Thank you all for participating in the Lékué Luki lemon squeezer contest. As promised I am writing to announce the results of the draw….

so with no futher a do,

drum roll please …….

the WINNER is …….

DOROTHEE!!!!

 Congratulations I will contact you directly via email to organise the shipping details.

For those of you who would like to purchase a Luki but cannot find them in your home town, just leave me a comment and I will research where  / how you can buy one.

I hope you are all enjoying the summer and have been busy in the kitchen. I will be posting some new delicious recipes shortly!

Lékué Lemon Squeezer

What is it ? It’s your solution to 1/2 a lemon!!!

The new designer lemon squeezer by Lékué :

• Cut a lemon in 1/2
• Put inside the  squeezer
• Squeeze the exact quantity of juice you need
• No pips, no splashes
• Store in the fridge
• Quick & easy to use
• Made of 100% platinum silicone and very hygenic
• Dishwasher safe

WIN your very own Lékué LEMON SQUEEZER

ENTER the contest with THREE easy steps:

1. Go to the Lékué website by clicking HERE
2. Choose your favorite Lékué product
3. Leave a comment on this SWEET PEA post:  stating what your favorite Lékué product is & your email address.  ie) “My favourite Lékué product is the cooking mesh!!”

You are now entered in the free draw!

Click on link below for free draw & LEMON CAKE recipe!

Contest details:

• Contest is open from June 12 to July 12, 2009
• Prize :  2 Lékué Lemon Squeezers (1 box), kindly donated by Lékué
• Winners name will be drawn at random & announced the 3rd week of July!
• Squeezer will be shipped internationally at no cost to the winner, by regular post, upon receipt of the winners delivery address.

The story behind this post….

My wedding list was at a lovely kitchen shop in the old town of Geneva. This is one of those shops that you go into with the intention of just having a look and come out hours later with a variety of wonderful packages. It was here that I found the Lékué Lemon Squeezer – which I have since nick named ‘the LUKI‘ after Luki Hubert, it’s designer !

I bought a Luki for my brother, gave them as favours at a dinner party, recommended them to my work colleagues – and always the same reaction…. “Where has this been all my life!!!” It is the best solution to 1/2 a lemon.

So I contacted Lékué (the Spanish companybased in Barcelona who makes these lemon squeezers) to rave about their Luki. I think more consumers should provide feedback to companies, especially when the product it this fabulous. Not only is the product wonderful, but so are the people working at Lékué – the vibe was always friendly, accommodating & very knowledgeable.

Here are the answers to the questions I asked them, to give you the INSIDE SCOOP on Lékué and the Luki!!!

Who invented the company Lékué?

• José María Lorente founded the company in 1979, he was a great inventor and manager.

What does the name Lékué mean?

• Lékué is a Basque name that means “place.” It was the founder wife’s name (José María Lorente).

Who is Luki Huber?

• Swiss-Born Luki Huber is an internationally recognized designer, who was trained at the Lucerne Schools of Art & Design (Switzerland) and the Escola Massana in Barcelona (Spain). In 1994 he moved to Spain and in 1999 he created his own design studio. Luki has collaborated on a regular basis with world famous companies and restaurants such as elBulli, experimenting & reinventing the rigors of cuisine – creating an original way to enjoy cooking.

Why did Lékué decide to work with Luki Huber?

• Functionality, quality, innovation and avant-garde design constitute the basis of Lékué’s philosophy. Lékué believes that it is indispensable to have a close relationship with the design world & it’s designers, because this is the origin and condition of the constant innovation of our products .
• Our collaboration with Luki Hubert was born to join functional and innovative designs with new products, always focused on improving, facilitating or reinventing well-known objects or processes for both the professional and home/ kitchen, through the use of 100% Platinum Silicone.

Was the lemon press the 1st project you did with Luki Huber?

• Yes, it was the first product designed by Luki Huber and we have had a very successful collaboration since then. The great success of this product is due to its characteristics and original design. The luki lemon press has won two international and prestigious awards: the “Good Design Award” (Japan, Oct 2007) and “Design and Technological Innovation Award” (Madridfusión, Jan 2007).

What inspired the design of the lemon press?

• The challenge was to reinvent different kitchen tools & processes, where platinum silicone had a real benefit.

How long did it take to develop the lemon press?

• It took almost 2 years to launch the product, but we still continue enlarging the products range since then.

Where is the lemon press made in Spain?

• Yes, it is.

Why is it made in green?

• Green is easily related to citrus fruits

How many lemon press are made each year?

• This product is quite new as you know, so we do not have figures from such a long time. Last year 200.000 units were placed in the market.

