Sunday, May 22, 2016

Aftelier: Chef's Essence Sprays in Chocolate and Bergamot


Mandy Aftel builds a bridge to span the gap between scent and taste in a way that only a master natural perfumer with the tools at hand could. Aftelier Chef's Essences are single note high quality essences or absolutes that come in drop and spray form to add to foods, drinks and desserts. Rose, fir needle, frankincense, violet, lavender, magnolia can all make magic with your taste buds if you crave the exotic, or even a superb flash of strawberry, coriander, saffron, spearmint or apple if concentrated comfort is the desire. I purchased two sprays and two absolutes. Today is all about the sprays. 

Chocolate ($22) seemed like a no-brainer for me and it certainly has found itself to be a staple in my home. I intended it for use in some exotic dish, perhaps a rich mole or marinade. But so far it is an every day work horse that turns the mundane into indulgent. I spray it on top of vanilla bean Haagen-Dazs, into my morning cup of coffee, my afternoon chai tea. The absolute imparts a dark chocolate experience without bitterness and with a clarity and translucence that is sublime. I almost want to spray it on my skin it smells so incredible; coffee bean depth, cocoa nib duskiness, woody vanilla bean pod tones all fuse into this chocolate absolute. The alcohol content lends just a touch of boozy liqueur delight. I may still attempt to use it in an actual recipe but if I never get that far, I will not regret it one bit. It serves me well just adding a spritz of dimension to my every day consumption. (No, I don't eat Haagen-Dazs every day... or do I?). I can also tell this will last me a good long while despite my frequent use, it comes in a 30 ml glass bottle.



Bergamot ($16) Essential Oil spray piqued my interest. This "wild harvest" bergamot adds a peppery aged lemon citrus aroma and taste to foods or drinks. As the chocolate, I envisioned fancy creations using this beauty but those dreams have yet to materialize. Instead I have sprayed it on various cold salad type meals with excellent results. An easy lunch recipe I fell in love with, I drained and rinsed chick peas, added minced garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and a spray of bergamot. Instant light lunch with an exotically fresh aroma. This also adds citrus airiness to steamed rice, salad greens and Caprese salad. Mandy does warn that the citrus oils do need to be refrigerated to maintain freshness, and even then they will only last months and not indefinitely like her other essences. 

If I could not only have a spice cupboard but an essence cupboard too, I would. And maybe I will work toward that. I did buy the lavender and frankincense oils to bake and make candy with so do look out for those in a Cooking Cove post. Would these look like something you would be interested in experimenting with? What essences strike your fancy? What would you create or enhance with the chocolate or bergamot?

6 comments:

  1. My mind just got blown and I have a new thing I need to try! Thank you for introducing me to these sprays! I will try to get some this summer <3

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    1. Awesome! They are such a great way to add flavor and interest to food. And really pretty affordable too given how long they will last. <3 I hope you give them a shot!

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  2. Heartfelt thanks to you Julie for such a wonderful review! Your recipe ideas are terrific and I love your evocative descriptions of the aromas. One more thing you should try with the chocolate is spraying it on steak – it brings out some “gravy” notes in a great way. The citrus sprays will actually last quite a long time compared to the concentrated citrus oils – they don’t even really need refrigeration. Thanks again so much!
    Mandy

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    1. Hi Mandy! I will absolutely try the chocolate on steak. We will be having some tomorrow night so very fortuitous. Thank you for the clarification on the citrus oils vs the sprays. That makes me feel better about letting my Bergamot spray stick around for longer than a few months. I look forward to buying and trying more. They are incredible. Have a nice week Mandy and thank you for stopping by! <3

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  3. I never knew such a thing existed; amazing! :D I would definitely be interested to try this. I do like to cook and try new dishes, so this would be a fun product to experiment with. One thing I do love is flavored olive oils. I went oil and vinegar tasting on my anniversary last year at a local shop called Costa Olivos. It was the most amazing sensory and aromatic experience! My hubby was not into the idea at all at first but was totally hooked by the samples. I never thought I'd spend so much on a bottle of olive oil, but we took home a traditional Italian blend and it revolutionized my cooking for the next two months! My favorite things to make with it were spaghetti aglio de olio and of course bread dip with balsamic vinegar for sourdough bread. Thinking about it again makes me drool, lol. I need to go pick up another bottle! They do have a website in case you're interested: https://costalivos.com (not affiliated.)

    Anyway, thanks for sharing; you always seem to find the most interesting and delightful sounding products. I do hope to eventually sign up for the Scent Trunk trial you posted previously.

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    1. It is absolutely fun to experiment with these. Flavored olive oils and vinegars are quite fun to dabble with. I feel in love with some in Sarasota, FL and Helen, GA.

      With these though you are much less limited and can use them in cocktails and baking. I hope you get a chance to try a few out.

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