Aromas

Long before I became a foodie, I remember saying to my mom, “Why don’t they make air fresheners or candles that smell like food?" Forget hyacinth or lilac. I’m talking about cinnamon and apple dumplings with vanilla sauce.

Slowly, I started to find some candles at Christmas time: gingerbread and freshly baked cookies. Pretty soon at every mall I could stop and buy some body spray or lotion that smelled like citrus or vanilla bean. A dear friend bought me some even more exotic candles for my bridal shower, scented with olive & sage, mint & basil, grapefruit & ginger.

My longing for aromas has most likely become one of the factors that brings me to my ktichen more and more. Like one of those cartoon characters I grew up with...a wascally wabbit or a stone-aged fella smells something heavenly all of a sudden, maybe a baking pie or a brontosaurus steak on the grill. They get this dreamy look in their eyes and float along with the smell until they reach their delicious destination.

I’m writing this as the smell of caramelized onions fills my house. Who knew onions could smell so sweet? Caramelizing takes some time, but not much effort. There’s no need to babysit the pan. My favorite part is standing with my face right above the slowly browned onions as I toss in some fresh thyme (the fancy chefs are right...there’s nothing like fresh herbs) and then pour in some white wine. The onions and herbs and wine steam up and simmer together and I have a big smile on my face.