Flowers (was Re: [Sca-cooks] Quail eggs ( was: no subject))

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

> Oh, *these* people. I read about them in Fine Cooking. I thought about
> trying it myself as a business.

They are insane. I've been trying to candy violets every darn year for
years on end, and it's insane.

> They sell kits. In the Fine Cooking article, the lady said that usually
> people will try the kit and then they come back and buy the pre-made
> flowers anyway, because doing it yourself is apparently such a pain.

*nodnodnodnod* It IS!!

> I think you have to go the paintbrush and superfine sugar route, with
> candied flowers. Some years ago I was serving for a feast that had candied
> violets and mint leaves as garnish on something, and they were basically
> purple and green lumps of sugar, in vague flower or leaf shapes. The dip
> into egg white, dip into sugar approach apparently gets you flower-shaped
> lumps of sugar.
>
> Do we have much documentation for candied flowers in period?

Absolutely GOBS and GOBS of documentation, recipes, etc. for candied
violets and some other candied stuff in late period. I can go dig up some
of the many recipes if you want.

-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa   jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
" Call an elephant a rabbit only if it gives you comfort to feel that you
are about to be trampled to death by a rabbit."-- Kenneth Kaunda