Cooking with Roses

Cooking with Roses

As you can see, roses are an inspiring addition to the creation of food. A feast for the eye, titillation for the romantic heart, nurture for the palate. Sooooo……let’s get cooking!

At the base of most rose recipes are the flower petals mixed into the food ingredients or made into simple syrups. Rose petal tinctures may also be used in cooking and for mixing drinks. For visual impact, use richly colored, jewel tone roses. For delicacy, use white or pale pink roses. Always pick the most fragrant, perfume scented roses.

Sweet Memories of Chokecherry Syrup

Sweet Memories of Chokecherry Syrup

Standing in the middle of the kitchen, I close my eyes and inhale deeply. A not quite sweet, yet ripe and fragrantly layered juicy scent teases my nose, pulling me toward the stove. I lean over a large pot, blissfully sucking in every possible odor nuance of the bubbling purple-red liquid. My daughter is simmering freshly picked chokecherries. Lovely scent memories from my childhood rise up, enveloping me in the magic of these wild shrub berries.

Infused Honey for Cooking and Health

Infused Honey for Cooking and Health

What could drive someone to thrust an unprotected hand into a beehive to scoop out a glob of insect regurgitation? Well the easy answer is it tastes good, was the world’s first sweetener and preservative, and has many medicinal uses. Because of honey’s elevated acidity and high sugar content it is an excellent preservative and absorbs flavors easily. Honey readily takes on the flavors of herbs, spices, fruit peels and even odd bits like garlic and chiles.

Hibiscus-Ginger Cocktail Syrup

Hibiscus-Ginger Cocktail Syrup

Editor’s Note: The only reason this recipe is found in the “Survive It” category is because the author attempted to light herself on fire, Michael Jackson style, in the process of making it. Management does not recommend leaning over a simmering pot of ANYTHING sitting on a gas stove if (A) you have long hair (B) its not in a ponytail and (C) you are not a cast member of Jackass I, Jackass 2, or Jackass 3D.

Lavender Cocktail Syrup

Lavender Cocktail Syrup

My first experience with flowers as food came when I was a child. A local gift shop carried ridiculously overpriced tins of French candy in such flavors as lavender, violet and rose. Fascinated by not only the ornate and gorgeously packaged sweets but the idea of flower-flavored candy as well, I saved up my allowance for weeks to buy one. Each egg-shaped hard candy was perfumed and flowery, not overly sweet, and had one solitary anise seed located in the center. I quickly devoured all the contents. I’m not sure anything even made it home.