It's Spaghetti Sunday and I cooked! But I forgot to take a pic before eating almost all of it, so here are the paltry leftovers and the cookbook containing the recipe for scallion miso shells.
Scallions, garlic, miso, a touch of sesame oil, a shit ton of butter, and parmesan! And pasta! It's everything I ever wanted out of life. Savory and cheesy and amazing. 12/10, highly recommend.
When we talk about pizza, we don’t talk enough about the crust. There’s thin crust, cheese-stuffed crust, thick crust. But no matter what crust you prefer, it’s not a pizza without it. Right? Maybe not. On today’s show we talk with Rico Goldblum, owner of Big Rico’s Pizza in Night Vale. As their saying goes: “No one does a slice like Big Rico. No one.” And that might be true. All of Rico’s pizza’s are crust free.
[25:28] This is the cutest session ever, I can make up fancy terms too Dan! LOL . . . You guys should play Bananagrams/Boggle w Dan Souza, use that in 2 sentences
Variety the spice of life, kiss & make-up, if you had a broken arm would you prefer a bowl of Cascatelli or a Spaghetti? But Spaghetti/Capellini are fun in its own way
I love this guy & Lisa's low key hand on the hips!!!! Lisa, same, I skip the cheese on my burger, but I like that it can prevent soggy bun. This is an excellent trio :-] LOL Dan is a gag gifter, unfriend immediately. I get cheesed off when you've really struggled to open a pistachio & inside is a tiny wrinkled weird tasting what-the?! I'm a 3 on the banana scale, pale yellow, a little green on the stem is dicey but I'll take it. Lisa <high 5>, I love how Dan looked at you like you grew a third eye when he thought you might be into green bananas—my reason is mouthfeel & sweetness. Preserved Lemons? Nice add, never heard of this before. But Italians eat more than just pasta non? I know authentic Italian food is rarely served outside of Italy, unless we get someone local who trained s/o—my former friend Gaby made me one such dish, it has spoiled me for spaghetti ever since unless s/o can replicate it exactly.
My attempt at cacio e pepe was a huge fail. I might have to re-watch Christopher Kimball make it several hundred more times before re-attempting it.
This easy step-by-step tutorial is all you need to make the best preserved lemons at home! You can use them to add brightness, tang, and flavor to everything from your lunch sandwiches to stews, tagines, and more!
Growing up in Egypt, all sorts of pickles showed up on the dinner table. They were no less important than dad’s lazy tomato and cucumber salad or the tahini sauce we drizzled on everything from falafel to kofta. I loved pickled cucumber and lemons most though. Preserved lemons have long been a part of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, although most people associate them with North African, and particularly Moroccan cuisine, and the famous chicken tagine.
Here in the States, depending on where you live and how much you’re willing to pay, you may be able to pick up a jar of pickled lemons at a specialty grocery store. Or you may find them at the olive bar next to things like pickled cucumber and marinated artichoke hearts and pickled cucumbers.
But, preserved lemons are super easy and far cheaper to make at home. They’ll take only 20 minutes of work and a handful of familiar ingredients. The hard part is in waiting. Once you pickle your lemons, it will take 3 to 4 weeks before you can use them. But the wait is so worth it!
What do preserved lemons taste like?
When preserving lemons, you are essentially pickling them with lots of kosher salt and lemon juice. As they sit in the pickling jar, the lemons will gently deflate and soften. Their strong tartness will mellow, but salt-preserved lemons will taste bright and citrusy.
What kind of lemons are good for preserving?
Since you’ll be eating the entire fruit, I recommend buying organic Eureka lemons (regular lemons) that have not been sprayed or treated with chemicals. Select ones that are heavy for their size with thin fine-textured peel and dep yellow color. Meyer lemons are also a great option, since their thinner skins are not very bitter.
How to make preserved lemons
Scrub the lemons clean
Clean the lemons very well by scrubbing them under running water.
Cut the lemons
Trim 8 large lemons on the top and bottom by cutting about 1/4-inch on each side. From there, stand the lemons flat on a clean cutting board. Keeping the lemons attached at the bottom end, cut each lemon into quarters part-way through.
