forsythia banana birch

I can't go far these days without being distracted by the blazing yellow forsythia that dominate the landscape.

Forsythia, the harbinger of flowering shrubs and trees, belongs to Oleaceae, the olive family of plants. Though the flowers possess only a faint fragrance and mild flavor, they have the distinction of being a rare plant source of lactose (milk sugar).

Leave it to Nature to endow a flower with mother's milk.

milk chocolate

forsythia

birch beer ice cream

banana cake

birch syrup glass

Download recipe: Forsythia

chocolate violet carrot

Occasionally, I find fallen nests when cleaning the hedgerows. They are irresistible to me, these vestigial homes; fragile and singular as snowflakes.

I find colonies of violets in the hedgerows, too. Their cheerful pale blue flowers and heart-shaped leaves look content in the cool, moist environment. Unfortunately, these are the common dog variety (Viola canina) and are not graced with the perfume of the sweet violet (Viola odorata)

Although sweet violets have been widely used in the fragrance industry for centuries, they have no significant culinary tradition aside from the Victorians, who were fond of garnishing sweets with the crystallized flower. Their symbolic connection to spring and haunting aroma have been venerated and romanticized throughout history by artists, poets, monarchs, and even Gods.

Napoleon shared a devotion to violets with the Empress Josephine. During his exile at Elba, he promised his followers that he would return in the spring with the violets. This set off a loyalist obsession with the flower, immortalizing the violet as the emblem of the Imperial party, and earning him the nickname "Corporal Violette". He is said to have been buried with a lock of Josephine's hair and violets in a locket.

In Greek Mythology, Zeus ordered the Earth to create the most beautiful of flowers in tribute to his love, Io. The result was the violet.

Ion, the Greek word for violet, lends its name to the terpene Ionone, the defining aroma compound in violets. Ionone is a megastigmane, or a degradation of beta-carotene. Not surprisingly, carrots contain a fair amount of ionone, as do raspberries, tobacco, roses, and black tea.

chocolate nest

violet ice cream

carrot filaments

blackberries

johnny-jump-ups (Viola cornuta)

calendula

violet dust

Download Recipe: Violet nest

uni cinnamon rose

Is it just me or does anyone else detect cinnamaldehyde and floral notes in uni? I can't find any evidence of it (there aren't many studies on aroma compounds in uni) but I suspect they're there in some form. At any rate, they make an interesting and tasty mouthful.

uni

cinnamon-scented congee

rose pearl

lime basil

These days, I'm finding more inspired service ware in in the candle department than in tableware. I've searched for the better part of a year for an aesthetic piece that would steadily hold a spoon or fork for an amuse. This glass votive holder from IKEA does just that and at 8$/pc I can afford to invest in a number of them.

Now that I've divulged…make sure you leave some for me.

love letters

read them and eat.

sour cherry gel

almond panna cotta with mahleb

rose water glass with rose petals

gossamer vanilla bean whipped crisp

ras el hanout film envelope

chicken egg nasturtium

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

A timeless question that simultaneously provokes and bores the masses.

The question is futile as there is no definitive answer.

A better question is…

Which came first, the egg or the shell?

Here, the answer is clear-cut. The egg comes first, then grows the shell around itself.

The opposite is true with this chicken skin and egg yolk ravioli. The powdered chicken skin croquant is formed into two discs, baked and then sandwiched with the raw egg yolk. A brief reheating in the oven softens the top disc, allowing it to form around the yolk.

In this case, the chicken, and the shell, came before the egg.

octopus squid

"Nowhere in space will we rest our eyes upon the familiar shapes of trees and plants, or any of the animals that share our world. Whatsoever life we meet will be as strange and alien as the nightmare creatures of the ocean abyss….."

Arthur C. Clarke, 1962

Have you ever wondered about the mysteries of the ocean? About the things that lie hidden in it's depths? In an aqueous wormhole, some 1500 fathoms beneath the sea, will we someday find the things we search for…the meaning of life, the philosopher's stone, a new form of delicious, a cure for what ails us, proof of genius, lost socks?

It is said that in our final moments the archetypes that make up our lives will flash before our eyes. If there is truth in that, I am certain that my life-album would include images of a scuba diving excursion on a coral reef.

Fifty feet below the surface, all of the senses disconnect except for vision. Devoid of touch, sound, smell or taste to gather information, the optic nerves become tuned to a superhuman frequency. It is the ultimate voyeuristic experience. Light, as refracted through the pellucidity of water, is astonishing and produces a chromatic carnival that does not exist on dry land. Familiar shapes undulate and shift into anomalous forms.

In that alien landscape, I did not find keys that unlock the mysteries of the universe, but I did find treasure: The absolute beauty of hostility with purpose. That deliciousness can be experienced without taste or smell. And that iridescence is proof of genius.

Now if I could only find that cashmere sock.

octopus squid sea beans potatoes romescu begonia

translucent

phlox-lychee sphere

yogurt-filled longan and lychee

dragon fruit

sweet black sesame soil

phlox

Late summer, in Northeastern gardens, is when most flowers decide to call it a day. Spent by their explosive displays, they leave the show before the grand finale. Few flowers will wait this long to bloom, but phlox hold out patiently for their turn in the limelight.

Phlox (Phlox paniculata) possess all of the qualities that I look for in flowers:

They…

grow in part shade (I've got plenty of that)

like moist soil (ditto)

display deep, saturated colors (haughty hussies that they are)

bloom for a prolonged period (up to 6 weeks!)

require little care (yay for that)

have a heavenly scent (mmmm)

are edible (jackpot)

If you're wondering what phlox taste like, think barely ripe bananas and pears. Add to that the sweet muskiness of figs.

