Society is seduced by beauty but food must have a soul, too. ~ Carme Ruscalleda

Beauty

Beautiful by Christina Aguilera, Beautiful Dirty Rich by Lady Gaga, Everything is Beautiful by Ray Stevens, Beauty and the Beast by Celine Dion, What’s Beautiful by Everlife the list of songs about beauty goes on and on. But what’s interesting about beauty songs—at least by the count on songfacts.com is that while we like our external beauty songs, there are even more songs about inner beauty! I don’t know about you, but in a society where we are constantly bombarded media images of uber beautiful supermodels selling everything from laundry detergents and feminine products to beer and baby clothes, it’s nice to know we at least value inner beauty more when it comes to what really moves us.

With the holidays right around the corner, looking our best is even more on many people’s minds. Just try to remember as you run around cleaning the house in your worn out college sweats, sort laundry with less than professional-looking hair, and let the kids wrap gifts in mismatched paper with too much tape, that there is imperfect beauty in it all. Being together and being loved is the greatest gift of all—no matter how it comes to us.

Foods of Interest

Avocados have long been used as a beauty treatment. Externally their oil and pulp are great moisturizers while internally they’re rich in omega 3—a brain food and after all smart is beautiful. Both the Babylonians and Egyptians brewed beer in ancient times. Even the Puritans drank beer. In those days it was dangerous to drink plain water.  On an esoteric level beer is the marriage of land and liquid (the elements of earth and water). Therefore it is seen as perfect beauty and balance. Beets represent love of beauty. They were a favorite food of Aphrodite and were often used in ancient cosmetics. They’re also known to stimulate the heart chakra. Catnip, the herb sacred to the cat goddess Bast has a way of soothing tired souls. Catnip tea encourages the drinker to relax and enjoy life. And who doesn’t look better after being well rested? It should be noted that catnip is a natural blood thinner and should be taken by pregnant woman or those with blood clotting disorders. Honey one of the oldest foods known to humans has great moisturizing properties. Therefore, it hydrates dull skin giving it a healthy, beautiful glow. My uncle, Gerry recently got in to beekeeping as a hobby and is having a great time, stings and all. Milk is not only the essence of feminine energy but also of nutrition for offspring everywhere. Have you ever seen a baby that wasn’t beautiful? Roses have long been associated with the beautiful goddess Aphrodite who ruled over love. In the alchemical world, roses are associated with perfection. In Pythagorean numerology seven is the number of perfection and therefore roses are often depicted with seven petals. In many scientific studies of beauty, participants overwhelmingly choose the faces that were the closet to perfect symmetry as the most beautiful.*

Turkish Delight

What could be more beautiful and delicate than Turkish Delight? If you’re not familiar with this Middle Eastern Treat, you may at least have a passing memory of the White Witch tempting Edwin with it in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Rosewater can be made by boiling rose petals in water. Reduce the tincture to a concentrate. Be sure to use pesticide-free rose leaves if you make your own.  Alternatively, rosewater can be found in many health food stores as well as Middle Eastern markets.

You may also substitute other flavors such as honey in place of rose water for equally beautiful candy. It is also extremely helpful to have a candy thermometer for this adventure.

Ingredients:

3 C granulated sugar

2 ½ C water

3 T light corn syrup

1 C cornstarch

1 t cream of tartar

1 t vanilla

2 t lemon juice

3 T rose water

red food coloring or you might try a couple drops beet juice for added beauty

1½ confectioner’s sugar

cooking spray

Directions:

Dissolve lemon juice, sugar, and 1 C water in a pot over medium heat. Then bring the mixture to a boil. Don’t stir, but do make sure the mixture is off the sides so it won’t crust over, and allow it to continue to boil until it reaches 240.

While the first mixture is boiling, pour the rest of the water, cornstarch, and cream of tartar into a larger pot, mix and bring to boil, stirring constantly. It will eventually somewhat resemble toothpaste in consistency. Allow it too to reach 240. Slowly pour the sugar mixture into the cornstarch mixture. Mix the two completely.

Reduce heat and let simmer for an hour. Stir it every few minutes to avoid crystallization.

While waiting line a small square pan (approx 9X9) with tinfoil. Be sure to leave enough on the sides to use as handles later. Spray it with cooking spray.

Remove the candy from heat. It will be very sticky, but more like a thick liquid. Add the rose water and vanilla then pour it into the pan.

Let the mixture sit over night. The next day dust a 12X12 workspace area with confectioner’s sugar. Pull the candy out by its tinfoil handles and flip it onto the sugar. Remove the foil and dust the candy with confectioner’s sugar.

Spray a sharp knife with cooking spray and cut the candy into cubes. Toss the candy in more confectioners’ sugar. Store in a tightly sealed container.

Hot Turkish Delight

Imagine my surprise when I found this absolutely lovely holiday drink that marries nearly all the beauty foods in one concoction!  It’s simply called Hot Turkish Delight and can be found at grouprecipes.com.

2 cups milk

2 oz Turkish Delight plus extra for garnish cut into small cubes

½ cup cream

½ t honey

2 tsp rosewater

pinch cinnamon  

finely chopped pistachios

Directions:

In a saucepan combine milk and turkish delight, bring to a boil, stir smooth and remove from heat.

In another bowl beat cream, rosewater, honey and cinnamon until stiff

Divide milk mixture between 2 drink glasses or cups.

Top with the whipped cream and garnish with small cubes of Turkish Delight and chopped pistachios.

*Maria, Cara Santa. "Beauty Studies Show Ratios Explain Human Attractiveness (VIDEO)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 29 Jan. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/29/science-of-beauty_n_1239858.html>.