Soak the lemons in lots kosher salt and little sugar and refrigerate for 1 day
Transfer the lemons to a large bowl. Prepare 1/2 cup of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Open up the lemons at the top and stuff each with plenty of the salt and sugar mixture, then roll them around in whatever remains of the salt and sugar. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight and up to 24 hours.
Transfer to a sterilized canning jar & add peppercorns, bay leaf, lemon juice
The following day, the lemons will have released some juice. Transfer the salted lemons and their juices to a large sterilized canning jar. Press the lemons down so firmly into the jar. Add a couple tablespoons of pepper corns and a few dry bay leaves. Add fresh lemon juice to fill the jar and cover the lemons (you’ll use juice of another 8 lemons or 2 1/2 cups of fresh lemon juice). Be sure to submerge the lemons so that the lemon juice covers the very top).
Seal and refrigerate for 1 month
Now, cover the jar tightly and refrigerate for 3 weeks and up to 1 month before consuming. The lemons will soften and mellow as they sit in the pickling liquid.
Salt-preserved lemons will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months.
What are preserved lemons good for?
Pickled lemons are often used in North African cooking to add brightness and flavor to stews, soups and more. They give a bright burst of flavor that’s delicious with fish, like with our stuffed salmon recipe. You can also use some in place of lemon slices in my Chicken Tagine recipe. You can also cut up tiny bits and add them in small amounts to things like Moroccan lamb stew, vegetable tagine, or lentil soup.
Pickled lemons can transform your lunch sandwiches; just add them as you would any pickled vegetables. You can also slice them up and toss them with some roasted vegetables, or add them as a side next to anything from spatchcock chicken to salmon kabobs, shawarma salad bowls…the possibilities are endless! Or, if you’re using as a garnish and you’re short on time, fried lemons work as a substitute.
Do preserved lemons go bad?
Properly stored in the fridge, salt-preserved lemons can keep for a good 6 months. It is important to use a good canning jar with a tightly closed lid, and make sure the lemons are well submerged in the lemon juice. Some sources say they will last a good year, that may be, but I like to play it safe. Also, we use them so regularly over here that they do not last very long.
Tools you’ll need
Large mixing bowl
A tight-lid canning jar that should fit the lemons snuggly (I used a 2-liter jar) The jar you choose should fit all the lemons snuggly.
Other condiments you may like
Roasted Peppers (2 ways)!
Whipped Toum (4-ingredient garlic sauce)
Homemade harissa
Moroccan Fish Recipe
You may enjoy 50+ Top Mediterranean diet recipes. For all recipes, click here.
Homemade preserved lemons will take 20 minutes of active work time and about 1 month of pickling time in the fridge. You can use them to add brightness, tang, and flavor to everything from your lunch sandwiches to stews, tagines, and may other Mediterranean dinners you make! Check out the full post for tips.
Ingredients
▢ 8 large lemons
▢ ½ cup Kosher salt
▢ 2 tablespoons of sugar
▢ 2 tablespoons pepper corns
▢ 4 to 5 dry bay leaves
▢ Fresh lemon juice of 7 to 8 lemons, (~2 1/2 cups)
Instructions
Cut about 1/4 -inch of the top and bottom of the lemons. Cut each lemon into quarters part-way through so that they remain connected at the bottom
Transfer the lemons to a large bowl and toss well with the salt and sugar. Open up the lemons some and stuff them with the kosher salt and sugar mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight and up to 24 hours, the lemons will release some juice.
The next day, transfer the lemons and their juices to a large sterilized canning jar. Press them down firmly into the jar. Add the pepper corns and bay leaves. Top with fresh lemon juice (your goal is to submerge the lemons in the juice).
Seal the jar shut and store in the fridge for 3 weeks to 1 month before consuming.
P.S. I just ate one guys! pale green stem with a tiny green steak down the banana, still excellent, not gummy or sappy! Low fructose. Entry for Captain's Log on October 30, 2025 4:40pm PST
From the mind of James Beard Award winner Dan Pashman, creator and host of The Sporkful food podcast, comes CASCATELLI (Italian for “waterfa
Somehow I failed to recognize the need for a new shape of pasta, but Dan Pashman did. And he's sold over 300,000 lbs (136,000 kg) since its March debut - at $5.00/lb! Time Magazine identifies it as one of the year's 100 Best Inventions.
