The use of edible flowers are finally making a comeback in cooking. It’s a shame that it went by the wayside for a little bit, but we are happy that people are starting to discovery the joys of lavender and other edible flowers in their gourmet cooking. Lavender is probably the most versatile and easiest of the edible flowers to use in your cooking. If you want to slowly get started in using lavender you can start out with buying some Herbes de Provence, as one of the ingredients in this French herb blend is lavender. This would give you a nice start in the taste and use of lavender in your cooking. Herbes de Provence go well with pork and poultry and can be used as a rub prior to grilling or roasting. You can also use it in whatever sauce you are making for a pork or poultry dish.

If you are ready to just make the straight plunge to lavender, there are some things you should know. First, lavender has a wide variety of uses that are almost endless. However, it is fairly strong and should be used very sparingly. To much lavender in your cooking and it will taste like you are eating perfume. So, what are some of the uses for plain lavender? Well one of the most popular things to do is to take a cup of sugar, throw in some lavender, and seal it up. Use this sugar in any cake or cookie recipe you have and it will give it a nice, subtle, and amazing lavender taste. Another is to just substitute Rosemary for lavender in any recipe you have. Lavender substitutes perfectly for Rosemary in all dishes. Lavender is also great sprinkled on salads for a great unique taste and it’s visually appealing. Lavender is the perfect addition to almost any wine based sauce and goes will in stews. You can also place some lavender in a glass of champaign, or use some in chocolate cake and the tastes go amazingly well with each other. Their are hardly any limitations to using lavender in your gourmet cooking and that is what makes it the best choice for your introduction to edible flowers.

Athena Foods - Cook Like a Goddess