Bar None

As the antiquated adage goes, when it rains, it pours. When in drought-stricken California however, what falls from the sky is not a deluge of precipitation, but of citrus. Yes, you heard me right: Fruit is showering the city streets at this very moment, heavy with juice and blown asunder by the most gentle gusts of wind. Every variety you can imagine, from the average lemon and lime to more exotic mandarins, yuzu, pomelo, even Buddha’s hand litter the pavement. Dash out for a quick walk around the neighborhood, eyes to the ground, and you can take care of your vitamin C needs without spending a dime.

Urban foraging has kept my fruit bin full of these tart, tangy, sour, and sometimes sweet gems. Oranges are real treasures, eaten straight out of hand, sometimes before even returning home, but the most plunder is the venerated Meyer lemon. Popularized by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame, it’s no surprise that this particular specimen that’s come to represent so much of California cuisine now thrives up and down the coast, and is especially concentrated so close to home.

Thus, lemons have been on the menu at every turn lately, when alternative acids and groceries in general are scarce. Large pitchers of lemonade sit chilled, at the ready as the days grow warmer, threatening to skip right over spring and straight into the summer season. Fine flecks of zest sparkle in simple vinaigrettes, lavished over everything from greens to grains. Jars of marmalade use up every scrap of peel, preserving the harvest for countless slabs of toast to come.

For dessert, of course, you can do no better than homemade lemon bars.

Luscious, silken curd dazzles like a semi-sold bite of sunshine atop a buttery, pleasantly sandy shortbread crust. Tender and yielding, each square trembles gently in the hand, melting the instant it hits the tongue. Avowed lemon-lovers and fair weather friends alike can agree that a properly baked lemon bar can even surpass the appeal of a beguiling chocolate cake.

Finished with a flurry of powdered sugar, this classic, unassailable treat suits every occasion, every season, every craving, as far as I’m concerned. Even if lemons aren’t literally falling into your lap, do yourself the kindness of splurging on a generous surplus. Trust me, you’ll find a way to use them up without any difficulty, especially with this sweet serving suggestion on deck.

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May 22, 2020February 10, 2026

Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

Supersize My Citrus

Almost 50 years ago, it was the illustrator B. Kliban that published a cartoon depicting a man being served an outlandish platter of nondescript, indecipherable mound of food. “Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head,” proclaimed the caption- rather flatly for a humorist, I might add. While that’s generally sound wisdom, especially when presented with a garbage heap of questionable edibles, there’s an exception to every rule. In this case, that exception goes by the name of pomelo.

If you’ve seen these supersized citrus before, you’d know they can grow to monstrous proportions. The average weight is somewhere between two to four pounds each, with particularly robust specimens tipping the scales at ten to twelve pounds, all told.

Don’t let their daunting size deter you. Beneath that thick rind, neatly sealed away in pockets of thin membrane, lie juicy segments that combine all the best best aspects of grapefruit flavor. Bright, floral, acidic yet somehow lacking that characteristically bitter, mouth-puckering sour taste. While they can be treated just like more common lemons and limes to make vinaigrette, marinades, lemonade, and more, their distinctive texture lends them to preparations that utilize the full flesh, rather than just the juice.

Segments separate easily into networks of pods that bear droplets of the sweet, tangy liquid. They’re firm enough to mix into salads while maintaining their structure, which is the most common way pomelos appear in Southeast Asia, where they thrive. In this case, though, they form the base of one salsa that melds all five tastes, to balance perfectly on one chip. Sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savory, there’s no prepared mixture that even comes close.

Pomelo salsa is a prime appetizer to serve with tortilla chips of course, but its full potential goes way beyond the first course. Use it to top tacos, stuff burritos, or complement any range of grilled meatless proteins for a quick, satisfying meal.

Were he still around today, I would challenge Mr. Kilban to reevaluate his statement after trying these oversized fruits.

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May 4, 2020February 10, 2026

Hannah (BitterSweet)10 Comments

Introducing: Meal Planning with Popit!

Perhaps you’ve seen the immaculate rows of perfectly curated lunchboxes captured for posterity on Instagram, or entire shelves dedicated to meal prep and make-ahead recipes in bookstores. Meal planning is all the rage these days, though it seems daunting to dive right in.

Meal planning is not just for busy office workers or students on the go. Even if you’re eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home, everyone can reap the benefits:

Prevent mindless snacking by setting aside perfect portions.
Save time by cooking in batches.
Stress less by knowing exactly what’s for dinner.
Maximize your budget by resisting the lure of takeout.
Reduce food waste by using up what you already have.

