Imagine a table laden with sweet dishescakes, puddings, creams, custards, jellies, candied fruits, marzipan, ice creamsmolded into exotic forms, all flavored with roses and served as the final course of an elegant meal! In the Georgian era (17141830) rose-flavored treats were a mainstay in the homes of the well-to-do, who would create an entire table of sweets as a show of wealth and power.
In Delicious Rose-Flavored Desserts, culinary historian Judy Polinsky explores the use of roses and rose water in Georgian cooking and baking. With a foreword by Clair Martin, Curator Emeritus of the Rose Garden at the Huntington Library and Gardens, this book is packed with information about the history of roses as a food flavoring and the benefits of consuming rose water, instructions on how to select roses by scent and rose family, and directions for how to prepare rosewater from your own roses, in addition to more than fifty recipes (or as the Georgians wrote, receipts”).
Unique in its structure, the book will feature the original eighteenth-century recipe along with the modern version. Polinsky tested each recipe first by hand and then retested using modern appliances, such as mixers and food processors. The reward is in the subtle blending and mixing of unexpected flavors to create wonderfully tasty treats.
Whether your interest is in cooking, rose gardening, or history, using roses from your garden to re-create unusual recipes is an adventure and great fun!
