A little fragrance experiment

Earlier this year I wrote about my experience with Serge Luten's Five O'Clock au Gingembre and how I wanted to wear it while eating pain d'epice, dark chocolate, stem ginger preserves, and a cup of Russian Caraven. Well I did it today without the chocolate and ginger preserves, the effect was intensely spicy and wonderfull soothing, the pain d'epice went perfectly with smoky Russian Caravan, the Five O'Clock au Gingembre adding beautiful tangy piquant fresh ginger note. I suspect part of this experiment owes credit to Chandler Burr who over the years has hosted dinners centered around the concept of pairing fragrances with dishes (one of my wishes is to go to one of these) and his statement a little while ago while doing a review of Ambre Narguile that he enjoys it most by wearing it during meals finding that it enhances the gustatory experience. I think he is on to something with this last part considering I find wearing Ambre Narguile puts me in the mood to cook; last nights pain d'epice and the caramelized apples a little while ago.

Which brings me to an experiment I have had in mind for quite awhile but have yet to get around to doing, a dish inspired by Dolce and Gabbana's Light Blue. My idea starts with a buttermilk panna cotta that is infused with the flavors of green apple and lemon and tiniest drop of rosewater going in the back.

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image: Tea by Mary Cassatt 1890

SOTD: Five O'Clock Au Gingembre

Today is the first day of school, I was tempted to go with my now usual serene scents: Bois des Iles or Infusino d'Iris, but my yearning for Autumn and knowing the tempeture would be warm, I have instead chosen, the smoky gingery beauty of Serge Luten's Five O'Clock Au Gingembre, which is wonderful addition to the family of gourmands. I will say this now but I think this scent would be incredible as a candle. As for the actually scent, I am utterly intrigued by his use of smoky tea, I first I would say it was the Chinese Lapsang Souchong, but the smoke has a hint of electric quality to it that reminds me of the smoky blend Russian Caravan, mixed with the stem ginger opening, it provides a complete picture of a moment. I want to try this scent later on in the year with a plate of homemade pain d'epice, stem ginger preserves, possibly a chunk of good local dark chocolate, and a cup of smoky creamy Russian Caravan tea. All I need is for the weather to change and steal my dad's spice grinder.

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image: The English tea pot by Johan de Fre

The season changes the tea changes

On the most part I am the sort of tea lover that needs a cup of malty assam in the morning with a splash of milk or the wonderfully malty and spicy mix of Masala Chai with milk. There is something luxurious in seeing the transformation of dried tea leaves unfurl and create an elixir, that I will admit I am addicted too. Still my variety of tea changes through out the year, in the dead of winter smoky Russian Caravan and exceptionally malty Irish Breakfast grab me ( I still keep my Assam through out the year). Yet with the coming of spring and summer my tea has to change, that is when I change over to green teas and my favorite is the Japanese blend Genmai Cha. This I will say is more a spring tea than a summer tea in that it features a very unique ingredient that warms a drinker up on cool spring days: roasted kernals of rice. The roastiness of this tea is exceptional, it is comforting and soothing, and on cool days of spring it warms, yet it's lovely jade green color reminds you of the new spring greenery surrounding you.

It is also a lovely broth for breakfast rice. I admit I often have leftover rice from the night before and a perfect way too use it up is to warm it up, pour Genmai Cha on top, and add a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and a sprinkle of salt. It is a comforting and light morning breakfast that is great option for those that do not like sweet nor heavy breakfasts.

image provided by http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=487669&in_page_id=1770 meet the worldest cutest little pig and his voracious appetite for tea.