Scent Dinners with Essential Oils: The Recipes [Part Two]

 This is part two of my series about creating the most luxurious immersive experience of Scent dinners. In Part One, we explored the concept of what a Scent Dinner is and how to create it. Next week, we’ll go deep into the candles, room sprays, and ambiance. This week we focus on ways to include essential oils in your cooking for a scent dinner to knock your guests’ socks off. Thrill them with Pea and King Crab Panna Cotta with Lemon oil, Ginger & Lemongrass Fish Skewers, Duck in Blackcurrant Sauce with Thyme Roasted Root Veg, and Chestnuts. Turn dessert into a sensation with cardamom-infused Baked Fig and Salted honey cheesecake. Finally, a sharing cheese board is laced with honey and butter flavored with essential oils to complement your cheeses and wines.

Start With Part One

Now, before the safety police get all twitchy about ingesting essential oils…let me point you in the direction of Unlock Flavorful Wonders: A Beginner's Guide to Cooking with Essential Oils. There are certain rules and guidelines you will need to understand and follow to ensure the safety of using essential oils in food.

Then read all about the concept and how to Create Your Own Scent Dinner With Essential Oils - Part One - The Ultimate Gustatory Experience.

After that get stuck into creating your own scent dinner experience with some (or all) of these delicious recipes. 

Additional Bonus For Your Scent Dinner

As an additional bonus, after the recipes, there is also a section with recommendations for essential oil and fragrance oil blends for each course. Use these blends to scentscape. 

Make candles, wax melts, reed diffusers, and room sprays. You can even use them in your aromatherapy diffusers.

Our Favorite Recipes For A Scent Dinner 

Discover some exciting recipes for your own mouth-watering Scent Dinner. I have carefully curated these to work as a complete and complementary menu. 

Sadly, it is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. Nor is it gluten-free, lactose-free, or sugar-free. However, there is no reason why you could not design a Scent Dinner to suit any dietary preferences and needs.

Appetiser/Starter - Fresh Pea & King Crab Panna Cotta

Adapted from and Inspired by Entertaining With Beth - Video Tutorial HERE

Serves 8

Panna Cotta does not have to be sweet. 

Try this fresh, delicious savory option bursting with clean, fresh flavors. It’s decadent, laced with succulent king crab and with an unctuous dollop of tasty Lemon & Dill Cream.

Use one large king crab leg if you can get it, if not, use the white meat from several crab claws. If you wanted to, you could substitute the crab with smoked salmon, lobster tails or langoustines

Essential Oil Of The Course:

• Lemon Essential Oil (Citrus limon L (Burm.) F. )

You Will Need:

1. Knife 
2. Cutting board
3. Small saucepan
4. Large measuring jug
5. Blender
6. Glasses and champagne coupes work best

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup (100g) shallot, diced
• 1 tbsp (15g) butter
• 1 envelope of gelatin
• 2 cups (300g) frozen peas
• 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth
• ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 1 cooked king crab leg, several crab claws, or a small packet of smoked salmon 
• ¼ cup (60ml) sour cream
• 1 tsp (5ml) fresh lemon zest
• 1 tsp (5ml) fresh dill, plus more for garnishing
• 2 drops of Lemon Essential Oil (citrus limon l (burm.) f. )
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly cracked pepper to taste

Safety:

Dilute your essential oil before adding it to the food. In this case, it will be diluted in the sour Cream since the fat content is high enough. Alternatively, dilute it in a few drops of high-quality Extra Virgin olive oil if you wish.

Method:

Cooking The Shallots & Peas

1. Set a medium saucepan over low to medium heat and melt the butter until it starts to bubble. If you use too high a heat the butter will just burn and go brown. 
2. To the melted butter, add shallot, and a pinch of salt and pepper. The Salt will encourage the shallot to give up their flavorful juices.
3. Cook shallots over medium heat until they are fragrant, soft, and on the way to being translucent.
4. Now turn up the heat and add the peas and the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
5. The moment it starts to boil, turn down the heat and gently simmer for 5 minutes until the Peas are just cooked through. NO LONGER, you will lose the beautiful green coloration if you do. 

