42 rosewater recipes

Rose geranium cookies made with rosewater and chopped geranium leaves baked into a soft, floral butter cookie. A unique garden-to-cookie-sheet treat.

A tasty side dish made with ricotta cheese, light cream and cardamom pods.

Yes from the year 1475. Platina mentions several odd fishes not usually used today as food, such as cuttlefish, scorpions, lampreys and sea-lion. But most of his fish are still favorites-eels, lobsters, crabs, oysters, sturgeon and sturgeon eggs (which he calls caviar), salmon, sole, etc., and he gives a recipe for a Squid Dish for Days of Abstinence. Although squid is eaten today in the South of France and Greece, and can be found in special fish shops here, I would prefer salmon or halibut. But if you hanker for squid, just go ahead with it if you can find some, and be sure to have the fish man prepare it for you by removing the black liquid from the backbone.

A scrumptious dish made with bisquik, plain yogurt and cardamom pods.

Timen Ajami spiced meat skillet with ground beef or lamb, allspice, Madras curry powder, rosewater, dried currants, and chopped almonds. A fragrant Middle Eastern one-pan dish ready in 45 minutes.

Greek almond cookies shaped like little pears, scented with lemon and rolled in powdered sugar. A delicate confection perfect for special occasions and gift-giving.

Jumbles are a colonial-era ring-shaped cookie scented with rosewater, caraway, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Crisp, buttery, and dusted with sugar. A historical American recipe from the 1700s.

Mediterranean almond cookies made with ground almonds, egg whites, and candied cherries. Low-temperature baked treats dusted with powdered sugar and optional rosewater.

Semolina halwa sweetened with sugar syrup, cooked in ghee, and perfumed with cardamom and rosewater. Studded with pistachios and almonds, then cut into diamond shapes.

Chewy Greek almond macaroons made with ground almonds, egg whites, and fragrant rosewater create gluten-free cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

Sweet spinach tart with wine-steamed spinach cooked in rosewater, sugar, and cinnamon, filled into a pie shell and topped with fresh sliced strawberries. A medieval-inspired dessert that's surprisingly beautiful.

Shereen Polo is a Persian jeweled rice pilau with saffron, julienned carrots, orange peel, almonds, pistachios, and rose water in sugar syrup. Served with crispy tahdig and a side of chicken stew.

Golden saffron cake with rose water and pistachios, soaked in vanilla sugar syrup and cut into diamonds like baklava. A fragrant Middle Eastern-inspired low-fat dessert.

Medieval-style salmon fish pie with figs, grapes, almonds, rosewater, and warm spices, tucked under a double pastry crust. A modern take on a vintage squid recipe.

Moroccan chicken with pistachios, dried apricots, pine nuts, and cinnamon over rice, finished with rosewater and edible flower petals. An aromatic, jewel-toned one-dish dinner.

Braised lamb in a spiced yogurt sauce with saffron, rosewater, fried raisins, and slivered almonds. A Mughlai-inspired dish with cardamom, coriander, and garam masala.