I had no idea what lemon bars were.
My classmates said that my new school would turn my Chinese American self into a banana or a Twinkie — yellow on the outside, white within.
Because the lemon bars didn’t taste like a loss of identity, but an expansion of it.
But from-scratch treats from midcentury Americana were foreign to me — and lemon bars tasted especially mysterious, at once sour and sweet, rich and sharp.
The next year, Betty Crocker’s “Cooky Book” included a recipe for Lemon Squares, which extended its popularity beyond local community cookbooks.
Persons:
Eleanore Mickelson, Betty Crocker’s “
Organizations:
Chicago Tribune
Locations:
East Asia, Mexico, Eden, Los Angeles