People who know me know that I am not into shortcuts, particularly with something as simple and as nice as Baklava!
Today, I prepared for making Baklava by working on some of the component ingredients. I made some Rose water and shelled Pistachios. With nearly 70 rose bushes, the raw material isn’t lacking. Distilling your own rose water really isn’t that hard and there are solutions such as this on the web.
First, we pour water into a large container over our rose petals. In the middle of our container sits a stone, brick or some other practical substance on which you place a cup. When the water boils , the vapor runs off the inverted lid and falls into the cup! Periodically take the cup out an empty it into another container… this is your rose water.
Generally speaking, the most costly ingredient of Baklava is your choice of nuts… unfortunately, the most expensive nuts make a more wonderful Baklava! I like a mixture of Pistachio, Almonds and pecans! Walnuts are commonly used ( a tribute, I understand, to the ancient Romans who use to throw walnuts instead of rice at weddings as they believed walnuts were aphrodisiacs )… however, pine nuts are in a number of recipes as well.
Stay tuned, our recipe will follow.
Roger Freberg