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/

Heh Heh,

I gave a guy at work some software for MP3 , Audio editing ( cooledit), only to find that he is an avid collector of music.

I borrowed his backup 120 Gig drive two nights ago, and now have over 30G of Mp3 's to sort through, some great oldies as well as some newies. ( The drive itself was absolutely full. It was difficult choosing, I can tell you!!!)

Never thought I would admit to knowing the words to a lot of old Everly bro's songs.... as well as ( for Jangar) , Abba too.

Mental note, must go to bed a little earlier tonite. too many late nites this week.

Even discovered a lot of old Cat Stevens songs, did not know for instance that he originally wrote 'the first cut is the deepest' , this has recently just been covered again.

I have a dog who thinks it's a cat. I have never seen a dog stalk like this one. She stalks everything and does it just like a cat. Lays low, moves slowly, stops, lifts her right front foot, takes aim and charges and is very accurate. She's never been around a cat in her life so I don't know where she got this from. She's a tiny apricot teacup poodle. Somewhere in the bloodline there has to be cat genes.
Anyone else have a weird dog?

As a lot of you know, I travel back to SA every March for the Argus cycle tour. I usually take my bicycle with me. My advice to everyone is, most airlines allow this and do not charge as long as it doesn't increase your luggage allowance. Some companies don't even include it in the luggage allowance.

But

Make sure that your travel agent notifies the airline comapny or else it can lead to all sorts of complications.

Phone the airline company yourself to ensure that this has been done, as the travel agent doesn't allways do what they should.

ok, i think they are the most stunning flowers that ever grew. my b/f gave me a plant last year (and amazingly enough, i have not managed to kill it). so, i would love to re-pot it, as the pot it came in is a bit small. does anybody know when it would be right to
re-pot?

I have an idea. Everyone puts their top 10 songs on this post in order of preference, if you have one, and then I'll collate them into a top 100 (if we have that many) in a couple of weeks time. To get the ball rolling here's my top 10:

10) Enter Sandman - Metallica
9) Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meatloaf
8) Song #2 - Blur
7) Poison - Alice Cooper
6) Brothers in Arms - Dire Straights
5) Shine on you crazy diamond - Pink Floyd
4) Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
3) Bat out of Hell - Meatloaf
2) Annies Song - John Denver
1) Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

If you can't think of 10 then 5, or 3, or whatever will do.

I was just giving my cat a bit of love after dishing up the kids' dinner. I was munching on a piece of broccoli, when he sniffed at it, and looked interested. Needless to say, my weird cat now eats broccoli. I have also learnt that he loves pasta (plain, no sauce), brioche, and certain fruit...

How weird is he?? Do your pets eat anything out of the ordinary?

I was so proud of my little boys yesterday; they were interview by an advocate and physiologist.

Ross was a little angel, was so confident and assured of himself, I saw him in such a different light and realized that he will be okay through everything.

James was dressed to the nines and all he wanted to do was be in a proper courtroom, so he was a bit disappointed about how the proceedings actually took place, the court didnÂ’t have an interpreter so he will have to go through the whole process again which I am happier about as he has been so betrayed by it all, at least this way he is feeling a bit better.

Actually was so proud of the little ones, but after seeing all the other children there I think it should be mandatory that before people have children they should get a license and spend a couple of days with the Family Advocate – it sure is an eye opener.

This thread is for our German folk. As you all probably know we live next to a Metzgerei. I was chatting to him about some meat as I am wanting to make some boerewors and biltong. Anyway he said if I wanted to I could make use of his facilities and make large batches of the stuff. Now this has put a thought into my head, but before I jump in and say yes, what do you guys think of me making boerewors and biltong, then shipping it out. Only prob been I think I would have to freeze the boerie first and post it frozen, I don't know. Would you be interested and have you any other thoughts on this. His prices seem to be reasonable, slightly cheaper than what I can buy the meat in the shops.

I ordered and am waiting for the seed to arrive.

Mexican marigold is far more robust than its European and African counterparts - growing to approximately 8 feet. From a distance it looks like marijuana, but has a lovely scent, beautiful flowers, and no narcotic substances in its makeup.

Good to grow as a screening plant or in the back of a flower border. The roots repel/kill nematodes, and the leaves and flowers also have insecticide properties. Young leaves and flowers can also be used in summer salads.

The seed packet contains 500 seed. I only need about 30. If anyone is interested in giving this plant a go, let me know and I can post seed off to you.