Cooking with phlox is a study in flower pigmentation. When heat or extreme cold is applied, the anthocyanin (water-soluble pigment responsible for pink, purple and blue color in plants) bonds with other compounds already present in the flower, turning the petals from pink to blue. As the reaction continues, the blue mellows to a lavender-mauve. This is the same chemical reaction that occurs with red cabbage and onions.

blackberry rose cashew

blackberry rose sorbet

Blackberries and roses belong to the plant family Rosaceae along with strawberries and raspberries. As the flavor of roses is largely dictated by their aroma, choose highly fragrant varieties such as rugosa or floribunda. Pick the petals in the morning, when they are the most fragrant , and remove the white heels, which tend to be bitter.
250 g (1 1/4 cups) sugar
100 g (4 oz) rose petals
230 g ( 1 cup) water
180 g ( 1/2 cup) agave nectar
350 g ( 1 1/2 cups) blackberry puree
�25 g (2 Tblsps) rosewater
Place sugar and rose petals in a food processor and process until petals are finely ground. Transfer mixture to a saucepan and add the water and agave syrup. Heat gently, just until sugar is melted. Cool to room temperature and stir in the blackberry puree and rosewater. Strain and chill in the refrigerator until cold. Transfer to an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturers directions.

blackberry yogurt ravioli

Low methoxyl pectin requires the presence of calcium ions to form gels that are firm and flexible with a bite similar to al dente pasta. Fresh blackberries contain 29 g of calcium per 100 g of fruit, which is sufficient to allow amidated, LM pectin to gel without added calcium. For a gel with jewel-like clarity, the blackberry puree should be strained several times. Freezing/thawing also helps separate the solids.

Greek yogurt

150 g clear blackberry juice
35 g sugar
3 g amidated, LM pectin
Pack yogurt into small, silicone hemisphere molds and freeze just until firm.
Combine the sugar with the pectin in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place juice in a pan and bring to boil. Add sugar-pectin and stir vigorously 1-2 minutes while cooking to dissolve. Return to boil and remove from heat. Keep a pan of simmering water on the stove to keep the pectin warm and fluid.Drop Tablespoonfuls of hot pectin solution onto a ceramic or glass plate, forming discs, and allow to gel. Set pan in simmering water while proceeding. When discs are firm, unmold yogurt hemispheres and place one on each of the discs. Pour the remaining warm pectin evenly over the yogurt to completely encase. When gelled, cut away the excess gel with a round cutter that is slightly larger than the hemisphere. Chill.

instant cashew cake

Cashew butter can be found in health food stores
or can easily be made from
roasted cashews with a high-speed blender. The plumpest, butteriest cashews are from Brazil.
For the recipe and step-by-step illustrations, see the post on instant chocolate cake, replacing the melted chocolate with an equal amount of cashew butter.

passion foam

TAZO's Passion Herbal Infusion is a blend of hibiscus, lemongrass, rose hips, mango and passion fruit.

200 g boiling water

1 TAZO Passion tea bag
12 g sugar
2.5 g gelatin
Make an infusion by pouring the boiling water over the tea bag. Allow to infuse for 2 minutes, then remove tea bag. Stir in sugar, then sprinkle gelatin over top and whisk in until dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature. Pour mixture into a deep, wide container. Whip with an immersion blender until a thick layer of foam forms on the surface. To use, skim off the foam with a spoon.

methocel rose

For the recipe and step-by-step illustrations, see the post on roses. Alternately, the methocel film can be cut or formed into shapes when flexible, then baked for a crisp, melting texture.

blackberry cells

Another technique from Ferran Adria. At Madrid Fusion 08, he dropped black raspberries (amoras) into Liquid Nitrogen. The frozen berries easily broke apart into individual cells when struck with a mallet. Although LN is more efficient, this method also works with a conventional freezer. Blackberries are a little trickier to break apart because they still contain the core.

roses

Ah, the rose…

Is there any other flower that has stirred the passion of poets, writers, artists…

…and yes, even cooks?

rose petals fried in almond oil–sweet, crisp, irresistible

a delicate, crisp rose made from Methocel film

Methocel Rose

Place 200 g. water and 90 g. sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. When cool, stir in 30 g. strained raspberry juice and 1/4 tsp. rosewater. Sprinkle 5 g. of Methocel E15 and 10 g. Ultratex 8 over top of syrup and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight to hydrate.
On a smooth sheet of silicone, form two 5″ long strips of solution and 10 petals, approximately 1/2″ in diameter. With the back of a spoon, spread out the strips to an even thickness and spread the petals to about an inch in diameter. Place in a dehydrator to dry for 4 hours or until a flexible film has formed that can be peeled off of the silicone.

To form the center of the rose, peel off one of the long strips and secure one end by wrapping it around the tip of a toothpick. Peel off a petal and ruffle the base by pinching it between thumb and forefinger. Wrap the base of petal around the base of the rose center on the toothpick, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with the next petal, slightly overlapping the first. Continue forming and adding petals in concentric circles, pressing each one to the base, until all of the petals are used. When rose is complete, stick the end of the toothpick into a potato to hold rose upright. Place rose and potato into a 250 F. oven for 8-10 minutes or until petals have hardened and turned crisp. When rose has cooled, remove toothpick by gently twisting it while holding the base of the rose with the other hand. Keep in a tightly sealed, dry container until ready to use.