8 rosewater recipes

A professional-grade chocolate Bundt cake enriched with coffee and bourbon, served with rosewater whipped cream. Baked low and slow for an intensely fudgy crumb.

Nothing expresses the German love of edible art more succintly than marzipan candies, which are shaped into piglets, cats, poodles, flowers, fruit and all sorts of other objects. They are delicious to eat, too.

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.

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

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

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.

Sewian is a classic Indian vermicelli dessert fried golden in ghee, then slow-simmered in milk with sugar and rose water. Topped with slivered almonds and pistachios for a fragrant, creamy sweet.

A showstopping Persian jeweled rice (javaher polow) layered with saffron-glazed carrots, barberries, currants, pistachios, almonds, orange peel, and rose water. Topped with a golden tah dig crust.