kattitudes

Ingredients:

* 1-1/2 cups sugar
* 2/3 cup triple-strength rosewater
* 1 ounce plain gelatin powder
* 3/4 cup icing sugar
* 1/2 cup cornstarch

Put the sugar and rosewater in a deep, heavy pan. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil. Raise the temperature to 240 degree F, testing with a candy thermometer, and maintain for three minutes.

Meanwhile, dissolve the gelatin in 3-1/2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan, then bring to the boil. Add two drops of red food coloring to the sugar. Very carefully and slowly, add the boiling gelatin solution to the boiling sugar and incorporate using a balloon whisk. Boil for two minutes and set aside to cool below 200 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 6 inch square shallow pan. Pour the mixture in the pan and leave for a day in a cool place to set. Mix together the icing sugar and cornstarch and spread on the sheet of waxed paper. Dip the base of the pan of Turkish Delight in hot water for a few seconds, then turn out onto the sugar mixture. Spoon the sugar over the block. Cut the block into squares using a sharp knife coated in the sugar. Add more sugar while cutting to prevent sticking. Coat each cube well with sugar. Store for two days in a cool place to give a crisp texture to the coating.

Optional: add 1/3 cup of coarsely chopped pistachio nuts before cooling down the mixture.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup rose petals (see note at beginning of recipe to ensure the correct preparation of rose petals)

Ingredients for variation:

* 1/2 cup rose petals
* 1 cup granulated sugar

To begin, prepare rose petals by cutting off any white bit at bottom of petals to eliminate bitterness. Make sure petals are well cleaned and dry (so sugar doesn’t stick to petals).

Put one cup granulated sugar in food processor, add 1/2 to 1 cup of rose petals. Process and add the last cup of sugar and finish processing until it is smooth. Pour it into a clean glass jar, cover and let stand for one week. Make sure it is stored in an airtight container.

Recipe variation: Prepare by mincing 1/2 cup rose petals and blending with one cup granulated sugar until flavors have combined. This process will take about three weeks. Strain the sugar and store in dry pantry.

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup rose vinegar
* Dash salt
* Dash paprika
* Dash cayenne pepper
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 cup light olive oil

Into a blender or food processor, combine 1/4 cup rose vinegar, dash or salt (to taste or to diet), dash of paprika and cayenne pepper and 1 egg yolk. Process at high speed until ingredients thicken slightly. With the processor still running, add 1 cup of light olive oil.

IMPORTANT: Begin by adding the oil only a few drops at a time. As the mayonnaise thickens, increase the oil addition to a very slow stream. Seal in a jar and refrigerate until chilled.

(Also note: if a rosier color is desired, add 1 or 2 drops red food coloring or beet juice to mix.)

Ingredients:

* 1 cup pink rose petals
* 2 springs fresh tarragon
* 1 quart distilled white vinegar

Prepare by placing one cup pink rose petals and two springs of fresh tarragon into one liter of distilled white salad vinegar. The container should be sealed for three weeks. After three weeks, the petals need to be strained from the vinegar and keep the tarragon.

Funnel the vinegar into a decorative bottle. Add reserved tarragon spring as garnish.

This stores for approximately six months.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2-3 cups flour
• 2-3 eggs
• 2-2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 stick butter
• 2-3 tsp rose petals
• 2 T rose water
• 1/2 to 1 cup sour cream
• Zest of one small lemon

The ingredients to this cake are a little vague, because it was made by a cook that has a tendency to cook by look.

In other words, she looks at the bowl and says “oh, it looks like it needs another egg”. It makes a translation a little challenging, to say the least!

Do your best and go with your senses. If you like a dense cake taste, add the extra egg. If you don’t like things so sour, reduce the sour cream and lemon.

Do not allow the lemon to overpower the rose. It should be a fine balance.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and sour cream and beat until smooth.

Add rosewater, lemon zest, flour and baking powder. Mix well. Fold in rose petals.

