Anosmia Recipes
What form of butter, a seemingly subtle ingredient, has the most developed potential for flavor?
Cultured butter differs from so-called sweet butter in its amplified flavor and tang created when fresh cream is seeded with lactic cultures and allowed to “ripen” before churning. Fermentation produces the aromatic compound diacetyl, which imparts buttery and milky notes, magnifying the inherent flavor already present in butterfat.
How can I use cooking method to intensify the qualities of sweet potatoes?
Baking sweet potatoes in their jackets in foil packets, caramelizes the sugars, concentrates the flavor, and creates a luxurious texture (we perceive the “mouthfeel” as all the more satiny because of the sweetness!). Moist varieties, such as deep orange-colored Jewel and Garnet sweet potatoes, convert 75% of their starch to sugar when cooked, becoming super syrupy.
Without olfactory feedback, I sometimes forget there’s something cooking as soon as I walk out of the kitchen. How can I equip my kitchen so I feel more secure?
A Dutch oven is my failsafe piece of equipment. An enamel-coated cast iron pot with a cover, it facilitates slow, even cooking with much lower risk of burning or scorching the contents I may leave unattended.
*The sweet potatoes for this recipe—as forgiving as they are—can be baked in a Dutch oven with gorgeous results.
What food ingredient would make a good addition to my smell-training practice?
Beets have a bold, saturated color, sweetness and crunch that actively engages our senses. But we’re also keenly sensitive to their muted scent—suggestive of earthy, clean, organic matter. That’s the smell of geosmin, also the molecule responsible for the archetypal earth-essence smell of wet ground after rainfall. Humans can detect geosmin in extremely low concentrations. I added beetroot powder (found in health food stores) to my smell-training kit very early on.
Sauerkraut arouses my appetite and satiates my hunger. Why is it so satisfying in spite of my smell loss?
Fermentation releases the full umami potential of cabbage (a good source of glutamate) with its rewarding ability to linger on the palate. Raw, unpasteurized curry kraut is a superstar sensation-wise: from “savoriness,” to sour and salty, to crunchy and effervescent, to its brilliant yellow color, fiery red chilies, and aromatic seasoning. HOSTA HILL makes some of the best krauts on the planet—each variety in unique, vibrant technicolor.
The Anosmia Sandwich
From Leah: We never know what a person will bring of themselves to a successful approach to their condition. But all successful approaches have in common an individual’s sense of discovery. For me, the special adventure of discovering my flavor system in the absence of smell tapped a deep well of curiosity, that outweighed my fear of the new and wholly unimaginable sensory perspective anosmia gave me. We are flavor-seeking creatures. Nothing had ever forced my hand so powerfully to use my sense of discovery!
The Anosmia Sandwich was the first recipe I wrote, at the beginning of my smell loss—once I had committed myself to a positive outcome. That commitment allowed me to be alert to, appreciative of, and build upon the reality of my perceptions. The recipe is very simple—a whimsical, open-face number that works with fundamental perceptions of color, texture, touch and taste. To the left, I’ve included some of the questions I was curious about when designing this dish. At a time when food was an unfamiliar stranger, The Anosmia Sandwich was my welcome friend and culinary mascot.
The Anosmia Sandwich
© Leah Holzel
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- Two 10 oz sweet potatoes, such as Jewel or Garnet varieties
- 4 slices seeded whole-grain sourdough artisan bread
- 3 tablespoons salted cultured butter, at room temperature
- 1⅓ cups curry sauerkraut (such as Hosta Hill brand), drained slightly
- 6 oz raw, unpeeled beets, shredded (about 1¼ cups)
Directions:
- Arrange oven rack on the lowest rung. Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil, place directly on the rack and bake, turning once, until the potatoes are very soft when squeezed, about 1 hour* (see Dutch Oven question at left). Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly before unwrapping, about 30 minutes. Using your fingers, peel away and discard the skin, reserving the flesh and any residual syrup. Smash to a spreadable consistency. (Sweet potatoes can be baked in advanced and refrigerated, peeled or not, for up to 5 days.)
- Generously butter the bread. Smear each slice with sweet potato spread. Top with sauerkraut well tousled, then shredded beets. Serve open-face.
