Celebrating spring and the
sameness of our ingredients:
rose water and saffron pistachio ice cream
I have Persian neighbors and friends in both Los Angeles and Paris. Soon (March 19 in Los Angeles, March 20 in Paris) the Persian community will celebrate Nowruz. Nowruz is not a religious holiday but it celebrates the first day of spring and the beginning of the Iranian calendar new year. Although my gardeners pruned my roses to the nub, this week a singular rose burst open as if it was announcing the onset of spring, and I thought of how rose water is used in both Persian and French cooking. From this rose bloomed this week’s simple pleasure just in time for Nowruz: rose water and saffron pistachio ice cream.
