Double Citrus Pie with a Ginger Cookie Crust.

I Googled love the other day and according to the definition, it turns out, I’m still deep in it.

My husband and I met while we were working next to each other over a decade ago in Berkeley. He, a green (but promising and cute) prep cook at the cafe next door, and I, a fresh pasta and worldly specialty foods salesman, caught eyes. One day the electricity went out midday all up and down the street. With no one to sell porcini-truffle ravioli to and no onions to roughly chop, we decided to go on a bike ride (and find beer and roll up some fresh tobacco on that brisk afternoon). We’ve been inseparable ever since.

Food has been this integral part of our relationship. The funny thing is that back then, he knew way more about cooking than I. Despite being a “fresh pasta salesman” and growing up in a food-centric household, I didn’t know the first thing about making pasta. He taught me how to make an egg dough for pappardelle, how to appreciate escarole and even how to make lemon curd.

It all gets me thinking about this certain holiday coming up: love and how to show it without being a cog in the machine. Valentine’s Day unfairly singles out singles and makes couples feel pressure to do something special for their other half. The easiest answer is to cook something special. I like to think of things we always enjoyed together since The Beginning. Like a jar of that custardy lemon curd that was an expression of love back then and can still be one now. Better yet, if making someone a jar of curd says I want you to remember, making someone a pie with lemon curd is actually saying I “heart” you now, still.

As a word, curd sounds abrasive and short, but curd is actually a type of very enjoyable custard and lasts longer than you think. It’s sweet, smooth and a very tangy dessert that is great on its own, spread on toast or spooned into parfait glasses. I imagine if you’re in Britain, you might enjoy it with a scone, but here in California, the scone police have no jurisdiction and I use curd for whatever I want.

I wanted this pie to be smaller than normal because I actually don’t eat a lot of sweet things, but I like to dabble. Plus, curd, albeit a great thing, is best in smaller doses since its flavor is strong. One of the easiest ways I found to make a smaller pie is to use a small saute pan that I usually use for frying eggs. Its circumference is 7 inches, but an 8-inch pan works too, even a 6-inch, although you may need to adjust the amount of crumbs.

I like to use Meyer lemons for my curd, but regular lemons will also work. So do navel oranges, limes or even a mix of grapefruit, orange and lemon. I would avoid blood oranges, however, because the color gets murky and the acidity level isn’t tangy enough for me. You also need juicy citrus, so no need to sacrifice heirloom citrus like a drier yuzu or even citron — they won’t work!

The actual curd comes together in about 30 minutes. It involves a lot of whisking, but it’s worth it. Butter, citrus zest and sugar melt and eventually juice and egg yolks are worked in over a double boiler until they thicken and resemble aioli — another love of mine.

I then pour that curd into a cookie-crumb crust that I’ve been chilling while making the curd. Did I mention there’s no actual baking in this recipe? That’s another thing I love about this recipe. It only requires a fridge to cool the buttery cookie crust into shape and then the curd. It makes for a sliceable pie that’s refreshingly cool, sweet and, of course, zesty. You can top off the pie with more fresh citrus, like the blood orange in the recipe and whipped cream, but it’s not necessary. A pie (even a chilled one) is a love language all its own — Google it.

Christian Reynoso is a chef, recipe developer and writer. Originally from Sonoma, he lives in San Francisco. Email: food@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @christianreynoso Twitter: @xtianreynoso

Double Citrus Pie With a Ginger Cookie Crust

This no-bake pie is assembled and chilled in a small griddle/saute pan because less is more when it comes to strikingly sweet and tangy curd. To really drive that citrus theme, top it with fresh blood orange before serving. If you can’t find ginger snaps, graham crackers or even Nilla wafers work here, too. Also, regular lemons or a mix of lemon and orange works instead of Meyer lemons.

7 ounces ginger cookies, graham crackers or even Nilla wafer cookies

3 tablespoons zest, Meyer lemon, lemon or a mix of orange and lemon

1 cup lemon juice, Meyer lemon, lemon or a mix of orange and lemon

Instructions: Melt ¼ cup (½ stick) butter and set aside. In a food processor pulse the cookies, 1 tablespoon sugar and ½ teaspoon salt until you have an even, sandy texture. Pulse the warm melted butter in and incorporate well; it should be pretty moist and hold its shape when squeezed. Transfer the crumbs to the middle of a small saute/fry/griddle pan (about 6 to 8 inches). Press the crumbs into a flat layer on the bottom and around the sides to create a crust that’s flush with the edge of the pan and about ½-inch thick. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While the crust is chilling, use a sharp paring or chef’s knife to remove peel and white pith from the blood oranges, being careful not to remove too much of the flesh. Slice the oranges into a mix of ¼-inch-thick rounds, half-moons and smaller pieces. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 1 cup (2 sticks) butter in the top of a double boiler or in a large bowl placed over a saucepan or pot of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water). Add the lemon zest, juice and sugar. Whisk to combine, then add the egg yolks and keep whisking continuously until thickened, about 15 minutes, as the water steams below. It should look like a very loose aioli, but don’t worry; as it cools it will thicken. If you’re worried about the eggs reaching a certain temperature for safety, cook until it registers 170 degrees.

Pour the warm curd into your chilled crust. Place back in the fridge and chill until completely set, about 45 to 60 minutes. To serve, arrange the blood orange pieces on top and sprinkle with flake salt. Cut into slices, with whipped cream on the side.