Lemon

(Djej Emshmel) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco. Wolfert also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. Preserved lemons, sold loose in the souks, are one of the indispensable ingredients of Moroccan cooking, used in fragrant lamb and vegetable tagines, recipes for chicken with lemons and olives , and salads. Their unique pickled taste and special silken texture cannot be duplicated with fresh lemon or lime juice, despite what some food writers have said. In Morocco they are made with a mixture of fragrant-skinned doqq and tart boussera lemons, but I have had excellent luck with American lemons from Florida and California. Moroccan Jews have a slightly different procedure for pickling, which involves the use of olive oil, but this recipe, which includes optional herbs (in the manner of Safi), will produce a true Moroccan preserved-lemon taste. The important thing in preserving lemons is to be certain they are completely covered with salted lemon juice. With my recipe you can use the lemon juice over and over again. (As a matter of fact, I keep a jar of used pickling juice in the kitchen, and when I make Bloody Marys or salad dressings and have half a lemon left over, I toss it into the jar and let it marinate with the rest.) Use wooden utensils to remove the lemons as needed. Sometimes you will see a sort of lacy, white substance clinging to preserved lemons in their jar; it is perfectly harmless, but should be rinsed off for aesthetic reasons just before the lemons are used. Preserved lemons are rinsed, in any case, to rid them of their salty taste. Cook with both pulps and rinds, if desired.

(Djej Emshmel) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco. Wolfert also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. I first ate this dish in a home in the city of Meknes, sometimes called the City of Olives. Djej Emshmel (pronounced meshmel or emsharmel) is a classic Moroccan dish—chicken served in an intricately spiced, creamy, lemony, and sublime sauce with a scattering of pale-hued olives.

Baking citrus at a high heat caramelizes the sugars and adds depth. It's just the thing to bring intrigue to salads and more.

This is a gorgeous, seasonal hors d'oeuvre that would be lovely on a table or as a passed appetizer. The tang of the feta compliments the sweetness of the salad and the bitterness of the endive leaf, and the jewel tones of the beet and persimmon make for a beautiful bite.

It can be hard to gauge what's happening under all that salt, but these times are accurate. If your fish is on the smaller side, take it out on the lower end of the range.

These pretty (gluten-free!) butter cookies come in three flavors: lime, lemon, and grapefruit. Or just pick one variety and triple the amount of zest and juice. You'll find psyllium-husk powder, flax seed, chia seed, and rice-based gluten-free flour at most natural foods stores.

Prep your green beans quickly; stack a handful of them together on a cutting board and trim the stem ends off the whole stack at once.

Beloved for a reason, this bird is brined and then air-dried in the refrigerator for the crispiest, most flavorsome turkey skin ever.

Low-acid Meyer lemons make the citrus flavor of these bars especially vibrant.

This dish is only as good as the crab it's made with; buy the freshest you can find.

This clubby Scotch drink was created at the old Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

This zesty combination makes a lively snack or tasty addition to salads and grain dishes any time of year.

Feta, Kalamata olives, oregano, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice give this grilled-squash pizza its unmistakably Greek flavor. I use a panini press to grill the slices of yellow squash and zucchini because I love the look and slightly charred flavor this method produces. You can also cook the squash in the oven or on a grill or stove-top grill pan. Grilling the cut face of a lemon half in the same way gives it a beautiful appearance and tones down its acidity a bit.

Tart, sour, and just as refreshing as ye olde cranberry sauce.

To learn how to cut endive into long, layered spears for an elegant look.

A colorful and spicy (but not fiery!) side breaks up all the heavy, rich dishes on the table.