The best containers are durable, lightweight, leak-proof, microwave- and freezer-friendly, easy to clean, and available in multiple sizes. That’s why I’ve chosen Popit! to house my meals. They offer all that, in both glass and BPA-free plastic food storage containers, which snap closed with airtight locking lids. No leaking, no cracking, no discoloring here. Plus, they conveniently nest together for space-saving storage.

Popit! has made it possible to bring you a bold new series featuring fresh recipes every month, to help fill the gaps in your daily menu. I’m excited to kick things off with a simple, satisfying burrito bowl worth throwing a fiesta for.

Brains and beauty go hand in hand for this well-balanced bundle. Colorful, crisp vegetables sit comfortably on a bed of fluffy cilantro rice, with a hearty scoop of black beans for a complete protein complement. Rich, thick avocado crema gets packed alongside to keep everything fresh, but I wouldn’t blame you for breaking out the chips to polish off the final drops. It’s everything you could ask for in a properly loaded burrito, minus the grease, stodgy flour tortilla, and potential wrap malfunctions.

Served cold, straight out of the fridge, at room temperature on-the-go, warmed lightly in the microwave, or hot from the moment it’s made, it’s a delicious combination at any temperature. Designed for two servings, it could be one lunch for you and your partner, two lunches for you, OR double the quantities and containers to maximize your time and effort. Get twice as much delicious food out of the deal, and spend that much less time worrying about it. Get in, chow down, and get on with your life. That, my friends, is the beauty of meal planning.

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May 1, 2020February 10, 2026

Hannah (BitterSweet)2 Comments

Taking a Dump for Dinner

The mere concept is ripe for ridicule. Built upon a shaky foundation of canned goods and prepared foods, dump-and-bake meals are the semi-homemade answer to the daily dilemma of someone who doesn’t want to, doesn’t like to, or doesn’t know how to cook. All you need is a can opener and a cooking device; I do understand the appeal. Quick, easy, pantry-friendly, and so much more SEO gold, convenience seems to win the war over good taste in this instance.

Of course, don’t get me started on the name. “Dumping” is simply never a positive verb. Evoking images of landfills, garbage, dropping or throwing away, I can’t get past the term. Mentally condensed, I read it out as “Trash Casserole” nine times out of ten, without thinking about it. Of course, don’t get me started on the connotations of “taking a dump.”

Snark aside, there’s a time and a place for everything. It’s a shame the idea is maligned by basic nomenclature, but you can’t blame a child for a name given at birth. Considering the dire state of my refrigerator, it’s time I get my head of out the gutter- Or toilet, as it may be.

Relying more on unprocessed dry goods than traditional alchemic creations of modern prepared foods, my take on classic stroganoff is an effortless one-pan approach to nearly instant gratification. Soy curls, some of the greatest unsung heroes of meatless proteins, take the place of more bovine inclusions. Re-hydrating right in the cooking liquid, alongside dry pasta, there’s no fussy soaking, draining, sauteing, or separate special treatment necessary.

You don’t even need to break out the knives if you plan your pantry well. Purchase pre-sliced mushrooms, jars of minced garlic ready to go, and even frozen diced onion to keep in the true spirit of dumping doctrine. Heck, go ahead and use canned>mushrooms if need be. There’s no shame in making the most of what you’ve got, and this luscious cream sauce is so rich, it can easily conceal a multitude of sins.

Soaking in all the umami seasonings built into the broth, tender noodles provide actual substance, rather than filler for this rendition. Use whole grain options for a bit of extra fiber, or gluten-free if you’re intolerant. Remain flexible, keep an open mind, and start preheating your oven.

Comfort food shouldn’t just provide solace on the plate. If I may be so bold, I’d like to propose that it should be soothing to create, too.

I get it: Dump dinners sound like culinary defeat, the last attempt at sustenance devised by a starving cook at the end of their rope. It doesn’t have to be that way. Emboldened by fresher fare, let’s all take back the notion and take a dump for dinner, together!

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April 27, 2020February 10, 2026

Hannah (BitterSweet)7 Comments

Quarantine Kitchen

Now more than ever, as the very earth seems to shift beneath our feet, we’re finding comfort and solace in simple pleasures. Drawn back into the kitchen, the heart of the home, even those who once claimed to despise the domesticity of cooking are deftly, urgently tying on their aprons. Exactly what is everyone cooking, though? What is it that speaks most to the soul in times of crisis, that nourishes physically and emotionally?

Google would like to weigh in.

Below is a list of the top ten most searched recipes on Google since quarantine conditions began around mid-March, followed by my personal suggestions for corresponding dishes found right here on little old BitterSweet.

What are you craving most?