Creating The Panna Cotta

1. Pour the pea mixture into your blender and puree until beautifully smooth and fully liquified. If you cannot get it perfectly smooth, pass it through a fine sieve. 
2. Clean out your saucepan and pour the now pureed peas back into the pan over low to medium heat. 
3. Then you can put in the milk and heavy cream. You need to gently simmer the mixture until it is hot, but not boiling.
4. Once the mixture is hot, pour in the envelope of gelatin and whisk it in well. 
5. Let it gently simmer for about 4 - 5 minutes, stirring all the time, you want all of that gelatin to dissolve completely. 
6. Continue for a few more minutes, you want the mixture to thicken somewhat.

Pouring The Panna Cotta

1. Pouring the mixture into a measuring jug makes it easier to get a neater finish in your serving glasses. 
2. Cool slightly in the measuring jug before pouring the mixtures carefully, and neatly into your serving glasses. Clean up any drips or spills now with a clean, damp paper towel. 
3. You then want to refrigerate your Panna Cotta overnight. However, don’t cover your glasses as it will create condensation which will drip down and spoil the surface of your Panna Cotta.

Finishing The Panna Cotta

1. When you are ready to serve your Panna Cotta, make your Lemon and Dill Sour Cream and prep your crab ready.
2. Simply dilute your Lemon essential oil in a few drops of Extra Virgin olive oil and stir into the sour cream with the lemon zest and finely chopped dill fronds. 
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
4. To prep the crab, carefully crack the shell and extract the meat, use a pin if it makes it easier. You want nice chunks of Crab meat if you can. 
5. Crack the crab leg or claws and extract the meat. Pull apart into chunks. 
6. If you are going to use Smoked Salmon, tear it into bite-sized pieces. 
7. Carefully arrange a luscious dollop of Lemon and Dill Cream and the crab on top of the Panna Cotta and garnish with a dill frond and/or a thin wedge of lemon.

How To Serve:

Do not garnish until you are ready to serve and then serve immediately while still chilled. 

You could have lemon and dill-infused salt and lemon pepper on the table for guests to season to their own tastes. If you are going to do this, reduce the seasoning in the sour cream. 

Recommended Wine Pairing:

Try a Sauvignon Blanc that suits the sweetness of the peas. Why not plump for a light sparkling wine with a lively acidity to bring the flavors of the peas to life?

A South African Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc NV, Steenberg seems perfect to start your scent dinner with a sparkle.

Fish Course - Grilled Ginger & Lemongrass & Fish Skewers

Serves 8 

Adapted from and Inspired by Grilled Salmon Skewers, Lemongrass, Lime & Cucumber Salsa from Temptation For Food.

This is a super simple recipe. Choose whatever fish you like best as long as it is firm fish enough to hold its shape through cooking.

There are several ways you could adapt this recipe to make it your own. I’m going to add some Ginger to start warming the palette. 

Essential Oils Of The Course:

• Lemongrass Essential Oil (Cymbopogon flexuosus)
• Ginger Root (Fresh) Essential Oil (Zingiber officinale)

You Will Need:

1. Knife
2. Cutting Board
3. Large bowl
4. Skewers
5. BBQ or Grill Pan

Ingredients:

For The Fish Skewers

• 1200g salmon, cod, haddock, or pollock filet (any firm white fish) skin removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped lemongrass (white part only), 
• 4 teaspoons grated ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoon dill, finely chopped + extra for garnish
• 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Lemon-infused oil (use lemon zest-infused oil or essential oil)
• 12 mini bamboo skewers
• 8 limes, thinly sliced
• 3 drops of Lemongrass Essential Oil (cymbopogon flexuosus)
• 2 drops Ginger Root (fresh) Essential Oil (zingiber officinale)

For The Cucumber Salsa

• 4 English cucumbers, very thinly sliced
• 1.5 cups coriander, torn
• 1 cup shallot, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Safety:

• Dilute the essential oils in the extra virgin olive oil first. 

Method:

Prepping The Fish and Marinade

1. Get ahead of yourself and soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. It stops them burning on the BBQ or in the oven. 
2. Dilute the essential oils into the olive oil and stir well to combine.
3. You can make the marinade the day before but do not add the fish until the day you want to use it. 
4. In a large bowl mix together the infused olive oil, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar and combine well. 
5. Mix in the fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass and dill. Season well with salt and pepper and mix together until evenly distributed through the liquid. 
6. Then gently and carefully toss the fish cubes through this mixture and make sure they have an even coating of the mixture.  
7. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no longer than about 45 minutes, as the Lemon juice and vinegar will cure your fish a bit too far! 

