Roasting lemons for an hour in the oven transforms their flavor in several appealing ways. They become less acidic and develop a floral note. Their juice also picks up a bitter edge from the pith. If you like Campari, you'll appreciate this drink.
Ingredients 1 roasted lemon, ends removed, cut into 4 thick slices 1 ounce simple syrup 2 ounces vodka Directions To roast lemons: First wash and dry the rinds, then bake them on a cookie sheet in a 325 degree oven for an hour, turning once. Let cool before using. You may want to roast them on a bed of coarse salt if you don't want to see a small brown spot where the skin touches the pan. To make simple syrup: Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to boil. As soon as sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. To make the martini: Combine lemon slices, syrup and vodka over crushed ice in a shaker. Shake or stir vigorously and strain into chilled martini glass. by john kessler in the AJC (Mon 23 Dec 2002)