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Authors: Mandy Aftel and Daniel Patterson Book Details: 216 pages including sources, acknowledgements and
index. Hard cover.
Table of Contents: 1. Regarding
Aroma, Emotion and Memory Book Excerpt:
"In the Kitchen where a stew simmers, in the living room where the dog
curls up on the leather couch, on our skin where the perfume we wear mingles
with body chemistry to create a scent as unique as a fingerprint, aroma imprints
and vivifies emotional memory. While taste is just a handful of sensations --
sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami -- aroma has an almost unlimited palette.
Sniffing food as it cooks, or when it is on the plate, gives us aroma in its
purest and simplest form. Savoring it in our mouth, we experience the aroma
simultaneously with the taste, in a complex intermingling of sensations we call
flavor. Aroma both precedes and is bound with the way we taste food. Thinking
about the emotional associations attached to the dishes and fragrances you make
from this book will deepen your understanding and enjoyment." (From Regarding
Aroma, Emotion and Memory Book Review & Recipe Test by Donna Maria:
I am an avid book lover. No matter the topic, I can enjoy a book because I
learn something. Even if I don't agree with what is between the covers and even
if it does not interest me especially, I can still enjoy a book. So if I can
enjoy a book on just "any old thing," imagine how much I would enjoy a
book that combined two of my favorite activities -- cooking and working with
aromatic oils!! Of course I have used essential oils in cooking previously and I
have used food and aroma ingredients in numerous recipes which you will find
right here at this website (check out Alligator
Pear Facial Mask For Dry Skin or Cherry
Rose Blossom Puree for example), it took this book to help me see the depth
and breadth of possibilities when it comes to marrying "food and
'fume". The possibilities are interesting, endless and extraordinary.
Aftel's impressive backgrounds as a psychologist and perfumer marry well with
Patterson's award winning experiences as a chef to create the feast for the
senses, all of them. The experts were introduced by a mutual
friend in the food world. Aftel discovered that chefs and food aficionados
shared her passion for using high quality non-synthetic ingredients in the
things they made. While neither of them intended to set about writing a book on
using essential oils in food, the concept evolved naturally as they got to know
one another and began to share common interests. They share the tools of
their trade in The Perfumer's Pantry (beginning on page 19) and The Cook's Pantry
(beginning on page 27). As you can see from the Table of Contents, the book
divides the recipes by type of aroma, and then further contains a useful recipe
index in the front of the book so you can choose by food category: fish,
vegetarian, salads, appetizers and so forth. Sprinkled throughout the book are
"In The Everyday Kitchen" references which help us regular cooks
figure out the easiest ways to incorporate some of the ingredients for everyday
use.
As if those benefits were not enough, the photographs of "food and
'fume" in the book are works of art in and of themselves. The air bubbles and salt
crystals are clearly visible in the picture of the Panfried Potatoes with
Safron-Garlic Mayonnaise (photo on page 175). The photo spread on pages 146-147
of beeswax (both grated and block), lavender concrete, cumin essential oil,
Cumin, Lavender & Oakmoss Solid Perfume (recipe on page 165), cumin seeds,
coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks and bark and ginger are also well lit and
beautifully detailed. The color photography throughout the book is gorgeous
indeed. Fresh vegetables and fruits appear with creamy custards, soups and
richly hued essential oils and absolutes so that I gazed at the photographs as
much as I studied the recipes. And while you cannot actually smell the aromas,
the skilled photographers and food stylists created the next best thing. I
really enjoyed learning how to choose different aromatics to complement
different foods and vice versa. I made the Tuna-Tomato Tartare with Lime Vinaigrette
(page 51) because of all the oils used in the book, lime is one of my favorites
and this recipe was quick with easy to find ingredients. My kitchen smelled
wonderful after making this refreshing dish which I enjoyed for lunch two days
last week. My husband is not a cold salad kind of guy so unfortunately, I was
not able to get a second opinion. My daughter loves tuna fish salad, and while
she loved the aroma of this dish, I don't think her taste buds are quite ready
for the intensity of flavors.
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Title:
Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Food and Fragrance (Artisan, 2004)