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Our love of lemons has deep roots. They have been depicted in still lifes and pop art, in tales by Joan Didion and James Joyce, and even played a role in the founding of the mafia. So when David Lane and Marina Tweed of the gastronomic and cultural journal Gourmand were looking for the next subject in their series of books celebrating individual ingredients (eggs came first), lemons were an obvious choice. “Lemon is the king of citrus fruits,” says Lane. Featuring works by Édouard Manet, Picasso and Frida Kahlo as well as a collection of essays, recipes and new photographs, this is a book to delve into. Does Lane have a favorite image? “The Egyptian wall painting from the Tomb of Nakht (below). It’s simply magnificent.