Spoon batter into a well greased and floured loaf pan. (No need to grease and flour if you are using a non-stick pan).

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes or until tested done. Cool loaf.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
* 1/4 cup rose water for melting the gelatin
* 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup rose water (use double strength rose water if you like a stronger rose flavor) and milk mixture (roughly half milk & half rosewater)
* 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
* Frosted rose petals to decorate

Combine crumbs, sugar and butter, press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Cool completely before use.

Soften gelatin in the rose water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed until well blended. Gradually add gelatin and milk, mixing until blended. Chill until just slightly thickened, fold in whipping cream. Pour over crust; chill until firm.

For frosted rose petals, brush rose petals with egg white and dip them in sugar. Leave petals on a rack until completely dry before use.

To decorate, just before serving, sprinkle some frosted rose petals around cake.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup sugar
* 2 1/2-3 cups flour
* 2-3 eggs
* 2-2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 stick butter
* 2-3 teaspoons rose petals
* 2 tablespoons rose water
* 1/2 to 1 cup sour cream (depends on taste)
* Zest of one small lemon

The ingredients to this cake are a little vague, because it was made by a cook that has a tendency to cook by look. In other words, she looks at the bowl and says “oh, it looks like it needs another egg”. It makes a translation a little challenging, to say the least! Do your best and go with your senses. If you like a dense cake taste, add the extra egg. If you don’t like things so sour, reduce the sour cream and lemon. Do not allow the lemon to overpower the rose. It should be a fine balance.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and sour cream and beat until smooth. Add rosewater, lemon zest, flour and baking powder. Mix well. Fold in rose petals. Spoon batter into a well greased and floured loaf pan. (No need to grease and flour if you are using a non-stick pan). Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes or until tested done. Cool loaf.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups black or Chinese tea, about 8 ounces
* 1-1/2 cups dried rose petals or buds (purchase them unsprayed - ask the vendor to provide)
* 3/4 cup lemon verbena leaves
* 2 tablespoons dried lemon peel

In a large bowl, mix together the tea, rosebuds, verbena leaves and lemon peel. Strong light will affect the delicate taste of the tea, so package in airtight containers and store away from the light.

Use 2 tablespoons per cup of tea. Rose tea should be made with a little honey or sugar to bring out the flavor of the rose.

Recipes that actually use roses, rose petals, rosewater and such. If you must purchase commercially, wash like mad. Seriously. Wash extremely well (pesticides and such).

1. Rose Petal Jam
2. Linguine and Rose Pesto
3. Rose Lemon Tea
4. Rose Mint Tea
5. Rose Ice Cream
6. Rose Turkish Delight
7. Persian Rose Cake
8. Rose Chiffon Cake
9. Rose Cheesecake
10. Rose Syrup
11. Rose Vinegar
12. Honey Glazed Chicken with Roses
13. Scrambled Rose Omelette
14. Rose Petal Cake
15. Rose Petal Sandwich
16. Rose Mayonnaise
17. Rose Sour Cream Coffee Cake
18. Rose Tuna Salad
19. Rose Sugar
20. Rose Petal Sorbet

In the warm summertime, before the insects turn on us and destroy our crop, consider some of our recipes that cook with roses. Many of the meal recipes start with a simple syrup made from the petals of your favorite rose bush. Remember that if you cannot grow your own, use commercially provided roses at your own risk and only after much washing (can you imagine how much commercial pesticide they must use on roses? If you know different, please contact us as we would love to know exactly what goes into commercial growth.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 cups red rose petals

Prepare red rose petals by washing thoroughly and cutting off white part to eliminate bitterness.

Begin by boiling sugar, water, light corn syrup, lemon juice and red rose petals. Mixture is cooked when slightly thickened. Remove from heat. When cooled slightly, strain and store in fridge for up to three weeks.

Rose flavor can be enhanced by replacing 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup rosewater (available at most grocery stores).