Laryngitis and lemons...

I managed to make it through the entire winter without coming down with a cold, or the flu, or any of the other bugs that were going around. Then, Tuesday last week, I woke up with a sore throat. By Wednesday, I had a full blow cold. I stocked up on sinus meds, Kleenex, throat lozenges, and cough suppressant. I was doing okay, not feeling too terrible. Then, Thursday afternoon, an hour before my evening class, my voice died. Full blown laryngitis. At that late hour, there was nothing to be done, no one to call and come in to teach for me. So, I started sucking lozenges, apologized to my students, and croaked my way through the class. 

Friday was my day off, and I had absolutely no voice. I couldn't have shouted for help if my life depended on it. I stayed home and rested all day--I was scheduled to teach every day from Saturday through Thursday, and with one chef instructor on vacation and another recently resigned, my options were few. Luckily, I woke up Saturday morning and could speak--not well, very gurgly, and interspersed with coughs, but I could speak. So, I put on my chef's coat and went into the kitchen to teach my class.

My kitchen assistants that day were so great. Throughout the entire class, they made mug after mug of throat soothing concoctions with honey and lemon, some with chamomile tea. But, the one that absolutely worked the best, by far, was hot water with lemon, honey and cayenne pepper. Yes, cayenne pepper. I was so surprised by it, I would have expected the cayenne to irritate my throat, but it was the exact opposite. My throat opened up, my vocal cords felt lubricated, and my cough was soothed. It wasn't a cure, but it sure took the edge off. For the next few days, I brought my own stash of lemons, honey, and cayenne pepper with me to work. I probably drank a couple of gallons worth over the course of the week. It didn't just help my throat, it actually tasted really good, too.  

Hmmm...a recipe is starting to develop in the back of my mind....

They say that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Well, when life handed me laryngitis, I turned it into Lemon Honey Cayenne Sorbet.  I hope you enjoy!

Lemon Honey Cayenne Sorbet

Makes 1 quart

1 ¼ cup honey
1 cup lemon juice
2 cups water
zest of 3 lemons
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours. 

Process the sorbet base in an ice cream machine per the manufacturer's instructions. Once processed, transfer to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer until firm. Scoop and serve.