Sorbets

I have gotten to the point at which I am almost tempted to swear at very decent and kind wait staff in restaurants who are aware of my dietary peculiarities and tell me sweetly that there are lovely sorbets and fresh fruit. That is the response in almost every restaurant. The fact that I can also have these at home does not make the restaurant versions more appealing.

I do in fact make sorbets—very good ones, because fresh is better. I have gone so far as to buy excellent sorbet machines that self-chill. I put the sorbet into one as we sit down to eat, and it is finished in time to be dessert. I include some of my favorites here. The basic rule is simple: one part—say 4 cups—of puréed fruit to an equal amount of simple syrup. Often, I add some lemon juice, particularly when using purée put up and jarred in the summer. The juice freshens up the taste.