moses lawn

hi even though i cannot smell i have a memory bank full of smells that i know people enjoy,, simply from being with friends and family and discussing smell. For example bread baking, vanilla, rosemary, the seaside, freshly mowen grass, the smell after rain. Not having a sense of smell still lets me recreate aromas for others and then i get to participate in their enjoyment. An orchid placed in the house strategically, people comming in the door to the smell of an authentic indian curry. When cooking i work to a basic recipe if i havnt made the dish before. Then i ask people what they think, does it need more this or that next time. I also ask my victims what flavours they can taste in it. Next time i act on the feedback and try to perfect the dish. Since joining egullet i have concentrated on the appearance of the food more ie. plating also the science behind steps and practices in the cooking process. Reading the dan leopard forums on baking breads has really lifted my game. Texture is also a very important aspect for me i enjoy food sometimes simply for the feel of it in my mouth. Pearl barley slimmy yet crunchy, polenta sweet sandpaper, cabbage sqeaky crunch the list is being added to every day. i would love to know how others relate to the texture of their food. cheers

hi i am 49 years old and can never remember being able to smell anything. If i hold my nose over a bottle of ammonia and inhale i can faintly detect a irritating condition. IE that is the air I'm breathing is different. I have seen specialists and had a cat scan and was told i have no cells to convert the chemical smell to an electrical impulse. My taste is also very limited . I cannot taste garlic in garlic bread. The difference between a strawberry and a tomato can only be detected through the texture of it in my mouth. A a party once it was late and dark i picked up a wine bottle and took a large swig. I thought with even my sense of taste this was a pretty ordinary bottle of wine. I walk into the light to read the label and realised i had just consumed a half a bottle of "yeo's superior soy sauce. However cooking is my passion and i have been cooking for thirty years for my family. I have a troop of admirers of my cooking who are also my critics and taste team. I have been known to wander out onto the street to accost passers by and get them to taste my creations. I prefer foods like olives,pickles, rollmops, chilli,limes and lemons, cabbage and blue cheeses. I recently built a wood fired brick oven in my backyard and half the enjoyment is having friends over to taste dishes. I sometimes think that there is more to food that just the smell and taste. There is also the decour the atmosphere the company the music etc that all are a integral part of the moment for me. I work as a plumber so having no sense of smell can me an asset on occasion.