Prepping The Cucumber Salsa 

1. take your cucumber and a peeler and cut large strips of cucumber down the length of the fruit. you should have a nice strip with green edges.
2. Slice your shallot on a diagonal for visual interest
3. Tear the coriander into small tufts
4. Toss the cucumber strips into a bowl with the shallot and coriander.
5. You could add extra flair and flavor by dressing this salad very lightly. Try a dressing made of 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, with 1 drop each of lemongrass and ginger essential oils, season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Making Up & Cooking The Skewers

1. Preheat your BBQ or grill pan in line with the timing for your scent dinner. (As soon as guests have finished their Panna Cotta perhaps)? You could also cook this in the oven or in the air fryer, so you don’t have to stand over it! 
2. You are making mini skewers so you only need 3 chunks of fish per skewer.  Simply thread them on and alternate each one with a folded slice of lime. You will need 4 slices of lime per skewer. You can make these ahead of time and refrigerate until needed.
3. Reserve any marinade for brushing while grilling.   
4. Grill the lemongrass and ginger fish skewers for 2-3 minutes (Longer if you took them straight out of the fridge). 
5. Brush them liberally with any leftover marinade and turn regularly, until the fish is cooked through.

How To Serve:

1. Serve the skewers immediately as soon as they are cooked through.
2. Place the skewers on a plate at juxtaposed angles to one another. 
3. Create a nest of cucumber salsa on the side. 
4. Drizzle with the dressing recommended above or some lemon or lemongrass-infused oil or lemon juice.
5. If you wish, garnish further with a few leaves of coriander and dill fronds on top.

Recommended Wine Pairing:

Augusta in Fredericksburg Texas is a great Winery in the Texan Hills. They have some great recommendations on wines to serve with Salmon.

Personally, I would go with their palate cleanser recommendations and stick with a Vermentino or Sauvignon Blanc. It will pave the way for the next course. 

Entree - Main Course - Duck in Blackcurrant Sauce with Roasted Root Vegetables and Chestnuts 

Serves 8

This is one of my own recipes, emulating a meal I had over 30 years ago at a hotel in Maidenhead, UK. It’s perfect for autumn and winter because the ingredients, apart from the blackcurrants,  are all in season.

If you cannot get fresh currants, try and get frozen. Or, since it is difficult to find frozen ones here in England,  I use homemade blackcurrant jelly! I have used jelly in the recipe because I think it is the most accessible way for you all to be able to make it. 

You need to balance the sweetness of the jelly with a little vinegar to give it some acidity. Chicken stock adds richness. Duck stock is better if you can get it, or make it beforehand. 

I have found a similar and comparable recipe from Le Creuset for the duck and sauce. 

I’m using thyme essential oil in both the roasting of the vegetables and the blackcurrant sauce, and a whisper of Star Anise in the sauce. 

Essential Oils Of The Course:

• Thyme Essential Oil (Thymus vulgaris)
• Star Anise Essential Oil (Illicium verum)

You Will Need:

1. Knife
2. Cutting Board
3. Large bowl
4. Saucepan
5. Roasting trays
6. Frying pan you can put in the oven (or another roasting tray)

Ingredients:

• 8 duck breasts with skin 

Roasted Vegetables

selection of root vegetables to suit the season. I use a small-sized one of each of these vegetables per person, cut into quarters, and about 3-4 chestnuts each.

• 8 beetroots 
• 8 parsnips
• 8 carrots
• 8 onions
• 24 - 32 chestnuts (you can roast them whole in the shell, but you need to peel them all to serve which is a time-consuming faff. I buy packets of pre-cooked chestnuts to save my sanity).
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• Fresh thyme - finely chopped
• Fresh rosemary - finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 drops of Thyme Essential Oil (Thymus vulgaris) diluted in a tsp of olive oil

Blackcurrant Sauce

• 1 tbsp good quality olive oil
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 4 large shallots, chopped finely
• 1-2 tbsp of sherry vinegar (balsamic will do)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (dried is ok as a substitute)
• 4 - 8 tbsp blackcurrant conserve (use more if you cannot get the fruit)
• 2.5 cups fresh or frozen blackcurrants if you can get them (blackberries make a good substitute, but add 2 tbsp of lemon juice to them)
• 1 pint of chicken or duck stock
• 4 tbsp cassis blackcurrant liqueur
• 1 tsp cornflour, blended to a slurry with a little cold water
• 3-6 drops of Thyme Essential Oil (thymus vulgaris)
• 2 drops of Star Anise Essential Oil (illicium verum)

Safety:

• Check none of your guests have a nut allergy. 
• Dilute the essential oils into olive oil before adding to the recipe.