Over the years, will the acidity of the lemon juice deteriorate the silicone?

• No, it will not. Platinum silicone is a very resistant material, so the acidity doesn’t deteriorate it. Besides, silicone can be reused as many times as needed, it is very hygienic and dishwasher safe. Be careful with the use of knife when cutting and also when cooking in direct contact with fire (burners, etc.).

Will you make a Luki squeezer for other citrus fruits (cítricos) eg: oranges?

• We discarded that idea since at least 3 oranges are required for a single juice and there are other better solutions for this purpose in the market. It would not be a real improvement of the existing orange juice making products. At Lékué, being innovative is one of the aims when developing products.

As this is a cooking blog, my Lékué Luki post would not be complete without a recipe - and one using the LUKI!!!

LEMON CAKE RECIPE – ERIKA ALLLISTON Blog

Lemon cake

LEMON CAKE

• 110 gr unsalted butter
• 110g white sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean*
• 2 medium eggs
• 110gr white all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• finely grated ring of 1/2 a lemon

*Take 1/2 a vanilla bean pod, slice it lengthwise & remove the inside by scrapping with a teaspoon

For the lemon / sugar syrup:

• juice of 2 lemons (here’s where the LUKI comes in handy)
• 50gr icing sugar

1. Pre heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F
2. Line a small loaf tin with baking paper – this is important for absorbing the  syrup!
3. Bring the butter to room temperature
4. Beat the butter until light in colour
5. Add sugar & cream until light and fluffy
6. Add vanilla & mix to combine
7. Add the two eggs and beat well
8. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt
9. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture.
10. Finally add the grated lemon ring, mix untill combined.
11. Pour batter into lined loaf tin.
12. Bake for 30 mins depending on loaf tin
13. While waiting, in a small bowl combine the lemon juice and icing sugar = syrup!
14. Remove from oven. Leave cake in the loaf tin.
15. IMMEDIATELY prick the cake with a tooth pick (approx. 15 times).
16. While the cake is still warm, slowly & evenly pour the syrup over the top of the cake.
17. Leave cake to sit in the loaf tin for 10 minutes so all the syrup is absorbed.
18. Remove cake from the tin and leave to cool on a cooling rack

LEMON ROSEMARY COD

First and most important a very happy NEW YEAR to you all. This post have been a long time coming, but between Christmas, my brother visiting and the wedding planning – every spare minute of the day has been occupied.

Therefore as a tribute to 2008 I am posting a version of one of the dishes we made for New Years Eve dinner. The original version can be found in ELLE à Table N°55, which calls for scallops (aka coquille saint-jacques in French).

Oddly enough cod has never really appealed to me – the problem stems from the name, which I find rather unappealing. However the fish monger in Geneva changed all this by offering me ‘cabillaud‘, which naturally sounded lovely and so I agreed and went off home with a nicely wrapped package. Only to find out that what was inside was non other than cod… There was no turning back. And the result I have to say was wonderful! Let me know what you think.

RECIPE – ERIKA ALLISTON – Sweet Pea Blog

• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs (branches) approx. 16 to 18 cm long
• 1 large untreated lemon (for rind & juice)
• 250g cod (cabillaud) for two people
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2.5 tablespoons lemon juice (from lemon above)
• ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F) (with the wrack in the middle of the oven)
2. Prepare the rosemary sprigs, by removing all the rosemary leaves – except those at the very top of the branch for decoration!! Next coarsely chop the rosemary and set aside
3. Now prepare the lemon. Wash and dry the lemon. Using a vegetable peeler, remove long / wide  (4 x 1.5cm) strips of the lemon rind until you are left with a bald lemon. Set the rind aside. Now juice the lemon.
4. In a ceramic oven dish, combine the chopped rosemary, olive oil, lemon juice and pepper and set aside.
5. Now prepare the cod. Wash and dry the fish well, and using a sharp knife cut twelve 4 x 2 cm pieces. Improvise if you have to.
6. To make the rosemary skewers, start with a piece of lemon rind, and alternatingly thread a piece of rind followed by a piece of cod onto the rosemary branch. I usually put 3 piece of cod onto a branch.

7.  Place the branches into the sauce and leave to marinade for 15 minutes, turning  the skewers over every few minutes.

8.  Tightly cover the ceramic dish with aluminium foil, and place in the oven to cook for 6  minutes.  Remove from the oven and CAREFULLY turn over each skewer, replace the aluminum foil and cook for another 6 minutes.

I then serve the fish over quinoa with pink salt and pepper.