Scent of an entrée

Euphemia Haye’s “Lesson Luncheons” sell out fast. “All Things Wonderful,” a scented culinary journey Dec. 5, was no exception.

“Today, you’re going to eat with your nose,” Executive Chef and Euphemia Haye owner Ray Arpke told the class.

The idea for an aromatic meal-themed class came about two years ago, when Longboater and natural perfumer Lucy Miller visited California, where she was studying essential oils (Miller recently opened a perfumery called Pure). Upon her return, Miller gave Arpke a can of essential oils — something with which he had little experience cooking. It took Miller and Arpke two months to plan the lunch lesson, but the attendees gave it rave reviews.

Essential oils are highly concentrated — for instance, it takes 30 pounds of rose petals to yield one drop of oil. Needless to say, the room was fragrant throughout the lesson.

The two courses and dessert were paired with three varieties of bubbly, thanks to Paul Kauffman, of Republic National Distributing Co.

Highlights of the meal included the light-in-body, heavy-in-flavor pink grapefruit-infused aioli; grilled, plump diver scallops; the ylang-ylang bellini with peach purée; and, perhaps, the winner of the meal — the honey-and-lavender ice cream.

Euphemia Haye will host more classes this spring. Visit EuphemiaHaye.com to find future “Lesson Luncheons.”

Honey-and-Lavender Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup honey
4 drops lavender absolute essential oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
Whisk the heavy cream and half-and-half together. Whisk four drops of lavender absolute into honey. Whisk the honey mixture and vanilla extract into the cream mixture until frothy. Chill until extremely cold (near 32 degrees Fahrenheit). Place in an ice-cream maker and blend until frozen. Keep in a frozen state (under minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit) in an airtight container.

The Menu
First course:
Brown-rice flour and buckwheat blini with stone crab and pink grapefruit paired with ylang-ylang bellini with peach purée and Banfi Brut sparkling wine

Second course:
Grilled shrimp and diver scallops on cumin-scented polenta with saffron-butter sauce paired with Piper Heidseck champagne

Dessert:
Honey-and-lavender ice cream with jalapeño shortbread cookies paired with Banfi Principessa Perlante