Lime

The clean, fresh flavors of cilantro and lime make this one of our all-time favorite dressings. If you like a smooth, emulsified dressing, make it in a blender.

For a richer dressing, add half a cup of coconut milk and a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter to the dressing.

These days, I like to carbonate my curds (see page 134, for example), but you could serve this one, with its mix of lemon, lime, and orange, as is, spooned over berries or over sorbet, or both.

This is one of the first desserts I learned from François Payard. It’s complex in flavor yet simple in ingredients and technique. Put it in the freezer for a while until it’s so cold that it’s slushy, and serve it with assorted tropical fruits.

I love the burst of flavor when I combine this compote with Cream Cheese Ice Cream (page 223), but you could also put it out for brunch, with bagels and cream cheese and smoked salmon, to bring that acidic tang you’d usually get from a ripe summer tomato.

This is a Thomas Haas signature, and it’s more of a combination of ice cream and granité than just simple ice cream. I fell in love with it the first time I made it for its delicate balance of fat and acid. It pairs well with berries and would be great in a smoothie.

As I’m a great fan of a true margarita, I thought it would be fun to take the components apart and rearrange them into a dessert. This makes a lot, but leftovers will keep for a month in the freezer. I learned a version of this sponge cake, which is called biscuit mirliton, at the Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo. I love it for its airy/ cakey texture, which is like no other sponge. Perfumed with citrus zest, it is a great complement to the tangy semifreddo. The key to the sponge is baking just before serving. You’ll need eight to nine 1-ounce aluminum timbale molds for the cake and twenty 2 x 2-inch ring molds for the semifreddo (see Note, page 120).

This dessert is a delicate balancing act showcasing the diversity of citrus. Each element supplies a different taste and texture: the creamy ice cream, the chewy grapefruit, the crispy sticks, and the airy curd.

I had never seen a key lime when I was growing up; I thought the juice was something that just came in bottles. Once I discovered the real fruit, though, I wanted to do something with it. So here’s a fresh, brightly flavored version of key lime pie, with a crisp graham cracker sablé standing in for the usual soggy crust. The sauce would also be great over sliced fresh apricots or nectarines. A scale is a must for making this dessert. And you’ll need ten 2 x 2-inch ring molds.

If you have always wanted to try making ice cream at home but haven’t wanted to invest in an ice-cream maker, give this recipe a try. Semifreddo is a very rich, creamy dessert, but the lemon juice and limoncello make this one seem very light, despite all the egg yolks and cream.

Pickled onions such as these are most often used as a garnish for tacos, burritos, and guacamole in Mexican cuisine. I think they are just as delicious on most of the burgers in this book, and they add a level of intrigue that raw onion slices could never do. The fresh lime juice is essential for its fresh, clean flavor as well as its acidity. If you want to pump up the volume on flavor and add a bit of heat, try adding a few whole jalapeño or serrano chiles to the mix.

Fried plantains are enjoyed throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. They are a savory—not sweet—treat and you will need to use the unripe green variety for these fries, both for their taste and for their firm texture. I season mine in a Cuban style with lime zest and cayenne to further emphasize their origin, or you can use the Cuban Seasoning on page 118. Needless to say, they are the perfect accompaniment to the Miami Burger (page 51)!

This burger was a staple on Mesa Grill’s lunchtime menu for years and it still makes a guest appearance from time to time. Tuna is a perfect choice for an alternative burger as its substantial meatiness really emulates that of beef. It also stands up to aggressive seasonings and is the perfect base for the slightly sweet, slightly tangy, slightly spicy pineapple-mustard glaze. The relish isn’t like anything you’ll get at a hot-dog stand; dill pickles, peppery poblano chiles, and tart lime juice make for a fresh, not sweet, crunchy relish.