Food

Pink Grapefruit Bars for Sour-Loving Sweet Tooths

Credit…Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.

Remember Lemonheads? That flavor is my North Star when it comes to dessert. I’m a citrus-besotted, acid-obsessed sweet tooth who will always choose a sour bite over plain sweetness — lime over chocolate, tangerine over caramel, yuzu over vanilla, or even combined for the sublime. I’ll bet that a lot of you out there are nodding your lemon-heads along with me.

Just for us, Jesse Szewczyk has a brilliant new recipe for pink grapefruit bars (above). A clever twist on lemon squares, they’re a little floral from the grapefruit zest, soft and custardy in the center and prettily pink. They’re definitely at the top on my list of things to make this week.

But hold on, what to have for dinner first? (I like to work backward from dessert. Priorities!)

For something speedy and meatless, Kay Chun has a tahini ramen salad with chickpeas and plenty of fresh vegetables and herbs. It’s very portable if you’ve got picnic plans on the horizon. We had a warm spell in Brooklyn recently, and I’ve seen loads of folks spreading blankets under the budding trees in Prospect Park as I’ve jogged by. Spring is in full force, with summer hard on its heels.

Also good for a weeknight spring dinner is Naz Deravian’s baked salmon and dill rice, a one-pan meal that’s shades of pink and green on its bed of fluffy rice.

Now, let’s talk breakfast! Yewande Komolafe has a great new column that sets us straight about the best kind of Rolex. No, we’re not talking watches: Rolex is a Ugandan street food favorite made from a vegetable omelet rolled in a homemade Kenyan-style chapati. I’d be happy to eat this any time of day.

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Lastly, here’s a tip for lemon lovers. Keep a bowl of lemon wedges in the fridge. That way you can easily reach for one to make salad dressings (like this lemon-caper dressing from Ali Slagle), adjust sauces or add to your glass of seltzer. Perfect for lemon-heads, and everyone else too.

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