Q: A year or so ago, I picked up a recipe card at Williams-Sonoma for a lemon cake that used Meyer lemon juice, which you could buy there. I have misplaced the card, and Williams-Sonoma is saying they don't have the recipe on file anymore. Do you know where I could find it?

Kathy Gebo,

Watertown, N.Y.

A: Meyer lemons, for those unfamiliar with the fruit, are believed to be a cross between lemons and mandarin oranges, and were introduced to the United States from China in 1908 as a landscaping plant by Frank Meyer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They are larger, sweeter and less acidic than a traditional lemon, with a thin, bright yellow-orange peel and an intoxicating fragrance.

My local Williams-Sonoma did not have Meyer lemon juice, and it is not available on the catalog website, so tracking down the cake recipe will have to depend on other readers. The only commercially produced Meyer lemon juice I could find is a frozen concentrate that is prohibitively expensive to ship. And finding fresh Meyer lemons can be tough except in late winter when they're in season.

That said, I've found that a mixture of two parts lemon juice and one part tangerine juice comes close to the flavor of Meyer lemon when you can't get the real thing. Use this blend in place of lemon or orange juice in any favorite cake recipe. I tried it in my favorite pound cake, which I'm sharing here, and can't wait to try it with Meyer lemons when they're available.

Q: Do you have a good method for making coconut-curried fish? We were at a business dinner where they served baked salmon with the most delicious glaze, but the caterer would not part with the recipe.

Sylvia P., Miami

A: Ever since I found the recipe here years ago in the excellent Made in The Shade by the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale it has been a favorite. I use it on fish, shellfish and chicken. It's amazingly simple.

Q: I have been receiving The Herald for over 30 years so I know I got this recipe from it sometime in the 1980s. It was for delicious, rich shrimp fritters made with Vidalia onions using a blender to chop and mix. I am hoping someone has the recipe.

M.

A: I searched our archives and was unable to find the recipe you remember. Perhaps it came from another publication, and a reader can provide it. In the meantime, I fiddled with my favorite fritter recipe to approximate it. You could season it with Cajun spice mix or Old Bay rather than salt and Tabasco.

SLEUTH'S CORNER

Q: Does anyone have a good recipe for a Jewish dish my grandmother used to make that was like a stir-fry but used farfel instead of rice? She served this all year, not just at Passover.

Joan

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