In a rash moment, I agreed to cook dinner for a couple of friends next week.
Here's the menu I came up with:


* Mixed-Greens Salad with Strawberries, Pine Nuts, and Honey Vinaigrette
(This was posted here as "Strawberry Spring Salad" some time ago.)

* Cardoons au Gratin

* Ham Steak Glazed with Spiced Lemon Marmalade

* Jasmine Rice with Peas and Caramelized Onions

* Lychee Tea Creme Anglaise with Fresh Blackberries


There's nothing really *challenging* there except that "Glazed with Spiced
Lemon Marmalade" part: The problem is that I've never made a lemon
marmalade, and I'm not sure whether adding spice would be feasible. Here's
the basic recipe I intend to follow, only I'll be cutting it WAY down:

Lemon Marmalade (from Cook's Magazine)

3 pounds lemons
8-10 cups granulated sugar

Slice the lemons as thin as possible. Discard ends. Remove all seeds and
tie them in a square of doubled cheesecloth. Put lemons and seed bag in a
nonreactive bowl with enough water to cover. Let stand overnight. Measure
the lemons and water into a wide, shallow, nonreactive pan. Add an equal
volume of sugar and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Raise
heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently and skimming off the
foam as it rises, until temperature reaches 220°F., about 1/2 hour.

Remove marmalade from heat. To test for consistency, drop a little
marmalade on a saucer and put the saucer into the freezer until marmalade
is cold, about 5 minutes. Tip the saucer: the marmalade should just barely
run. If too thin, return marmalade to medium-high heat and cook, testing
often, until it has reached the right consistency.


I intend to add ground cloves, powdered ginger, and dry mustard to the
marmalade. Maybe I'll use part brown sugar instead of the white sugar.

Is there any reason this shouldn't be okay? (In case it makes a difference,
we'll be drinking a Gewurztraminer with dinner.)

Bob