Oh the lives of powerful men - The Arnold, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Oh what a week for affairs and scandal.
We all know the humble beginnings of Arnold as Austria’s Mr. Universe, his rise though Danny DeVito films, and governatorship of California. But making Wiener Schnitzel was just not in the cards.
But what about the life of DSK, the fallen sexual aggressor of the world’s most evil institution IMF?
Strauss-Kahn was born in Paris to wealthy Jewish parents with North African connections. He lived in Morocco, has Tunisian linage, and was a member of the French Communist Party. (Sounds like young DSK might have been in the news for North African mass uprisings, not West African individualized aggression.)
In honor of these less imperialistic roots I made a Tarte au Citron adapted from Joan Nathan’s beautiful book Quiches, Kugles, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France. The tart is easy to make, looks fantastic, but is also full of a very bitter surprise.
Tarte au Citron
For the crust:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or pareve margarine
1 cup all- purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¹⁄8 teaspoon salt
About 2 tablespoons ice cold water
To make the crust, cut the butter into small pieces, and rub into fingertips with flour, sugar, and salt, until coarse crumbs form. Pour in the water a tablespoon at a time, just until dough sticks together. Shape the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
Roll out the piecrust, and line an ungreased 9- inch tart pan with it. Prick it all over with a fork, and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. (This can be done ahead of time.)
For the filling:
2 cups sugar
4 lemons
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or pareve margarine
To make the filling, pour 2 cups water into a heavy medium- sized saucepan. Add 1 cup of the sugar, and bring to a boil. Slice one of the lemons into thin circles, drop them into the boiling sugared water, lower the heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes, uncovered. Drain, and discard the liquid.
Grate the zest of the remaining 3 lemons to get 2 tablespoons of zest, then juice the lemons to get about ¾ cup juice. Whip the eggs and remaining sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed. Gradually add the lemon juice and zest.
Pour the filling ingredients into a medium saucepan, add the butter or margarine, andcook over medium heat, stirring constantly, being careful not to boil, until the lemon thickens into a curdlike custard, about 5 minutes.
Spoon the filling into the prebaked crust. Lay the lemon slices all over, and refrigerate until firm.
(Please excuse lack of technique photos. Technical difficulties.)
