Nasturtiums, which have a peppery flavor, are among many edible flowers.
[AP photo]
Sir Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills
Asparagus
deconstructing
explanations from the inside out
edible flowers
Spring is in the air; it can be on your plate, too, when you use edible flowers to enhance both taste and presentation.
Humans have been eating flowers for thousands of years, according to www.about.com a Web site that corrals information on everything from cars to cats, food to fertilizer. Daylily buds are used in Asian dishes, rose and violets found their way into Roman specialties and squash blossoms are common in Hispanic and Italian cookery. One of the secret ingredients in Chartreuse, a classic green liqueur developed in France in the 17th century, is carnation petals.
This is all lovely, you may say, but where does one buy edible flowers? For the most part, one doesn't buy edible flowers, but grows them in one's back yard or in pots on the kitchen windowsill. Occasionally, pretty petals might be spied in whole food stores or at farmers markets, but because fresh edible flowers are delicate and must be used right away, they don't lend themselves to a wide commercial market.
Another catch is that many flowers are toxic, among them the iris, daffodil, azalea and hydrangea. Also, never eat flowers picked from the side of the road or those bought from a florist and intended for arrangements. They probably have been exposed to something toxic.
Flowers that can be safely eaten add depth to dishes by imparting heat (nasturtiums), sweetness (violets, rose and lavender) and even wintergreen (pansies). For a list of edible and nonedible flowers, click on www.homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm
Also, several books provide guidance on growing edible flowers, including Edible Flowers: From Garden to Kitchen: Choosing, Growing and Cooking Flowers by Kathy Brown (Lorenz Books, 2003; $27.50) and The Edible Flower Garden by Rosalind Creasy (Periplus, 2000; $14.95).
The Daily Gullet is an online version of the corner cafe, where you can pull up a chair and chat about the day's news. Trade in the chair for a mouse and click on to this Web site, where everyone, it seems, has an opinion about food. Who will replace William Grimes as food critic at the New York Times? How to slow the looming global food crisis? Can coffee be good for you? These and other issues draw thousands of hits every month. Foodies are a ravenous bunch, it seems. Gullet isn't all talk though; check out the recipes and online store. (Thong with egullet.com logo, $9.)
cooking class
Don't overchop herbs, or they lose much of their flavor and fragrance. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, give them just a few chops. - How to Cook: Simple Techniques and Great Recipes for the New Cook by Lesley Waters (Ryland Peters & Small, 2001; $27.50).
asparagus peers
Tips from the California Asparagus Commission on making the most of asparagus, which will be plentiful in markets for the next two months:
* Choose bright green asparagus with compact, firm tips and smooth, tender skin.
* Handle asparagus spears like flowers. Trim the butt end of the spears, then refrigerate, upright, standing in an inch of water. Cover with plastic. Or wrap the cut ends in a wet paper towel and store in a plastic bag with the top of the bag left open. Stored this way, fresh asparagus keeps for two to three days refrigerated.
To sir, with veggies
Famous vegetarians Sir Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills, were surprised to find few options on the menu at Chicago's four-star restaurant Spiaggia when they dined there recently. According to April's Organic Style magazine, the former Beatle and Mills got together with the head chef and helped develop a vegetarian tasting menu. For $75, diners can now get creamy asparagus risotto and porcini mushrooms with truffle sauce.
frozen aid
Many injuries, from bumps to sprains, should be iced, but ice packs can be cumbersome. Dive into the freezer for a bag of frozen peas or corn, suggests Ratha Tep in the April Food & Wine. The tiny veggies make for a pliable pack that can fit easily around the body's curves. Apply a frozen pack for 10 minutes every two hours. Use a wet paper towel as a buffer if you'd like. Comfort food, indeed.
it's clean enough
Though many recipes call for chicken to be washed and patted dry, the United States Department of Agriculture says it's not necessary because bacteria is destroyed by cooking. According to the folks at the Food Network kitchens, the one thing rinsing off chicken is sure to do is spread bacteria around your kitchen and increase the likelihood of cross-contamination. The most direct route from package to pan is always the safest route. Salmonella, which grows on the surface of poultry - and just about any other raw food of animal origin - is effectively killed at temperatures over 160 degrees.
constant comment
"Red beans and ricely yours," - How jazz musician Louis Armstrong singed his letters.
- Compiled by Janet K. Keeler from staff and wire reports