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Ancho Chili Pesto
From Leah: The sense of smell is the dominant contributor to our perception of flavor. As a consequence, anosmia deeply disturbs our experience of food as a source of pleasure and comfort—but also food’s ability to stimulate our appetite, satiate hunger, and restore physical equilibrium. Regaining a sense of our own well being involves, in part, recruiting facets of our broader flavor system that function independent of olfaction, such as our sense of taste.
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Ancho Chili Pesto harnesses the taste of umami—that savory sensation named for “essence of deliciousness.” Umami’s positive characteristics—enhancing dimensionality and amplitude while lingering on the palate—offer the potential for a sustained, rewarding eating experience in the absence of smell.
Five reasons to get excited about ingredients again:
- The best sun-dried tomatoes start as super-ripe fruit harvested when umami-generating glutamate level is highest. Sun-dried cherry tomatoes have the highest concentration of glutamate.
- Artisan dried pastas have a rough, matte, powdery surface and come in eye-catching shapes. Cooked, they hold their form, have a coarse texture and pleasurable elasticity, with a little resistance when you bite.
- Long-aged Parmigiano-Reggiano has crystalline granules that are fun on the tongue and produce an ever-so-slight crunch. Aging reduces moisture and concentrates the taste, making this one of the most savory-imparting cheeses there is.
- Good, fresh, young extra-virgin olive oil can produce a pleasant sting in the throat thanks to oleocanthal, a healthy phenolic compound discovered at Monell. To make the most of its pungency, use it raw and liberally.
- Miso, Japanese fermented bean paste, is a versatile umami agent that can be used to make soups, spreads, sauces and marinades or just to add a layer of savory seasoning. Use a dab at a time, and don’t worry about it going to waste—miso can live safely in the fridge for years.
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Ancho Chili Pesto
© Leah Holzel
Makes 2 cups pesto
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes, preferably cherry tomatoes
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons miso paste
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons cider vinegar
- 3 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
- 1 pound radiatore pasta (or similar, see images below)
Directions:
- In two separate bowls, submerge the tomatoes and chiles each in 1½ cups boiling water and soak overnight; drain, reserving the tomato soaking liquid.
- Pull away and discard the chile stems and seeds. Open the chiles, rinse off any remaining seeds and place them skin-side down on a cutting board. Using the back of a butter knife and light pressure, scrape the flesh from the skin. Discard the skin.
- In a food processor, or using an immersion blender, combine the chile flesh, tomatoes and ⅓ cup of their soaking liquid, olive oil, garlic, miso, lemon juice, and vinegar, and pulse until well blended but not quite pureed. Stir in the cheese.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain, reserving ¼ cup pasta water, and return pasta to the pot. Stir in half the pesto and enough pasta water to coat.
Golden Biscotti with Fennel and Curry Sugar
From Leah: The food-frenzied holiday entertaining season and its social celebrations can be a daunting time for people navigating anosmia. This Golden Biscotti recipe was designed for those of you at loss to fall back on cherished holiday traditions, or not quite sure how to forge new ones—to embolden you, and support your effort to be confident cooks, bakers, hosts, and eaters.
Biscotti…
- Accessible, instantly recognizable, and have broad appeal
- Designed to challenge the senses and intrigue your guests.
- Showcase for highly aromatic ingredients as fennel seed and lemon zest—potentially detectable even with a diminished sense of smell. This recipe amps-up the volume on those volatiles, adds curry powder’s heat and the crunch of coarse cornmeal, adding stimulating layers to the overall eating experience.
- Versatile. Serve them on a holiday cookie platter, or as part of a charcuterie tray, alongside rustic bread and crackers, as a vehicle for dried, cured salami, aged prosciutto, and sharp Grana Padano cheese.
- Simple to make, and hard to ruin. Make them days in advance and cross stress off your holiday to-do list. Any leftovers are good for, well—almost ever.
- Call attention to conscious chewing. There are pleasure benefits in the dynamics of crunching your way through these substantive mouthfuls, and the mechanics play an important function in retro-nasal olfaction.
Golden Biscotti with Fennel and Curry Sugar
© Leah Holzel
Makes about 3 dozen
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups (6.5 oz) all-purpose flour, sifted
- ½ cup stone-ground cornmeal
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon hot curry powder
- 1 tablespoon fennel seed, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- Grated zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1¼ teaspoons almond extract
- 4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, curry powder, chopped fennel seed, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the lemon zest and almond extract. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Add the butter and, using a rubber spatula, briskly fold the flour mixture toward the liquid, mixing until the dough is wet and crumbly.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Divide the dough in two, and roll each portion into a log about 12-inches long. Transfer to the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes more. Reduce the heat to 275ºF.
