Thrilled with chilled

You’d think granita would be a regular summertime craze, particularly around here, with our wealth of summer fruit. It’s cold and sweet, lighter than ice cream, easier to make than sorbet and just darned pretty to look at. You don’t even need any special equipment for it -- a baking dish, a freezing compartment and a fork will do the job.

The Italian name means “grainy,” because the fruit juice or other liquid is broken up several times as it freezes, creating a texture like coarse sand. It’s traditional to serve granita in a glass bowl or goblet so you can enjoy its color and the alluring glitter of the ice crystals.

But not only is granita far from common in this country, it seems never to have been the subject of a book in English. Until now, that is.

The book is “GranitaMagic” (Artisan, $15), which gives 55 granita recipes. Alongside the traditional fruit and coffee versions are exotic vegetable granitas (usually intended as garnishes, such as the horseradish granita), herb and flower granitas and a few involving wine (which should be broken up at the last minute, since alcohol retards freezing).

The author is Nadia Roden, whose last name might ring a bell. She’s the daughter of Claudia Roden, the London-based author of books on Jewish and Mediterranean food, and there are a few signs of the relationship in the new book, such as a recipe for frozen gazpacho.

The younger Roden is a painter and designer based in New York; she has created textile designs for the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Opera and Neiman Marcus, among other clients. Her book is charmingly illustrated with what are, in effect, fabric patterns based on granita ingredients -- lemongrass lengths alternating with cross-sections; spirals of blueberries; strawberries alternating with heart shapes -- rendered in the loose, whimsical, lyrical style of 1950s textile designers such as Lucienne Day.

The result is a delightful book on an irresistible subject.

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Basil and orange granita

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus 3 hours freezing time

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: This recipe is a variant of the star anise and grapefruit granita recipe, which details the proper freezing and scraping technique.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups water

Zest and juice of 3 large oranges (about 3 1/2 tablespoons zest, 1 cup juice)

2 heaping tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Juice of 2 lemons

1. Put the sugar, water and zest in a medium saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves.

2. Stir in the basil and the orange and lemon juices. Allow the mixture to infuse for at least 1 hour or overnight.

3. Freeze the mixture and follow the four-time scraping and freezing process described in the star anise and grapefruit granita recipe.

Each serving: 107 calories; 0 protein; 27 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 1 mg. sodium.

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Star anise and grapefruit granita

Total time: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours freezing time

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: After you remove the star anise from the liquid, save them to decorate the granita at the table.

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon grapefruit zest

4-6 star anise

Juice of 4 large yellow grapefruits (about 2 cups)

1. Put the water, sugar, zest and star anise in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, allowing the star anise to infuse until the mixture is cool.

2. Remove the star anise, or leave them in if you prefer a stronger spice flavor. Mix in the grapefruit juice. Pour the juice mixture into a wide, shallow container and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Put in the freezer and allow it to freeze around the edge, 1-2 hours.

3. Take the container out of the freezer and scrape the ice with a fork, mixing it from the edge into the center. Return to the freezer. Repeat this scraping and mixing process every half hour until the entire mixture has turned into small, sequined ice flakes, at least three repetitions. If you have left the star anise in for stronger flavor, remove it before serving.

4. Serve the granita at once. If you leave it in the freezer overnight, let it set at room temperature until it softens a little, about 10 minutes, and then scrape it again with a fork to lighten the texture.

Each serving: 97 calories; 0 protein; 24 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 1 mg. sodium.

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Coffee granita

Total time: 15 minutes plus 2 hours chilling

Servings: 4

Note: This recipe is a variant of the star anise and grapefruit granita recipe, which details the proper freezing and scraping technique.

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup espresso-grind coffee

1 teaspoon lemon zest

5-6 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Whipped cream

1. If you have an espresso machine, make 2 1/2 cups of extra-strong espresso. If not, put the water in a saucepan, add the coffee grounds, bring to a boil and immediately turn off the heat.

2. Add the lemon zest to the coffee and allow it to infuse for 5 minutes. Strain (through a coffee filter, if you aren’t using an espresso machine). Mix in the sugar while the coffee is still warm. Stir in the lemon juice.

3. Freeze the mixture and follow the four-time scraping and freezing process described in the star anise and grapefruit granita recipe. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Each serving: 58 calories; 0 protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 14 mg. sodium.

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Strawberry granita

Total time: 20 minutes, plus 3 hours freezing time

Serves: 4 to 6

Note: This recipe is a variant of the star anise and grapefruit granita recipe, which details the proper freezing and scraping technique.

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar or to taste

1 1/2 pounds sweet, ripe strawberries (about 5 cups)

1 cup fresh orange juice

Juice of 1 1/2 lemons

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2. Briefly rinse the strawberries and hull them. Puree the berries in a food processor.

3. Mix the strawberry puree and the sugar syrup together. Add the orange and lemon juices. Taste and add more sugar if desired.

4. Freeze the mixture and follow the four-time scraping and freezing process described in the star anise and grapefruit granita recipe.

Each serving: 152 calories; 1 gram protein; 38 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 2 mg. sodium.