Books for Cooks

Barbara Burke

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Granita is a summer treat,
in countless frozen flavors

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What could be more cool and refreshing on a hot summer day than a serving of ice-cold granita? It's similar to shave ice, except that instead of pouring syrup all over the top (and sometimes missing a few spots) the intense flavoring of a granita is captured within every ice crystal of this frozen Italian treat.

"Granita Magic" by Nadia Roden (Artisan, 2003, $15)

"One of the advantages of granitas is that they are incredibly easy to make and require no special equipment. All you need is a fork, a tray, a freezer, and sometimes a food processor, a sieve, and a saucepan," explains Nadia Roden, author of "Granita Magic," the first cookbook of its kind.

"I see everything as a potential granita!" the author writes. While fruit is probably the most common flavor base for granitas, Roden also offers recipes for more unusual combinations ranging from vegetables (cucumber and mint) to flowers (hibiscus) to wines and spirits (tequila and lime).

Children will enjoy eating strawberry, watermelon, tropical pineapple and green grape granita, while adults may opt for one of Roden's more exotic recipes such as a tomato-basil, Indian chai, or chocolate-rosemary flavored ice.

Vibrantly colored and playful art designs created by this talented author accompany the recipes. With 55 granita recipes to choose from, you won't get bored. The freezing directions are the same for every recipe. Just choose between the classic and quick methods described below.

This ginger granita is highly charged with flavor. If you prefer a milder taste, use less ginger or reduce the amount of chilling time in the refrigerator.

Ginger Granita

1 heaping cup peeled and coarsely chopped fresh ginger (about 6 ounces)
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
Zest and juice of 3 lemons

Combine the chopped ginger and the sugar in a food processor and whiz to a paste.

Place the ginger paste in a medium saucepan and add the water and lemon zest. Heat the mixture to a simmer, and then remove the saucepan from the heat. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. The longer the ginger stays in the pan, the more intense its flavor will be.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Mix in the lemon juice. To freeze the granita, choose from the two methods that follow. Serves 4 to 6.

Classic Method

1. Pour the granita mixture into a wide and shallow container.

2. Cover with a lid, foil, or plastic wrap. Freeze the mixture for an hour or two until it has frozen around the edge.

3. Take the container out of the freezer and scrape the ice with a fork, mixing it from the edge into the center. Return to the freezer.

4. Repeat this scraping and mixing process every 1/2 hour or so (at least three times) until the entire mixture has turned into small ice flakes.

5. It is best to eat the granita at once, but if you leave it in the freezer overnight or longer, let it sit out for about 10 minutes until it softens a little and then scrape it again with a fork to lighten the texture.

Quick Method

This granita will have a finer texture than that produced using the classic method.

1. Pour the granita mixture into ice trays, cover with plastic wrap and freeze solid.

2. When ready to serve, put the cubes through a food processor briefly until they reach the desired texture.

Approximate nutritional information per serving (6 servings per recipe): 160 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 10 mg sodium.

Rating Scale: Best in its class / Highly recommended / Recommended / Not recommended

Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor who teaches and writes about food and nutrition. Contact her at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail her at: features@starbulletin.com