Botanical Blends
Stern in the kitchen.
Written by Elizabeth Varnell | Photographs by Laurie Frankel, Lindy Lin (Portrait)
Loria Stern is known for using pressed or powdered flowers in her pioneering recipes. Her new book, EAT YOUR FLOWERS (HarperCollins, $45), is filled with stunning visuals that bring nature’s colors into culinary presentations in bold new ways. Stern credits her Ojai childhood with sparking her awareness of plants and the living world. A college course on edible and medicinal plants—which included hikes through Montecito and Santa Barbara among edible wildflowers—was equally formative.
In her hands, freeze-dried raspberries change a cake’s hue without artificial coloring, and vegetables and leafy plants like spinach are vital components in beautiful food presentations. Stalks and roots—particularly turmeric, ginger, carrots, radishes, and beets—also make their way into Stern’s creations, adding color, flavor, and health benefits to dishes or plate pairings. “My go-to sweet colorant dust is raspberry or beet powder. For savory foods, I love using turmeric,” she says. Available at Chaucer's Books.
