Bubbling Hibiscus

Blackberry liqueur and bubbles smother this edible hibiscus flower. 

Ingredients:

Dried Hibiscus
Murelle
Sparkling mineral water

Place a single dried hibiscus in center of stemless red wine glass. (These can be found in the dried fruit section of specialty stores or in jars with sryup) Add ¼ cup Murelle and ¾ cup sparkling mineral water. Bottoms up and don't forget to eat your hibiscus. 

NEXT WEEK: The month of May is dedicated to honoring Cinco de Mayo. Taking the lead from traditional Mexican cocktails all month, I’ll freshen things up. Meet me next week and practice your spanglish while sipping a Pink Paloma!

Candied Rose

All roses are edible. Find yourself some home grown fragrantly sweet buds and head into the kitchen laboratory.  She's worth it.

Ingredients:

Rose Tea
Rose syrup
Vodka
Rose sugar
Beet juice

Wet rim of serving glass with folded damp paper towel or sponge and dip into shallow dish filled with rose sugar. Add 3 tablespoons vodka, 2 tablespoons rose tea, 1 tablespoon rose syrup and ¼ teaspoon beet juice. Garnish with rose petals or rose bud.

To make rose syrup you will need:

½ turbinado (raw) sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup fresh rose petals (washed and pesticide free)
While clutching all the petals with one hand pluck whole rose blooms and snip off white tip that connects to stem with scissors while still holding all the petals. Add all ingredients in a small sauce pot and boil for 5 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes then strain out petals.

To make rose sugar you will need:

1 cup fresh rose petals (washed and pesticide free)
3 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar
Remove petals and discard tips as before. Place rose petals on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Heat oven to lowest setting then turn off. Place cookie sheet into oven for 2 hours. (Set aside 1 packed teaspoon of dried rose petals for the rose tea). Add 4 packed tablespoons of dried rose petals and 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar to coffee grinder or nut chopper and pulse until a fine powder.

To make rose tea you will need:

1 teaspoon dried petals
1 cup water
Boil 1 cup of water. Then steep 1 packed teaspoon of dried petals for 4 minutes. Use a tea ball or wrap in cheesecloth to immerse into water.

NEXT WEEK: Bubbling Hibiscus

White Star

Experience the soft touch of orange blossoms blended with a vanilla citrus liqueur.

Tuaca
Sparkling water with orange essence
Orange Blossom Water
Orange blossoms

All ingredients should be chilled. Add ¼ cup Tuaca, ¼ cup orange sparkling water and 2 tablespoons orange blossom water. Ice optional. Garnish with 1 or 2 select orange blossoms. WARNING: use pesticide free blossoms only.

You can purchase bottled Orange Blossom Water as I did or you can prepare it yourself. A simple recipe requires that you collect and wash fresh and pesticide free blossoms. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the blossoms, place them in a jar and cover with distilled water. Let the jar stand in full sun for up to a month then strain water into smaller sterilized jars and store in refrigerator.

NEXT WEEK: Candied Rose

Pansy Face

Here’s a fresh take on the traditional preparation of absinthe. We’ll start with a lovely centerpiece then move on to the show.

Ingredients:

Violet (Pansy) flower
Absinthe
Sugar cube
Distilled water

Prepare ice the day before: Using a slim small plastic container (I used a 10oz clear plastic cup) pour in 3 tablespoons distilled water and one selected violet flower upside down and freeze for one hour. Then pour an additional ¼ cup distilled water and freeze solid. WARNING: Only use flowers that are distributed and sold for consumption.

To remove flowered ice cube, let thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Turn cup upside down. When the ice cube slips out, place it pansy side up in serving glass that provides at least a ¼ inch clearance around the ice cube.

Gently pour 2 tablespoons absinthe in space between glass and ice. Place one sugar cube on top of ice. Slowly drizzle 1/3 cup cold water over sugar cube. Who needs a slotted spoon?

NEXT WEEK: White Star