13-02-2004, 08:56 AM
Was not sure where to put this..but this is safer than the recipe section hey Tara...???
When it comes to cooking with flowers, you can't simply run into the garden and gather everything that looks pretty and smells nice - you may just kill off your entire family. But you could invest in good reading matter such as Edible and Medicinal Flowers that will teach you what's edible and what not. But here's our crash course in the meantime.
The sunflower is probably one of the most versatile flowers in the kitchen. Apart from using the oil and seeds, unopened sunflower buds can also be steamed like artichoke heads, and served with a sprinkling of black pepper, salt, garlic and lemon juice.
The flowers of sage, nasturtium and calendula are also suited to savoury dishes and go excellently with cheese and cheese dishes because of their peppery flavours. Calendula also adds a wonderful golden hue to foods.
Dandelion flowers go particularly well with seafood and light poultry salads; the very young buds, fried in butter, taste similar to mushrooms. Dandelion leaves should be picked before the first bright yellow flowers (also edible) bloom to make sure the leaves are still young and tender.
Flowers with delicate petals - blossoms, roses and elderflower - are often used in sorbets, jams and jellies, while large-petalled flowers (like those of the courgette) are ideal stuffed with meats or cheeses and then baked, or dipped in batter and deep-fried.
Rose petals and the flowers of jasmine, camomile (with it's very faint apple flavour) and elderberry can be used for making refreshing infusions, served as a tea. Flower infusions can also be used for sorbets and ices and as flavourings for cold drinks. Infusions are easy to make: drop about two heaped tablespoons of your chosen petals in 250ml boiling water and let it simmer for a few minutes. Strain before serving. For more flavour, ginger, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon can be added.
Flower waters are particularly popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. They normally have a strong perfume that could overwhelm a dish, so use sparingly. Rose oil (also known as attar) has a sweet, aromatic flavour and appears in sorbets, sweets and spicy chicken casseroles and curries. These kind of oils can be prepared by pounding the flowers and then boiling the paste with sugar to make a sweet, colourful syrup. Hibiscus or orange flower water can be used as a flavourant in pastries, creams and jams. All flower waters should be stored in dark bottles since it reacts with sunlight.
Vinegars made of flowers usually feature in butter sauces and salad dressings, or are used for macerating fruits. Rosemary vinegar is good in lamb stew and rose vinegar can add a subtle touch to vinaigrette.
Some flowers may be sprinkled on top of foods, pressed into fresh cheese or simply tossed in a green salad. Fruity desserts can be garnished with the flowers of guava and pineapple trees which taste similar to the ripe fruits of the plants. The little flowers of the allium family (garlic, shallot and varieties of onion) are perfect for giving a salad a surprisingly fresh taste. And for more colour you could add the tiny flowers of fennel or chives. The dark purple petals of violets can also turn a monotonous dish such as potato salad into a true work of art.
They say the path to a man's heart winds through his stomach. And a woman always goes weak at the knees when a man gives her flowers. So, regardless of who's on kitchen duty this year, Valentine's can only be a success if your cooking's in flower.
http://www.food24.co.za/Food24/
When it comes to cooking with flowers, you can't simply run into the garden and gather everything that looks pretty and smells nice - you may just kill off your entire family. But you could invest in good reading matter such as Edible and Medicinal Flowers that will teach you what's edible and what not. But here's our crash course in the meantime.
The sunflower is probably one of the most versatile flowers in the kitchen. Apart from using the oil and seeds, unopened sunflower buds can also be steamed like artichoke heads, and served with a sprinkling of black pepper, salt, garlic and lemon juice.
The flowers of sage, nasturtium and calendula are also suited to savoury dishes and go excellently with cheese and cheese dishes because of their peppery flavours. Calendula also adds a wonderful golden hue to foods.
Dandelion flowers go particularly well with seafood and light poultry salads; the very young buds, fried in butter, taste similar to mushrooms. Dandelion leaves should be picked before the first bright yellow flowers (also edible) bloom to make sure the leaves are still young and tender.
Flowers with delicate petals - blossoms, roses and elderflower - are often used in sorbets, jams and jellies, while large-petalled flowers (like those of the courgette) are ideal stuffed with meats or cheeses and then baked, or dipped in batter and deep-fried.
Rose petals and the flowers of jasmine, camomile (with it's very faint apple flavour) and elderberry can be used for making refreshing infusions, served as a tea. Flower infusions can also be used for sorbets and ices and as flavourings for cold drinks. Infusions are easy to make: drop about two heaped tablespoons of your chosen petals in 250ml boiling water and let it simmer for a few minutes. Strain before serving. For more flavour, ginger, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon can be added.
Flower waters are particularly popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. They normally have a strong perfume that could overwhelm a dish, so use sparingly. Rose oil (also known as attar) has a sweet, aromatic flavour and appears in sorbets, sweets and spicy chicken casseroles and curries. These kind of oils can be prepared by pounding the flowers and then boiling the paste with sugar to make a sweet, colourful syrup. Hibiscus or orange flower water can be used as a flavourant in pastries, creams and jams. All flower waters should be stored in dark bottles since it reacts with sunlight.
Vinegars made of flowers usually feature in butter sauces and salad dressings, or are used for macerating fruits. Rosemary vinegar is good in lamb stew and rose vinegar can add a subtle touch to vinaigrette.
Some flowers may be sprinkled on top of foods, pressed into fresh cheese or simply tossed in a green salad. Fruity desserts can be garnished with the flowers of guava and pineapple trees which taste similar to the ripe fruits of the plants. The little flowers of the allium family (garlic, shallot and varieties of onion) are perfect for giving a salad a surprisingly fresh taste. And for more colour you could add the tiny flowers of fennel or chives. The dark purple petals of violets can also turn a monotonous dish such as potato salad into a true work of art.
They say the path to a man's heart winds through his stomach. And a woman always goes weak at the knees when a man gives her flowers. So, regardless of who's on kitchen duty this year, Valentine's can only be a success if your cooking's in flower.
http://www.food24.co.za/Food24/
