Show your Zest for Spring with 5 Citrus Cookbooks

Citrus: Sweet and Savory Sun-Kissed Recipes, by Valerie Aikman-Smith and Victoria Pearson
Valerie Aikman-Smith’s resume includes impressive food feats like working at Alice Waters’s renowned restaurant, Chez Panisse, styling food for blockbusters like Titanic, contributing to Bon Appetit, and writing this delectable cookbook on all things citrus. Aikman-Smith’s elevated aesthetic comes alive with images by fellow author and photographer, Victoria Pearson—both the cover and the pages are a feast for the eyes. With six chapters partitioned by type of fruit—lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and the rest—this book boasts citrus-based recipes that complete a full-course meal. Start with  Crudités with Pomelo Aioli, followed by Yuzu-Glazed Salmon as a main course, and complete the dinner with Orange Blossom Macarons.

Pucker: A Cookbook for Citrus Lovers, by Gwendolyn Richards, foreword by Anna Olson
Journalist Gwendolyn Richards used to report on police in Calgary, Alberta, but has since refocused her talents to cover a more relaxing aspect of life: food. As well as covering cuisine for the Calgary Herald, she has her own blog, Patent and the Pantry, and has written this lovely cookbook! Recipes include appetizing treats like Scallops with Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc, Citrus-Braised Pork Shoulder Tacos, and a smattering of citrus cocktails.

Sweet and Tart: 70 Irresistible Recipes with Citrus, by Carla Snyder and Nicole Franzen 
With both simple and unique recipes, Sweet and Tart: 70 Irresistible Recipes with Citrus is a great book for newbie cooks and kitchen pros alike. The author, Carla Snyder, begins with easy-to-follow cooking methods and a list of utensils needed to make anyone’s citrus dreams come to fruition. The book’s chapters are broken up into categories, starting with Bars and Cookies, leading into Cakes, continuing with Chilled & Frozen Desserts, and finishing with Savories. The dishes skew more sweet than tart, with like Greek Baklava with Cinnamon & Orange, Lemon-Almond Cake with Basil Honeyed Berries, but there are also some yummy savories, like Flat Bread with Lemony Pesto and Ricotta.

Orange Appeal: Savory and Sweet, by Jamie Schler and Ilva Beretta 
If oranges are your favorite citrus, or if you live in a region with an abundance of oranges, then Orange Appeal: Savory and Sweet is for you. This beautiful book was written by prolific food writer and hotelier, Jamie Schler, and the recipes stunningly captured by photographer, Ilva Beretta. While Schler has lived in France for decades, she was raised in the orange state, Florida, and shares her knowledge of the minutest details of the fruit: from the many varieties to surprising uses. The enticing pages impart a bounty of mouthwatering recipes, like Orange Fig Sauce, Savory Orange, Onion and Olive Focaccia, and Orange Rosemary Wedding Day Chicken.  If the book whets your appetite for more slices, try the recipes from the cook herself at Schler’s hotel, Hôtel Diderot, in Chinon, France.

Luscious Lemon Desserts, by Lori Longbotham and Alison Miksch 
Lemon tart, lemon custard, lemon meringue, lemon pound cake, lemon popsicle, lemon crêpes… this versatile, tart, citrus makes an abundance of scrumptious sweets. Cookbook author and magazine recipe developer Lori Longbotham has written numerous dessert and fruit cookbooks, and lucky for us she added a spoonful of sugar to zesty lemons for more than 70 recipes. Treats include, but are not limited to: Lemon Mascarpone, Lemon Crême Brulée, Chilled Lemon Soufflé, Lemon Chocolate Sorbet…it’s like lemon heaven.
What are your favorite citrus-showcasing recipes?