Method:

If you are using raw, unpeeled chestnuts, roast them now, by cutting a criss-cross into the top and roasting in the oven at 425 F for 25-30 mins. Check out How to Roast Chestnuts in The Oven with Foolproof Living for extra tips.

Blackcurrant Sauce

1. You can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it until needed, so let’s start with that.
2. Individually dilute your essential oils into ½ tsp of olive oil and set aside until needed. 
3. Set your saucepan over medium heat and pop in the olive oil and the butter.
4. When the butter starts to foam, add your finely diced shallot.
5. You don’t want the shallot to color, just cook through until they are soft, so turn down the heat if they look like they are coloring. 
6. When the shallot is softened, add the thyme, you could add a couple of whole Star Anises if you wish if you don't have the essential oil. 
7. Let this warm and release its fragrance before adding the blackcurrant elements.

Adding The Blackcurrant Element

1. Add the blackcurrant conserve and blackcurrants (or blackberries and lemon juice). Now if you have no fresh fruits add more blackcurrant conserve but also add 1 tbsp of the Sherry Vinegar, and reserve the rest to add to taste.
2. Add 2 cups of chicken or duck stock and very gently simmer for 10-15 minutes. 
3. Add the cornflour slurry and stir thoroughly until the sauce thickens to your liking.
4. Fish out the whole star anise now if you added it. 
5. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cassis.
6. Season the sauce with a little salt and pepper, any extra sherry vinegar, and then add your individually diluted essential oils one drop at a time until your sauce is absolute perfection. Go easy with that star anise essential oil though, please! 
7. If you are making this in advance, cool and place in the fridge until needed and reheat. 

I can my leftover sauce, so it’s on the shelf when I want it, but it is not FDA-approved! 

Roasted Vegetables & Chestnuts

Now look… I admit it, I’m not a peeler! If the skins of the root veg are clean and clear, I leave them on. For one thing, it increases the dietary fiber of the veg. I also believe it brings extra flavor and especially with Beetroot, it gives a layer of earthiness that just isn’t there if you peel it. 

You can do this in two ways:

1. Chuck it all on a roasting tray and let it all meld together - great for weeknight dinners, probably not best for a fancy-scented dinner party. 
2. Cook the beetroot separately from the other root veg to avoid color transference. I cook mine with the onion in a small dash of chicken stock and add the duck for the final minutes of cooking. 

Roasting The Vegetables

1. Preheat your oven to 400-425F 
2. Place all of the quartered vegetables on a roasting tray
3. Mix together the 2- 3 tbsp olive oil with the fresh chopped thyme and rosemary, season with Salt and Pepper, and add up to 3 drops of Thyme essential oil. Taste and adjust if necessary. 
4. Place in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
5. Check after 15 minutes and turn the veg, baste with any excess oil, there shouldn’t be too much. 
6. Add the cooked chestnuts to the pan and return to the oven for a further 10 -15 minutes.
7. *At this point I usually add my pre-fried duck to the roasted onions and beetroot and cook the duck until just cooked through and the juices run clear. As soon as the duck is cooked, remove it to a warming plate and let the juices run into the beetroot and onions for maximum flavor. If you are making, or re-heating, your sauce at this point, pour all the juices into the sauce.

Prepping The Duck 

1. Prep your duck by trimming off any excess fat and any sinew underneath the breast.
2. Score the skin with a sharp knife. I like to do it diagonally a few times.
3. Very lightly oil the duck work it into the skin and season really well.
4. You can marinate it, like in the Le Creuset recipe, if you wish, but I like the beauty of the duck to shine through what is already a very rich and flavorful dish. 

