Have a bite of borage. The beautiful blossom tastes like cucumber. Photo by Karma Pema | IST.

Mankind has been eating them for millennia in cultures worldwide. They just haven’t taken off yet in the modern United States, except in the hands of caterers and artisan bakers.

Beginning with our prehistoric ancestors foraging for food, the flower garden later became an extension of the vegetable garden, enabling cooks to add vibrancy to foods and beverages.

Edible flowers are the easiest way to add some wow factor to your recipes. Just pluck posies from their container (or snip them from your garden) and use them as a garnish. Your canapés, cocktails, salads and desserts will become memorable.

As with mushrooms, only certain varieties of flowers are edible. So if you decide to grow your own, you’ll want to buy a book on the topic—which will also have recipes for cooking with flowers.

And while many varieties are edible, they also need to be grown organically—without chemical pesticides.

Our friends at Eagle Brand make it easy with a simple recipe for Pineapple Chipotle Ice Pops: cold and creamy with a bit of heat.

If you don’t have ice pop molds, 3-ounce waxed paper cups and wooden sticks or plastic spoons will do. If you’re planning to buy ice pop molds, we love the grooves in this model from Tovolo.
 
 
> The history of ice cream and ice pops.

> The different types of ice cream and frozen desserts.

> Pull down the menu in the right column to find delicious ice cream and sorbet recipes.
 
 
PINEAPPLE CHIPOTLE ICE POPS

Prep time is 15 minutes, and freezing time is 4 hours.

Ingredients For 8-10 Pops

 
Preparation

1. PLACE pineapple in food processor. Cover and process until puréed.

2. COMBINE puréed pineapple, pineapple juice, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and chipotle powder in large bowl. Mix well.

[2] A can of sweetened condensed milk makes the recipe a snap.

4. FREEZE until firm, about 4 hours.

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Want a celebratory drink for July 4th?

How about a red, white and blue layered shooter?

A drink with several layers of different colored liqueurs is called a pousse café (pronounced POOSE-caff-fay). A classic pousse café is a liqueur-based drink served with after-dinner coffee. In French, the name translates to “pushes coffee,” or coffee chaser. The term first appeared in France in 1880.

Because different liqueurs have different densities, they can be made to sit atop each other in discrete layers, when poured in order of densest to lightest. The result is a fun drink that delights the eye, rather than a strategic layering of flavors.

Three flavors can be combined in a shot glass, or more flavors in a tall cordial glass or a whiskey glass. We’ve had one with seven different layers—although that’s not necessarily a good thing. It may look stunning, but combining seven flavors in a pleasing manner is a tough job.

The minute you tip the glass to drink, you’ll be getting tastes of all or several liqueurs—which is why it’s a good idea to cap them at three. Some bartenders provide a straw to sip the pousse café one layer at a time.

The original recipe is believed to have been red, yellow and green layers: grenadine, yellow chartreuse and green chartreuse.

But you can make a red, white and blue July 4th pousse café. Just call it a shooter: an all-American drink for Independence Day.

American Flag Cocktail

Who wants leftover pancakes? We do!

We reheat them by toasting them in the toaster oven. The outsides get nice and crispy. In our book, they’re even better than the original batch.

July 4th Recipes

 
TIP: If you’re going to make pancakes, get a delicious whole wheat pancake mix. The pancakes will count toward your daily recommended 48 grams of whole grain.

Canapés with star quality. Photo by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

For July 4th celebrations, these star crackers add surprise and delight.

Turn them into red, white and blue canapés with raspberry jam, brie and a blueberry garnish anchored with a dab of blueberry jam.

Or, present the crackers in a basket with different spreads and dips, and let guests create their own snacks.

For a sweet treat, mix 3 tablespoons black raspberry liqueur into 8 ounces mascarpone cheese (don’t over-mix—the mascarpone becomes too soft). Spread or pipe the mascarpone onto the star crackers; top with two raspberries, a blueberry and a small mint leaf.

The crackers are made by one of our favorite companies, Valley Lahvosh Baking Co.

Lahvosh, also spelled lavash and lahvash, is an Armenian flatbread made with wheat flour, water and salt. When fresh, lahvosh is soft and thin like a tortilla, and is used as a sandwich wrap for kebabs and other foods.

The fresh lahvosh hardens into a crunchy cracker consistency, which is how it is most often found in the U.S.—typically sold in boxes of long strips topped with toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic or other seasonings. It’s a very popular part of the bread basket in some restaurants.

Among other favorites in the Valley Lahvosh line are heart-shaped crackers (for engagement parties, Valentine’s Day, etc.) and Lucky Lahvosh, an assortment of crackers shaped like clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades.