Nobody seems to like their nose very much. It’s too big, too small, too long or wide, pinched or pert. Call it a shnoz, a proboscis, a snout, a muzzle, a honker, or a beak, it can be pug, snub, hooked, Greek or Roman — but it’s yours. And it is never just right. Most of the time we take it for granted. What it does, there on the front line, however, has everything to do with taste, pleasure, memory, love, and lust — even survival.
The sense of smell, perhaps because of what it so often has to put up with, historically has been at the bottom of the hierarchy of the senses. It should be at the top. There is a theory, not difficult to support, that the olfactory sense has developed inversely proportionate to the development of the intellect. That is; the more we know, the less attention we pay to the ephemeral whiffs we sniff. To an animal this would mean death.
Our nose is designed to sniff out what to eat; to discern foul from fresh. Unlike other senses, smell is hard wired directly to the brain’s limbic system, the centre for memory, imagination and emotion. The association of scents, however, is learned from the first day of existence. Mother and child learn to respond to each other’s smell within two days. Each of us has a unique scent fingerprint influenced by hygiene, hormones, diet, health age, even variations in mood and body temperature. Scent is what attracts others to us in the form of pheromones — the subliminal beginnings of desire. Smell is the sense of amorous anticipation.
What we smell and how we smell also has social implications. In his, The Foul and The Fragrant, French historian Alain Corbin claims that the bourgeois took control of the sense of smell, using it to define a class structure “based on the preeminence of sweetness. The delicacy of an individual’s atmosphere and the sensitiveness of his sense of smell were evidence of his refinement and proved his ignorance of the sweat of hard labour.”
And while we each have our own distinctive scent we also have that which most entices us. The emperor Nero was enraptured by the scent of rose, Muhammad was made mad by musk, Napoleon was aroused by the scent of rosemary and the unwashed Josephine; Montezuma by vanilla, Coco Chanel by #5. Think about it, what aroma most commands your attention?
To be deprived of scent is to blindfold taste. Without smell we’d be unable to distinguish an apple from an onion. Without smell, the five tastes — sweet, sour, salty, bitter and the elusive umami are all we’d have to go on. The average person can detect 10,000 scents, not all pleasant. But pleasant and unpleasant is something we learn along the way.
We sniff and smell all day long. There are 400 scent variables in the least distinguished morning cup of coffee, then you whiff goodbye to your unique home smells and are assaulted by the acrid smell of traffic, the office smell, the familiar odor of your desk drawer, an opened purse, a new perfume on a fellow worker, the sandwich at lunch, the hand soap in the lavatory, fugitive cigarette smoke, old books, the fabric softener in your shirt, the wine with dinner, an extinguished candle— and on and on. Your nose never lets up even though you may not be paying it very much attention.
The senses are in continual dependent reciprocation. Because we learn scent association early on, and encounter food scents from the very first years, most adults associate food with childhood. The phenomena of comfort foods has everything to do with the foods mom made for us, and how safe and secure “smelled”. While not universal, most respond favorably to an oven full of chocolate chip cookies, freshly baked bread, bacon in the skillet, toast and jam, mashed potatoes and gravy, even a simple glass of orange juice. And while these aromas may owe part of their allure to the memory associated with them, these and other scents, even in the food we eat, have distinct effects on our mood, concentration, desires and sense of well-being.
The herbs and spices that are the cornerstone of fine cooking have a long intriguing medicinal and pharmaceutical history. Long before it was used to scent a joint of lamb, rosemary was a purifying agent. Burned as incense, hung in closets to keep out moths, rosemary was essential in anti-plague nosegays, and was said to improve memory. It also has memory-making powers when married with lamb, chicken, fish and shellfish, with roasted potatoes and vegetables, in jellies and mulled wine.
