Recommendations from model Amanda Nell
After working in a New York designer’s showroom all day, constantly changing in and out of clothes for buyers’ appointments, I found a dark bar for a proper drink. I ordered a gin cocktail with jasmine essence, and what I remember most is the the aroma of the jasmine: incredible and deliciously clear. It was then that I investigated essential oils as something edible.
Essential oils, a highly concentrated distillation of a plant, fruit, herb or other source, are already known as aromatherapy tools and perfume ingredients and can work well to flavor foods.
Just one drop of an essential oil changes a dish, and because most flavors can last indefinitely at room temperature, it can be a cost-saver over time. The initial purchase, however, is more than the few bucks for dried basil at the supermarket. My preferred brand, Aftelier Perfume’s Chef’s Essence oils, for example, starts at $12 for basil extract. In general, look for oils with no fillers that are steam-distilled or expeller-pressed.
In a mini spray bottle, I dilute two to four drops of essential oil with a neutral vegetable oil to better control the flavor. A mist of ginger over sauteed vegetables, black pepper atop roasted wild Alaskan salmon and peppermint in the mug before adding coffee are a few of my favorite ways to use these sprays. I also add lemon oil in a chicken and rice soup and a drop or two of lavender into a vanilla custard recipe.
For more ideas, check out Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Food & Fragrance by Mandy Aftel and Daniel Patterson.
( April 2016 )
