Elegant Calabrian inspired meringues scented with fresh bergamot zest and a restrained amount of juice for a floral, citrus and slightly bitter finish.

Sorbetto al Cedro (Italian Citron Sorbet) Cut a cedro open and there is almost nothing inside: a dry heart of segments, two tablespoons of juice, and a white wall of pith an inch thick. Every other citrus sorbet is built on juice. This one is built on the pith, blanched and blended into a pale, floral, faintly resinous sorbetto that scoops like silk. Yield: 8 servings, about 1 quart (950 ml). Prep: 1 hour. Chilling: overnight. Churn: 25 minutes. Hardening: 4 hours. Difficulty

Chiffon Cake all'Italiana (Italian Chiffon Cake) The chiffon cake is American by birth and Italian by adoption. Tall, ringed, pale gold and dusted with nothing but sugar, it sits on Italian breakfast tables beside the coffee pot, where it stays soft for days without a gram of butter. This version is scented with lemon zest and a vanilla bean, and it climbs on the strength of an ungreased pan and one patient hour in the oven. Yield: 1 tube cake, 8 servings. Prep: 25 minutes. B