Gemini arrives as spring's sun intensifies transitions us into the beginning of summer.  As if carried on a warm wind, with a carefree spirit of a butterfly, it signifies the ability to transition happily, curiously seeking novelty and good company.  

I chose a Flight of Citrus (Vol d'Agrumes in French) when translating the energy of Gemini into a scent. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, which is the planet of communication, adaptability and versatility, like quicksilver. So naturally I was led into the realm of effervescent citrus notes, a melange of citrus fruit and herbs which is as light as Air. And like the time of the year, it transitions us beautifully from spring into summer, a scent that is refreshing and versatile in every way.  

Vol d'Agrumes zodiac perfume oil is vibrant, fun and easy to wear. 

Top notes: Lavender, Lemon
Heart notes: Lemongrass
Base notes: Oakmoss, Musk Notes

Fragrance Family: Citrus Fantasy, Chypre Fresh

Gemini birthdate: May 21-June 20 

Indigo is a mystery: an elusive colour that hides in several plants across the world. The preparation of indigo is like an ancient ritual, and one of the telling signs that it worked is a coppery patina and the "Indigo Flower" that forms on top of the surface. The blue indigo flowers pictured above are in fact the dried up fruits of milk thistles that I have dipped into the vat and dyed their fuzzy hairs blue.

Each continent has its own indigotin-bearing plant, and it's amazing how ancient civilizations have unlocked the secret for extracting and dyeing with it. Indigo does not dissolve in water  and requires a careful alchemical process before it can be used as a dye. It is the most durable natural dye, and we are all familiar with it through denim, which represents just some of the shades that can be achieved with indigo dye.

I've been dreaming of shibori dyeing with indigo and have finally became confident enough to prepare my own indigo vat. Indigo powder has a peculiar scent that is familiar from henna dyes (they are histoic allies, often used in conjunction for making the paste known as "black henna", and also henna is a natural reaction agent in the indigo vat). I used dates in my own vat, and it smells like milky bubble tea which makes indigo dyeing all the more enjoyable! 

Before I even knew anything about Indigo I was inspired to create a perfume by that name. It is an homage to my mother, herself a mystery. The perfume smells like a velvet indigo hug. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Making rose petal jam has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. My first taste of that was at my friend Zohar's kitchen. Her maternal grandmother is Turkish, and would make it every year. The texture was syrupy, with wilted, dusty-pink petals floating around. The aroma pure rose. I waited for that recipe for many years but even if I had it I wouldn't be able to make it, having no rose garden to harvest from. 

This year is a Sabbatical year, and I haven't pruned any of my roses. And they are growing especially wild and abundant. Every year I try making something else from them, rose beads, rose enfleurage, etc. This year it was really time I try to jam them at long last. I tried two different recipes, first one required a small amount of roses (about 60g, which is roughly one cup), and no curing time. I used dark, red and fragrant roses from my mom's Chrysler Imperial bush and some of my Oklahoma roses. Both are very similar - velvety, voluptuous red and darkly fragrant. The technique called for adding the lemon juice after cooking the roses in the water and softening the petals a bit. This takes away the colour. But once lemon juice is added, the colour returns. The recipe asked for commercial pectin, but I used a bag of quince seeds instead, with stunning results and very nice, thick syrupy consistency. The most spectacular part about that jam is the colour of course! 

The petals remain very chewy though, and I may actually opt for filleting them out next time when I use these roses, and make a rose petal syrup instead. This would be so lovely on a Malabi desert, panna cotta or vanilla ice cream. 

The second recipe I tried requires curing the roses for 48hrs covered in sugar. I used the more delicately petalled roses I grow: Kazalnik, William Shakespeare, and even a couple of Golden Celebration (these have a gorgeous lemony aroma). Again I used my own pectin (this time from Volkamer lemon seeds). The petals were still chewy. The aroma is lighter than the previous roses. I didn't expect to have such a huge difference because of the rose varieties used. And only wish I had more of the Kazanlik (which is the Rosa damascene used for perfume) to make a jam purely out of them. This was certainly fun! And out of the whole 4 jars I made, one is already gone. So I better make more while they're still in season. 

Recipe:
2 cups rose petals (around 60g), pesticide-free, organically grown or wildcrafted See note for preparation of the petals * 

1 1/2 cup water

2  cups sugar 

juice from half a lemon (about 3 Tbs) 

Reusable tea bag filled with pectin source (i.e.: quince seeds, apple cores or citrus fruit seeds)

* All rose petals are technically edible, but the varieties that are fragrant and with delicate petals are the most suitable for this purpose. If using thick-petalled roses such as hybrid tea roses, you may want to remove the white base of each petal. Also, be sure to allow all the flower's previous inhabitants to crawl out before you cook them up! I like to leave mine on a sieve for a couple of hours before I remove the petals from the calyx and begin jamming. 

Process: 
- Cover the petals with water

- Simmer until the rose petals and pectin tea-bag become soft and seem to lose their colour

- Add the sugar and simmer until completely dissolved

- Add the lemon juice and continue cooking, on low heat, until it reaches the right consistency. I like to test mine in the same way I test marmalade - place ceramic spoons or little plates in the freezer, place a few drops of jam on them and return to the freezer. If the jam crinkles when I pass my finger through it after a few minutes, then it is ready

- Transfer into pre-sterilized jars, seal and cool off

These are delicious as it is, eaten as an accompaniment to tea, or on hot scones or biscuits with clotted cream or sour cream. And of course, amazing on panna cotta or vanilla gelato, and as a drizzle of Pavlova and many other fancy desserts as your imagination desires.