"lavender" news and stories

Put a taste of the south in your mouth -- the South of France. This cookie will take you to the deep purple lavender fields of Provence, and the lemon groves of Menton. (You may have missed Menton's Fête du Citron, in February, but start planning for next year. Would it tempt you if I told you that they parade statues made from lemons through the street? C'mon, a Buddha made from lemons! You've got to see this.)

The recipe, from blogger sweetbeanandgreen, is for a buttery sugar cookie with both lemon juice and zest, which is rolled in sugar and crushed lavender. A little bit of lavender goes a long way, so if you're making these for the first time, go easy on it until you know how much floral taste you want in your dessert. (Too much, and it's like taking a bite of a bar of soap.) Lavender, by the way, is recognized by herbalists for its calming effects, and as a digestive, which may make this cookie, or a honey-lavender-plum gratin, perfect snacks for just before lights out.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Underground supper clubs - half dinner party, half restaurant - are in.

Low alcohol beers gain popularity.

Thinking of opening a restaurant? Think twice. Then think again.

Memories of teenage boy food.

The Minimalist shows us how to cook with lavender without making the dish smell like your grandmother's powder room.

Artisanal cocktails are here. Of course.

Fortune cookies are not Chinese.

Source

Lavender: So hot right now. Lavender.

1. Lavender Cupcakes from Chockylit (who sadly is no longer blogging). That makes this recipe worth more, right?

2. Pound Cake with Blueberries and Lavender Syrup from Epicurious

3. Amazing lavender cookies, jelly, cinnamon buns and more from Happy Valley Lavender

4. Lavender and Honey Salad Dressing from Sonoma Lavender.

5. Lavender Lemon Bars from recipezaar

6. Lavender Ice Cream from Philly food blog Straight from the Farm

7. Lavender Pizza dough, breakfast rolls and other sweet recipes from Napa Valley Lavender Co.

8. Lavender Limeade from Jardin du Soleil

It's still not Spring here in Philadelphia. In fact, it's currently about 50 and rainy, but I've been pretending that Spring is here by planning my imaginary herb garden. Yes, my herb garden is sadly imaginary since I'm moving this year, but as a result, it's actually much greener, fragrant and exciting than any live herb garden I've ever grown for real (my thumb is not the greenest one out there). I mean, I love rosemary and mint as much as the next person, but I'm ready for a little more excitement! Here's what I'm thinking:

Chocolate Mint - I tasted this for the first time recently at a Farmer's Market, and it was delicious. The chocolate taste is slight, but definitely there, and I'll definitely be using it for imaginary iced tea, or even in cupcakes and baked goods.

Lemon Thyme - How easy it will be to make a roast chicken or even lemon-thyme frosting with these two ingredients already combined into one! Just kidding -- you apparently can't really count on it for a full lemon flavor, but it still works great for roasting anything, and for great fish and meat dishes as well.

Cuban Basil - The belle of my garden. After seeing/smelling how delightful these leaves are, I couldn't resist buying some for my mom for mother's day. Not so much into it? Check out this long list of interesting basil varieties here.

Lavender - Maybe this would be in my grandmother's garden too, but I just love the scent so much that it's going in my imaginary one as well.

Looking for more exciting herbs like juniper or fenugreek? Check out this list and these hints and tips. And if anyone has suggestions for additions to my imaginary garden, please share! It's imaginary, so no there are no limits!

When I think of shortbread, I think of nothing else but butter. Butter is what gives shortbread that rich, crumbly, crisp-in-some-places texture, so I couldn't imagine how someone could make vegan shortbread -- without butter.

But vegan food blog Vegan Yum Yum has done it, and has gone the extra step of making it a Lavender Shortbread! The simple recipe has but five ingredients, one of which is Earth Balance, a butter substitute that seems to work quite well for this shortbread. The recipe is on the post.