The Rose

by Chef Kendall Huff

Native Foods Cafe

 

When we think of roses, we think of love, beauty, and perhaps Valentine Day?

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What we don’t think of, is how far back the rose dates, and how it can be used even today. Like all beautiful flowers that are picked for our vases and bouquets, the days are numbered once that snip has been made. Or is it? Lets talk about the rose…. shall we?

Greek myth states that the rose grew from the blood of Adonis (God of Beauty and desire) when he was killed by a wild boar (shown below).  And that Cleopatra wore rose oil to seduce Mark Anthony. In Elizabethan England, it was believed that the rose scent was providing benefits to both the body and the mind. So how have we lost those purposes? Why don’t we use roses this way today?

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Not only does this flower smell great, but it tastes good too. Before the brilliant invention of vanilla, flowers were used for flavor in sweets and pastries. Take our Cardamom Rose cupcake for example.

 

Native Foods Cafe, Cardamom Rose Cupcake

 

Not only does Native Foods use rose water to get that radiant flavor, but we also use dried petals for a gorgeous effect.  Perhaps we are on to something here!! Sometimes the petals or flowers are also used to flavor teas. Rose syrup is made quite a bit in France, and is used here in the states to make marshmallows and scones.

 

Rose vinegar is an easy and fun one to make.

• Place the clean petals (shake clean don’t get them wet) into a jar and add a white and apple cider vinegar. 
• Allow the jar to sit in a warm area covered with plastic wrap. Give the jar a shake 2 times a day for 4 to 5 days, then strain.  
• Add a sweetener (1 to 2 tablespoons) and try it on your next mixed green salad.

 

And what about rose art? It’s breathtaking!  Anywhere from single flowers, to full garden, to a single dying rose. This plant is so universal and loved that artist use it as a symbol of their work.

 

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And of course there has to be some home remedies involved here.

Rose hip provides great source of Vitamin C, which I like to get in a Roll on form and hit those smile corner on my eyes! And I like to spray a little Rosewater on my skin to give it a good vitamin drink!

 

Native Foods Cafe, vegan, vegan food, vegan restaurant, rose recipe

 

The flower has also been involved with  aiding in the treatments for arthritic conditions such as gout and sciatica. And steeping the petals and hips in agave can also help with soar throat and mouth conditions.

 

Famous Rose of the Week:

The Rose - From Alice and Wonderland

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The Rose: Just what species or, shall we say, genus are you, my dear? 
Alice: Well, I guess you would call me... genus, humanus... Alice. 
Daisy: Ever see an Alice with a blossom like that? 
Orchid: Come to think of it, did you ever see an Alice? 
Daisy: Yes, and did you notice her petals? What a peculiar color. 
Orchid: [sniffing Alice's hair] And no fragrance. 
Daisy: [chuckling, as she lifts up one side of Alice's dress] And just look at those stems. 
The Rose: [as Alice slaps the Daisy's leaves away] Rather scrawny, I'd say. 
Bud: I think she's pretty. 
The Rose: Quiet, bud.

 

Quote and Famous Words about the Rose Legacy-

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

-Shakespeare’s Juliet

 

"Truths and roses have thorns about them."

-Henry David Thoreau

 

We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.

-Abraham Lincoln

 

A Few Rosy Tunes:

 

The Rose- Bette Midler

 

 

Bed of Roses- Bon Jovi

 

 

Kiss By a Rose- By: Seal Performed by Jack Black

 

 

Native Foods Cafe, vegan, vegan food, vegan restaurant, rose recipe