- Transfer the logs to a cutting board, and, using a serrated knife, slice diagonally about ½-inch thick. Arrange the biscotti on the baking sheet, cut side down.
- Bake, turning over once, for 10 minutes.
Sour Cream Panna Cotta with Stone Fruit Compote
From Leah: When I was a kid, my mom made panna cotta for just about every dinner party she threw—her hybrid version calling for not one, but three forms of milk (two fresh, one fermented). What an opportunity for my fledgling flavor system to learn to appreciate their distinct contributions!
When we think of an ingredient that will exercise our flavor perception, something as subtle as milk isn’t the first that comes to mind. But for those of us with smell loss, that very subtlety can be its strength, because it requires a quality of our attention that bolder foods may not. The beauty being, that the trove of food memories and emotions we have to draw from are our custom-made keys to the doorway of dairy’s delicate flavor.
Like the dairy it’s made from, panna cotta is a milky-white flavor canvas, ideal for infusing with potent aromatics (vanilla is the most traditional), and accenting with a colorful, punchy sauce. This sauce celebrates the farmers’ market harvest: a quick trick to intensify the flavor of ripe stone fruit; the color and spice spectrum of sweet peppers and hot; and fresh mint’s illusion of cool.
Sour Cream Panna Cotta with Stone Fruit Compote
© Leah Holzel
Ingredients:
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- 2¼ teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2½ ounces sugar (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 6 ripe peaches or nectarines (about 1¼ pounds), cut lengthwise into quarters, “free stone” preferred
- ¾ teaspoon coriander seed
- 2 tablespoons date syrup
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 2 ounces fresh sweet long peppers (such as Cubanelle, Anaheim, Jimmy Nardello), thinly sliced into rings, seeds removed (about 1 cup)
- ½ to 1 ounce fresh hot peppers (such as jalapeño, Hungarian wax, or serrano) seeds removed, and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup torn fresh mint leaves
Directions:
- Pour the milk into an unheated medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface to let bloom, about ten minutes. Meanwhile, nestle a medium bowl into a slightly larger bowl or vessel of ice and water. Add the cream to the bowl and stir in the vanilla.
- Over medium heat, stir the milk mixture until the gelatin is dissolved and the liquid is warm, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the sugar, and stir to dissolve. In a steady stream, add the milk mixture to the cold cream, stirring constantly. Let cool completely, stirring frequently (the mixture will begin to thicken ever so slightly), about 10 minutes. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl (or distribute among 4-6 individual serving vessels) and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Meanwhile, arrange the fruit quarters on a microwave-safe dish. Cook, at high heat, covered, for 1 minute. Remove the skins, which will peel off very easily. Slice each in half lengthwise to equal 48 slices. Microwave, at high heat, uncovered, for 3 minutes more.
- Just before serving: In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the coriander seeds, about 1-2 minutes. Coarsely crush them using a knife, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle. In a medium bowl, combine the date syrup, lime juice and crushed coriander seeds. Add the peaches and peppers, and toss to dress; stir in the mint. Serve the panna cotta in heaping free-form spoonfuls on dessert plates, topped with stone fruit compote.
Dehydrate peaches in the microwave for 3 minutes to concentrate their flavor, while intensifying the color and preserving much of their fresh-fruit juiciness.
Sample the changes in texture and consistency as gelatin transforms the panna cotta over time—from fluid to spoon-coating to sloshy, to its final firm-but-wobbly form.
Add vanilla and coriander seed essential oils to your smell-training practice. But get a quick start by using crushed seeds and vanilla extract called for in this recipe.
Tune in to the vitality and charisma of fresh food. Smell loss disrupts the most direct line of communication between food and ourselves—flavor. Interacting with newly-picked produce in a farmer’s market setting is experiencing fruit, vegetables, and herbs in their italicized form. Develop sensitivity to the many ways food is trying to get your attention.
Delve into date syrup. It has a deep ebony color and a sweet-tart “over-ripe fruitiness,” reminiscent of molasses, raisins, and prunes. Here, it’s a nod to syrupy aged balsamic vinegar—a condiment classically paired with panna cotta.