My bakery is full of wonderful smells. Every customer who walks through the Apple’s door is met with the pleasant aromas of fresh-baked bread, cookies, pies, and other delectable baked goods.
Pleasing smells are, fortunately, a natural aspect of the baked goods business. But smells go beyond favorable sales and satisfied customers.
I recently read a review of an interesting new book on the science of scent. Anne Underwood of Newsweek reviewed Dr. Avery Gilbert’s“What the Nose Knows,” a look into smell and its significance in our everyday lives. Gilbert, a “scientist of smell” touts the sense’s benefits and how we don’t appreciate our noses nearly enough.
What’s particularly interesting is Gilbert’s take on smell as it relates to food. He believes that the flavors we taste in food stem mainly from smell and have little to do with our tongues. “Pinch the nose, and flavor disappears,” he says.
To illustrate Gilbert’s point, Underwood told the story of a woman in California who lost her sense of smell for nearly a year after an upper-respiratory infection. “Without aromas, food became a bland, tasteless mass, and life itself seemed equally blah,” Underwood said. “She stopped inviting friends to dinner, as she had no way of gauging whether her chili was tasty or inedible.”
Apart from its contribution to our enjoyment of food, smell can affect us in many other ways, Gilbert says. Scents can entice us to purchase certain products, affect our mood, encourage good deeds, and trigger memories, both good and bad.
I’m glad I’m in the food business and (hopefully!) positively affect others with the smells of my fresh baked goods. Perhaps I’ve even inspired a kind act or two!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic of smell and its relationship to food…
I baked another gluten-free cake for a customer’s wedding. This time I created three layers to feed all 30 wedding guests!
The happy bride said, “The cake was both beautiful and delicious!!! Keith and I actually ate the top layer last week…piece by piece…no saving it for a year for us. Thank you for adding sooo very much to our special day.”
Food is at the center of nearly every one of my happiest childhood memories. Grandma Ardapple, for instance, had fresh cookies on the kitchen counter each time I’d visit. To this day, the thought of her “surprise cookie” brings a smile to my face. It’s childhood moments like these that are the foundation for pleasurable tastes. (Here’s a picture of just one of those memorable childhood moments - notice the cookie in my son’s hand!)
Unfortunately, for many individuals with food intolerances, the enjoyment of food is not that simple. Food manufacturers include a myriad of ingredients to maintain freshness, flavor, and shelf life. Unless a person with food intolerance is diligent in reading food labels, a special occasion dinner in a favorite restaurant can mean a painful dining experience.
In recent years, there have been great improvements worldwide with regard to food labeling. These advances have been welcomed by the growing community of individuals affected by gluten intolerance, food allergies, and specialized diets. And while the term “gluten-free” is still a vague one, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making an effort to recognize it.
The FDA currently gives guidance on the term “gluten”: “In the context of celiac disease, the term ‘gluten’ is used to collectively refer to gluten in wheat, and to the proteins in other grains that have been demonstrated to cause harmful health effects in individuals who have celiac disease. These grains are wheat (including different varieties such as spelt and kamut), rye, barley, cross-bred hybrids (e.g., triticale, which is a cross between wheat and rye), and possibly oats.” (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/glutqa.html)
The FDA proposes to fully define “gluten-free” and enforce that those companies who use the label on products are truthful about ingredients. Consumers should still be aware of labeling regulations, especially when traveling, and be prepared to ask questions at stores and restaurants.
Higher food labeling standards will provide all individuals a better toolkit to enjoy and prepare safe food so families can, once again, share conversations around the table and create lasting memories.
This is the second week of the Creative Cupcake class I’m teaching for the Illinois Central College for Kids. This is a two-week class complete with 14 girls, cupcakes galore, and a big bunch of frosting. What could be more fun?!
The first week I had the liberty to sample cupcakes at will—oh so delicious! Now, however, it’s the second week and I’ve gone gluten free. I’ll have to tell the girls to watch me so I don’t inadvertently pop a gluten-filled morsel in my mouth.
I feel woozy and hungry—this has become a common feeling over the last day. As a food person, I knew that by changing what I ate, my body would inevitably go through changes itself. It really makes a person fixate on what not to eat and makes it harder to decide what to eat.
A gluten-free friend emailed last night to check in, even though it has only been a couple of days. She reiterated how much work it is to get started on a gluten-free diet. She ended our call by reminding me to check my lipstick! I thought, ‘What?!’ A new consciousness was born. ‘Absorption’ is just as significant to a Celiac as ‘consumption.’ No wonder Celiacs feel isolated and depressed—this is a tremendous amount of work!Tuesday – Day 4:
I went to the grocery store today to pick up lunch. I bought an Amy’s pizza and gluten-free snack bars. The bars tasted like dog biscuits. Who would give their child this snack?!
I returned to work feeling less than satisfied. I saw chili on the Apple’s menu. I thought, ‘That’s tomato-based with no additives . . . it must be safe.’ Halfway through my bowl, it dawns on me that the chili beans come in a gravy base. ‘Oh, no! I had better ready the label!’ Sure enough – the chili bean label clearly states: Contains Wheat Ingredients. I asked myself, ‘What real purpose do these wheat ingredients have?!’”
My gluten-free week was challenging. I had no idea it would be so hard to keep myself in check! The week certainly opened my eyes to the plight of those with food intolerances and renewed my desire to provide alternative food options to my family, friends, and customers.
I kept a journal of my thoughts (and frustrations!) during my gluten-free week. I’ll post some of those journal entries here:
“It was the end of a long work week. Friday eve had arrived. Anticipation of becoming gluten free dictated a meal of a favorite pizza and a glass of wine. (To be truthful, I ate one or more pizza slices just to savor the soon-to-be forbidden food!)
While awaiting the delivery of this morsel of satisfaction, I took a wayward inventory of the food on my counter to see if anything was gluten free. Suddenly, the open canister of potato chips cried to me, ‘I’m over here! Eat me!’ So, naturally, I obliged with a handful. But just a handful - I quickly replaced the lid and packed them away for the boys’ trip north.
Not a moment had passed when my eye spotted an open bag of Tex-Mex cracker and nut mix. I readily admit my love of this snack food may be a bit obsessive. This is the type of mixture that taunts the taste buds with alternating salty and spicy flavors in each mouthful. Just the mere mention of the snack food makes my mouth water.
I came close to a weak moment - I could have easily poured the bag’s contents into a bowl and quickly devoured each and every last crumb before my pizza arrived. I am happy to say, my willpower held strong and I packed the snack mix away with the potato chips.
As I drifted off to sleep that night, my last thoughts were consumed by my favorite foods. Foods that were heretofore pleasing nourishment were about to become members of the foreign army.”
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