you'd like if you win and I'll pick one random winner. Deadline is June 30 at 11:59 p.m.

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For next month's challenge, I present the controversial herb - CILANTRO! Are you a cilantro lover or hater? Do you know scientists think it might be genetic? I'm a cilantro lover, but apparently the haters think it tastes soapy?

Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok will be your host for the July cilantro round-up. Please send entries to her by 11:59 p.m., Sunday July 5 to blazinghotwok (at) gmail (dot) com.

And do let me know if you'd like to host a future edition of Weekend Wokking.

Thanks so much everyone for making the first year of Weekend Wokking such a great one!

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1 year ago today, Cha Gio Bap (Vietnamese Corn Egg Rolls).
2 years ago today, Chao Tom (Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Paste Wrapped Around Sugarcane).