Cooking The Duck

The trick with this is getting your pan at the perfect heat to render the fat from the duck skin to make it crispy but not burn it! If you are not confident about this, buy an extra duck breast cut it into four pieces, and use them as a test to find the perfect heat level. It’s better to sacrifice one duck breast than ruin eight of them! Plus you can still eat it after, so it’s not wasted unless you cremate it.     

1. Oil your duck breast again place it skin side down in the pan and leave it to cook for 2 minutes. 
2. Turn the duck breast over and cook for a further two minutes. 

Transfer to the oven and cook for:

• 10 minutes for pink 
• 12 minutes for just done
• 15 minutes for well done.

Rest the Duck for a few minutes. Don’t waste the flavor-packed juices, you can add them to the sauce if you want.

How To Use:

1. Slice your duck diagonally into five pieces if you wish (you can guide yourself if you score the skin diagonally before cooking).
2. Add the vegetables to the plate.
3. Serve with sauce on the side or in a small jug for guests to serve how they wish.
4. I always look at this on the plate and think it needs something green, but actually it doesn’t. It’s the glorious colors of autumn, have confidence in it! 
5. Maybe serve with flavored herb Salts infused with fresh herbs and a drop of essential oil. I’m salivating because I'm thinking of the Rosemary-infused Oak Smoked Salt I made for mine. Nom! 

Recommended Wine Pairing:

There is no need for debate here, Beaujolais red wine is the perfect choice to pair with Duck and Blackcurrants.  With notes of both red fruits and blackcurrant, it complements the whole theme beautifully and will hold its own against the Thyme and Star Anise essential oils.

Other options include Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, and a gorgeous silky Merlot. 

Dessert Course - Baked Fig & Salted Honey Cheesecake

Serve 9 small squares - you could make two and cut them bigger if you think your guests will want more! Or just serve it with extra fruit and some ice cream. 

This is loosely inspired by the Honey Fig Cheesecake Bars by Marc at Bake To The Roots, but what had originally caught my eye was this Salted Honey And Fig cheesecake from Sarah and Lou from House In The Hills. It wasn’t until I landed on it that I realized it was a vegan recipe which is great, but not the ease I wanted for my Scent Dinner fare.

Remember that Fruity/Lactonic course from Bodha? THAT was my aim here. This is my version, using beautifully fragrant essential oil for that added sensuous element to ignite your sense and your joy! I also want that Salty aspect, so either use Salted butter or pop some Salt in the cheesecake filling or the honey. 

You need to make this the day before so you can refrigerate it overnight, perfect for an easy finish for your Scent Dinner and more time with your guests. 

Essential Oils Of The Course:

• Cardamom Essential Oil (Elettaria Cardamomum)

You Will Need:

• 9-inch square cake or roasting tin
• Large freezer bag and rolling pin
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowls
• Saucepan
• Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

For The Biscuit Base:

• 7 oz of  Lu Le Petite Biscotte Cinnamon Biscuits or Biscoff type biscuits
• 1/4 cup of butter, melted (I like Salted butter)

For The Cheesecake Filling:

• 21 oz of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 3.5 oz of runny honey - the darker the better
• 1 tsp of good-quality vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 - 6 drops of Cardamom Essential Oil (Elettaria Cardamomum)

For The cheesecake Topping:

• 5-6 fresh figs, sliced
• 2 tbsp pistachios, chopped
• some honey for drizzling
• Sea salt
• 2-3 drops of Cardamom Essential Oil (Elettaria Cardamomum)

Safety:

• Check none of your guests have a nut allergy. 

Method:

1. Get ahead and preheat your oven to 325°F.
2. Then line a 9-inch square baking pan with baking parchment and set aside until needed

Cheesecake Base

1. Pop the cookies in the freezer bag and crush the life out of them with a rolling pin. Keep working out your woes on the cookies until you have evenly fine crumbs. Did you enjoy that?
2. Over low to medium heat set a pan to warm and melt the butter. 
3. Add your cookie crumbs and stir well to coat the crumbs in the butter.
4. Pour the butter-soaked crumbs into the lined baking tin.
5. Flatten it by pressing it down with the back of a spoon.
6. If you want a nice even layer of crumbs, take the time to do it neatly as it will show once cut. 

