Richard Paul Evans wrote in The Christmas Box that the “smells of
Christmas are the smells of childhood.” Walk into Grandma’s kitchen during the
holidays on a crisp, cold day and, more than likely, you will find yourself
transported to a simpler yesterday that was full of mouthwatering sensory experiences. This is not your imagination.
Research shows that a strong
connection exists between smells, emotions and our past experiences, especially
those from early childhood. Specific
smells can bring about once-forgotten memories. These memories remind us
not only of favorite places, family and friends; they remind us of favorite
foods.
On the first day of Christmas baking,
Your kitchen spice rack needs
A heavy dose of cinnamon please
Conjure up fond memories with a
variety of tastes in your holiday cuisine. Some of the more popular spices you
may find in your kitchen (which may be obtained organically
if you don’t have them) include cinnamon,
nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves.
On the fifth day of Christmas
baking,
Your kitchen spice rack needs
FIVE WHOLE CLOVES
4 teaspoons of ginger
3 pinches of allspice
2 nutmeg sprinkles
And a heavy dose of cinnamon please!
These “warm” spices add delicious
flavor to pumpkin recipes, gingerbread, carrot cake and homemade chai tea. However,
chai just wouldn’t be complete without the spicy-sweet flavor of cardamom on your palette. I smash a
cardamom pod to release the oils when I brew my chai. Native to Scandinavia and
East India, ground cardamom
can also be used in puddings and cakes, as well as chicken and vegetable
recipes. Cardamom pairs well with fruit, too.
The holidays aren’t complete
without delicious
drinks. Several holiday beverages combine festive seasonings with apple cider, oranges and raisins. Scandinavian
glögg (pronounced “glurgg”) combines many of these ingredients with wine and
brandy or vodka for a delicious hot drink that will warm your spirit as well as
your body. Serve your Glögg with a side of baked breads featuring cinnamon,
cardamom and allspice. For me, the mouthwateringly delicious smell of banana nut bread wafting through the
house may be one of the most endearing and enduring memories of the holidays.
Perhaps the most popular tastes
of the holidays are chocolate and peppermint. With some extra time during
the holidays, you can enjoy Alton Brown’s recipe for chocolate
peppermint pinwheel cookies. These two tastes may be enjoyed in short
order, too, by simply adding bits of a peppermint candy cane or peppermint schnapps
to your hot cocoa. Sometimes the simplest tastes and smells – combined simply –
impart the most vivid memories.
On the twelfth day of Christmas baking,
Your holiday spice rack needs:
12 peppermint canes
11 mugs of chocolate
10 banana breads
9 cups of raisins
8 juicy oranges
7 crispy apples
6 cardamom-infused cups of chai
FIVE WHOLE CLOVES
4 teaspoons of ginger
3 pinches of allspice
2 nutmeg sprinkles
And a heavy dose of cinnamon please!
This holiday, I hope you will explore
and experiment with these flavors to create a variety of festive foods. May
your holiday season bring you flavorful food, abundant aromas and myriad happy memories
for the coming years.
Until next year, eat well!
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