More than beautiful to observe and inhale, roses were used to cure everything from infertility to headaches and depression. Indulgent Romans bathed in them, slept on them, tossed them about at orgies. Roses were called the blood of Venus, and are said to be part of the secret formula for Coca-Cola. Cook with them and watch your enjoyment blossom.
In the seventeenth century, nutmeg and cinnamon, the most expensive and desired spices, inspired fleets of ships and exploration that changed the global configuration. They have proven inspirational in cakes, biscuits, cookies, and preserves, in white sauces, paté, stews, fruit pies, cooked fruit and custards, on vegetables, and with anything chocolate. Nutmeg is said to have salutary effect on the digestive system and was believed, in seventeenth century London, to be a balm against “sweating sickness” also known as the plague. The ancient Egyptians used cinnamon (and cedar) in both cosmetics and embalming. Cinnamon has served as a breath sweetener, a stimulant to the glandular system, a calmative for the stomach, and as a restorative for colds and sore throat. Contemporary claims include lowering LDL cholesterol, regulating blood sugar, reducing cancer cell proliferation, relieving arthritis pain and increasing memory. Quick, more cinnamon buns and Red Hots!
Lavender, without which there would be no herbs de Provence, has for centuries been used for its calming effects, as a cure for giddiness, migraine and convulsions. To this day lavender is recommended as a sleep aid for the elderly. And while you may put a sachet of it in you bureau drawer and deem it essential to a potpourri, lavender is a delightful surprise in dishes both sweet and savory.
These are but a very few of the delightful aromatics with which we cook. Coupling the age old benefits of aromatics with an edible delight, and making use of our newly sensitized noses, seems to me, an easy way of trebling our pleasure. Begin now, flair those nostrils and be more aware of the everyday smells, as well as the kitchen aromas that make every moment at the stove and at table a kaleidoscopic one.
With all of that in mind let’s go into the kitchen where so many scent memories are created and prepare dishes that will tantalize our noses no matter what their size or shape. Stop complaining. Love your nose — for what it does, not how it looks.
| Scent Sense — What Does What |
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These are but a few; effects may vary. |
| Pan Roasted Lamb Chops with Rosemary Garlic Crust |
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Serves 4 Pre-heat oven to 450°. Season both sides of the lamb chops generously with salt and pepper. Mince together the rosemary and garlic. In a bowl mash the rosemary garlic together with the butter and bread crumbs. Smear the rosemary-garlic mixture evenly over one side of each lamb chop. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the lamb chops in the skillet, coated side down. Cook until browned, 2 minutes. Turn carefully and cook 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake 4-5 minutes for medium rare. Remove chops to serving platter keep warm. Put pan on burner, pour red wine into hot pan, scrape up any clinging bits, boil and pour over lamb chops and serve. |
| Grapefruit, Blood Orange, Fennel and Prosciutto Salad |
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for 4 Whisk together in oil, vinegar, mustard and pepper until smooth. Cut peel and pith from grapefruits and oranges and divide into sections. Coarsely chop fruit. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb and cut into thin slices. Thinly slice radicchio as you would cabbage for slaw. In a bowl toss grapefruit, fennel, and radicchio with vinaigrette. Decorate perimeter of plates with prosciutto, mound salad in center and sprinkle with pine nuts. |
| Rosemary Fig Confit |
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1 cup dried Calmyrna figs, chopped fine In a 1 1/2-quart heavy sauce pan stir together ingredients and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Remove lid and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until most liquid is evaporated and mixture is thickened. In a food processor coarsely purée fig mixture. Confit may be made up to 5 days ahead, covered and chilled. Bring confit to room temperature before using. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Nice with any lamb dish. |
| Rosemary Scented Lamb Parcels |
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for 4 Sauté the garlic and onion in the half the olive oil until translucent. Add the squash and bell pepper and cook until softened. Stir in the olives, rosemary and cook another minute, stirring. Add the orzo, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. (Can be done a day ahead.) Cut the lamb cutlets into two pieces cutting around the center bone. Chuck the bones. Put the lamb cutlets between wax paper and flatten out with several gently but firms whacks of the meat mallet. You should have twelve parcels, or three for each serving. Place some of the filling in the center of each flattened cutlet and turn the sides in and then roll up to make a neat parcel. Tie with string or fasten with toothpicks. Dredge each parcel in flour seasoned with salt and pepper and brown in oil. Remove from pan. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and bring to a boil scraping up any clinging bits. Lower heat replace meat parcels, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove parcels to serving patter and pour juices over top. Garnish with rosemary springs. |
