November 4, 2016 – “Is that a Raccoon Sniff?”

          My husband asks as he catches me in the act.

           He chuckles and I level my eyes at him.  I drop the “freshly sliced” Italian bread into the toaster and defiantly press the lever as I toss my hair out of my face to turn back and glare at him.  YES, I was caught in the act!

          I always SNIFF the bread. I slice it just so, then on the way to the toaster I sniff it – yes, right up to my nose so that I can deeply inhale that yeasty smell.  Yes, I AM satisfied I am toasting fresh bread.  Once toasted, that ‘yeasty’ smell will be gone forever.

          I am in my own home, why shouldn’t I?  When cooking I smell the raw meat, fish and chicken to make sure it’s fresh.  If it is not, it gets tossed.  I have valid reasons for the ‘raccoon sniff’. When sautéing garlic, shallots or onions, I sniff the aroma . . . I want it cooked ‘just so’ before I add the rest of the ingredients. Don’t ALL cooks do that?

          I pause and mentally tick back the last few days to check my “raccoon sniffing” record.

          Yes, I lifted and sniffed a warm-from-the-oven Hoot Owl cookie that I was going to eat.  Yes, I could almost taste it by the enticing aroma.  I didn’t care I had a guest in the house when I did it.

          When I took the Le Creust pan out of the oven and then lifted the cover off the Golden Beef Stew, I leaned in and deeply inhaled the aroma.  Yes, it smelled fabulous.  I set the covered pot aside rest assured it would taste great.

          When I went to drink my red wine, I swirled it and paused to smell the bouquet for a moment.

          Yes, I am a bona fide – “raccoon sniffer” and I don’t intend on stopping.

         

Haven’t you ever thought: “If only it tasted as good as it smells?”

          Do I do it in public?  Not so obvious – but I do enjoy a dish delivered when the aroma rises up. [But, how often do you actually get a hot dish delivered to your table where the aroma captures your attention? Think about that; the last one that enters my mind is a memory from years ago.]

          That was at Amalfi Harbour, a little Italian restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina, which makes the most incredible Tortellini’s with Vodka sauce.  The steaming, just-from-the-kitchen entrée was delivered to me in the cozy corner of the restaurant.  A faint fragrance of nutmeg first caught my attention . . . the first bite, the Vodka sauce, homemade, was perfection.

          Amalfi Harbour quickly became my ‘go to place’ for every Monday night dinner during my over-the-road traveling days with First American Title Insurance as a Marketing Representative when I was often in Greensboro.

          It was like being home.  It was a small place.  They kindly accommodated me by allowing me to sit in a secluded corner as I was alone. It gave me the chance to “watch people” one of my favorite past times.  I usually had a glass [or two] of exquisite Merlot and I savored that aroma as well.  The ‘fresh’ bread basket’s aroma always rose to my nose quickly when I flipped the linen napkin off the top of the bread.  And, after I had explored the menu, I returned to the Tortellini time and time again because, just made, immediately delivered from the kitchen the hot pasta dish with that incredible aroma rising up to meet me was perfection each and every time.  I didn’t have to do the ‘raccoon sniff’.

          I once read years ago in a diet article: “If you smell your food before you eat it, you’ll eat less.”  That gave me carte blanche to raccoon sniff years ago and I doubt I will ever stop.

          Finally, why wouldn’t I pause when I unwrap the double layer of tight cling wrap on JoAnn Cilone’s prize Pizzelles with real Anise that I buy at my church bake sales?  I always sniff them deeply, place two Pizzelles on my plate and savor that mouthwatering aroma as I wait for my hot tea to brew.

          Yes, I raccoon sniff.  Maybe you ‘non-raccoon sniffers’ need to try it instead of knocking it. 

          Go for it next time you have an opportunity. . . take a deep inhale.

You too, may discover what you’ve probably been missing in your life

– the unforgettable, subtle aromas of food.