Rose water is as likely to be found in Grandma's perfume as in our food. It's an old-fashioned flavor, looking backward rather than forward. But there's something about its ancient caché when treated right, there's nothing like it. Rose water's best uses are also its oldest: pastries, creamy desserts, spicing for nuts, and accents on braised dishes. More

Pomegranates are expensive. Their nectar stains like beet juice. And if you're successfully able to crack one open and extricate the seeds without having them burst all over your shirt, you still run the risk of your fruit having gone off, as checking for over-ripeness is rather difficult. So even during pomegranate season I like to have anardana—dried pomegranate seeds—around. More