| Floral Bouquet Pound Cake |
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1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter Beat together the sugar and beat until lemony and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mix well. Add the flour and sour cream alternatively until all incorporated. Add the nutmeg, rose water, lemon juice, zest and lavender flowers and mix until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the tester comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack and cool another 20 minutes before attempting to remove the pan. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh flowers (roses, pansies, marigolds or other edible flowers). |
| Fruit with Rose Sabayon |
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1 tbs rosewater Make the sabayon by beating together the egg yolks with the rose water and 1 tbs of water and the sugar in a bowl set over simmering water until thickened. Whisk until thicken but still mousseaux (frothy and light). Remove from the heat and continue to whisk until just warm. Pour over cold fruit and serve garnished with rose petals. Also nice coupled with the pound cake above. |
| Country Kitchen Cinnamon Rolls |
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1-1/2 package dry yeast Add the warm water to the yeast and soak 10 minutes. Scald milk; pour over the shortening. Add sugar and salt and cool to tepid. Add the dissolved yeast and beaten egg. Add 4 cups flour adding one at a time beating after each addition. Dough should be soft yet firm enough to handle. Knead on floured board until elastic and smooth. Turn dough into well-oiled bowl and let rise for 1-1/2 hours. Punch down dough and divide in two. Roll out, on a floured surface, into a rectangle, brush with melted butter, layer generously with brown sugar. Sprinkle on cinnamon to taste. Top with a layer of walnuts. Roll up jelly roll fashion. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut slices about 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick. Place slices in an 9-inch round greased cake pan — one slice in the middle and other slices around it. Press rolls down to even out and fill pan. Allow to rise until the rolls fill pan to the edges about an hour. Bake in a 350º oven about 15-20 minutes. If rolls get too brown, loosely cover with a piece of foil until the end of baking. Do not over bake. While they bake whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and water until smooth and fairly thick to make glace royale frosting. Remove immediately from pan by inverting onto a plate and then tip over onto another plate. Frost while warm. |
| Lavender Sablés |
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1 cup flour Mix together the flour sugar and salt. Cut in the butter until it resembles corn meal. Add the egg and lavender and work into a dough. Flatten into a disc and chill. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface, to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into scalloped rounds with a 3-inch cookie cutter (smaller if you desire). Bake on an easy release cookie sheet at 350º for 20 minutes or until just golden on the edges. Lavender Ice Cream In a small heavy saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons of lavender and 1 ½ teaspoons of water. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture forms a dry mass, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool completely. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder; set aside. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream vanilla bean, and remaining sugar and lavender. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and return to the saucepan. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until blended. Gradually whisk in one-third of the warmed milk mixture in a thin stream to temper. Now whisk the mixture back into the remaining milk in the saucepan. Stir in the reserved lavender powder. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard lightly coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from the heat and strain the custard into a bowl and set that bowl into a large bowl of ice and water to cool it down to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Nice with pound cake or lavender biscuits (above). |
Edward Bottone, a food and lifestyle journalist, is Chef/Instructor in the Culinary Arts program at Drexel University and has been a radio talk show host and TV presenter, and is also a food stylist and photographer.
Article image from DraconianRain: Flickr (Creative Commons); "The Cantankerous Cook" photograph from Hulton Archive/Getty Images, "Plate" photograph from FoodCollection/Getty Images.
