The Sad Reason Alex Guarnaschelli Doesn't Like Lemon Desserts
"Chopped" judge and Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli has to have an open mind and palate to fairly judge the contestants and dishes on multiple Food Network shows, but she still admits that she simply does not like certain ingredients. She told Food Network that, outside of work, you won't find her eating pattypan squash or haggis. The celebrity chef dislikes the cute squash because of its lack of flavor (via Parade), and conversely dislikes haggis for its pungent flavor.
Guarnaschelli is often asked about her food opinions on Twitter, too, and she revealed that some ingredients she enjoyed as a child, she now dislikes and vice versa. "Hated capers and avocado as a child, for example, and loved patty pan squash. Now reversed," the Food Network star once tweeted. Her tastes have changed so much that capers are now a staple item in her pantry, along with dijon mustard and lemon (via Parade). From browsing a few of her recipes, it seems like ICAG uses lemon in savory and sweet dishes alike, but with one key difference. In her dad's lemon chicken, for example, the citrus fruit is the star of the show, while it is merely an accent flavor in desserts like her lemon cake with chocolate gloppy frosting. And Guarnaschelli recently admitted the reasoning behind this contrast on Twitter.
But she does make one exception for lemon in desserts...
Alex Guarnaschelli is pretty active on Twitter, answering cooking questions from fans, sharing memes, and of course offering up drool-worthy food pics multiple times per day. A fellow chef tweeted a photo of Lemon Chiffon Cake on March 29, which is apparently a national food holiday dedicated to the dessert. Guarnaschelli quote tweeted the post and said, "I weirdly find lemon dessert triggering from childhood, but this is one [that] slips through the cracks and I love." She did not elaborate further as to why lemon desserts cause such a strong reaction, but a few fans chimed in with their own ideas. "Interesting. I don't like lemon in desserts either. I guess triggering is the right word bc [sic] I find it so unbelievably strong," replied one fan.
It's possible that the Iron Chef was referring to the strong flavor of lemon extract in desserts, which even fellow Food Network star Ree Drummond recommends using sparingly (via her official website). It's also possible that the "Chopped" judge enjoys using fresh lemon juice and zest instead to avoid the potent flavor, which is a viable substitution according to MasterClass. Plus, when you look through a couple of Guarnaschelli's lemon desserts, like her Meringue Kisses and Lemon Sherbet and Lemon Macaroons, there is no lemon extract to be found.