Spring in a pan

{Vermeer light mis-en-place}

Yes, I did just compare my underexposed photo to one of the greatest Dutch painters of all time.

And what?

Can you even respect yourself if you read on...

So, I think it is safe to say that this spring sucks so far. This past Saturday it was grey and freezing, the usual, and I decided that I had had enough. I was supposed to take more pictures of food for my photo class and I tried to think of something fit for spring as an antidote to both the weather and my mood. I wanted to make something using rhubarb, but let's be honest, rhubarb is not a spring fruit in Canada. Nothing east of the Rockies comes out of the ground for at least a couple of months. Scratch the rhubarb idea. Instead I decided to make lemon loaf. I know nothing about when lemons grow, but they taste light and fresh and they are the prettiest colour of yellow. Sounds like spring to me!

I used Ina's lemon loaf recipe. It is easy, reliable and (wonders never cease) it doesn't call for butter, rather a combination of full fat yogurt and oil (which is basically health food for the Contessa). I love baking in my super narrow loaf pan because it ensures the middle of all my loaves cook evenly. Anyone who has ever under-baked banana bread knows what I am talking about. This long, narrow pan makes cooking loaves a pleasure (and it is pretty to boot).

The lemon loaf lifted our spirits this weekend and I was able to take a few (read four million) pictures of the process, some of which I actually like. Lemon loaf doesn't have the pizazz a chocolate cake does, but it is pretty in its own pared down, simplistic way.

We must do what we can to get by this time of year, no?

xo

Em