Cheesecake Filling

1. Tip the Cream cheese into a bowl and mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, honey, and 4 -6 drops of cardamom essential oil.
2. Then add an egg, mix well, and add the other egg until well combined and homogenous.
3. Carefully pour the filling onto the leavened cookie base and give it a firm knock on the counter to remove any excess air. 

Baking The Cheesecake

1. Pop it into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Check it at 35 minutes for set edges but a ‘just set’ center, that retains a little wobble when you shake the pan. 
2. Remove from the oven place the tin on a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
3. Now we want to firm things up beautifully, so let's pop it in the fridge overnight. (Or at least 5 hours).

Decorating The cheesecake

1. Place a couple of tbsp of honey in a small pan and heat until loosely fluid and then remove from the heat, wait a couple of minutes, and add 2-3 drops of Cardamom essential oil diluted in ½ tsp of apple cider vinegar and a generous pinch of salt.
2. Using a very sharp knife, slice the figs thinly and evenly and place them on top of the cheesecake filling. 
3. Crush a handful of pistachios under a rolling pin and scatter over the surface of the cheesecake.
4. Drizzle generously in the delicious cardamom-infused runny honey

How To Use:

1. Cut into nine even squares and serve on a plate with more drizzled honey. 
2. If you want to make it a larger dessert, add a fresh fig quartered to each plate scatter more pistachios on the plate, and maybe even add a scoop of complimentary Ice- cream.

Recommended Wine Pairing:

I’d always go for a Muscat or a dessert wine that will enhance the flavor of the figs. But I see a good deal of recommendations for serving Tawny Port with Figs, so maybe try that. Remember though, that there is another course to go! 

Cheese Course

By the time your guests get to this point, they are going to be well-fed and in need of a little more to eat. While you could serve a traditional cheese board, you could get more inventive. 

All you really need for a good cheese course is some well-chosen cheeses, crisp crackers, and a scattering of grapes, apples, or pear slices. Yet, you can take things a step further and create small bites of cheese, in the same way you make a canapé.

Cream cheese or whipped goat cheese are very easy to add essential oils to. Simply add chopped herbs, seasoning, and a couple of drops of essential oils diluted in a little olive oil. Boursin stirred through with a few drops of diluted lemongrass essential oil is a thing to behold! Lemony, grassy, garlicky, and Creamy deliciousness. 

Take it to another level by shaping cheese into a ball around a grape and rolling it in nuts for extra crunch and texture. Like these from Grape Stuffed Goat Cheese Appetizers by Shelby at Honey B’s Kitchen. She drizzles them in honey, so we could add essential oils into the honey in the same way as the Fig cheesecake recipe above. (Step 15)

You can use essential oils to flavor butter alongside herbs which can add a wonderful dimension depending on the type of cheeses you are serving. 

I’ve just eaten a beautifully aged piece of Red Leicester as part of a homemade Ploughman’s lunch. I’d dressed my salad in homemade infused lemon oil and it paired beautifully, with the right amount of acidity to cut through the richness of the cheese. There’s no rule to say you cannot smother a piece of cheese in a beautiful dressing.

A Final Offering

I couldn’t mention this incredible cheese-based course from Stuart Ralston on Great British Chefs - Alp blossom cheese, Onion, quince. He serves it as a starter but you could always throw the rulebook out the window and serve this complemented with Rose Geranium essential oil in the garnish for a cheese course.

Sharing cheese Board With Essential Oils 

You Will Need:

1. Cheese boards
2. Cheese knives
3. Butter knives
4. Side plates
5. Ramekins or small bowls
6. Small butter dishes

Ingredients:

• Selection of cheeses Allow 40 - 80g of cheese per person. 
• Selection of crackers 
• Selection of fruit - grapes, sliced apples or pears, blueberries, blackberries, figs, and pomegranate pieces. 
• Selection of nuts
• Olives
• Butter
• Selection of fresh herbs and corresponding essential oils, oregano, basil, and thyme are perfect
• Runny honey
• honeycomb

Safety:

• Check your guests don’t have a nut allergy. 

Method:

You need to consider your seating arrangement when planning this course. If you have one board in the middle of the table, will everyone be able to reach it without stretching? Would it be better to serve one board between two people sitting next to one another? 

Personally, I prefer the latter. If people have to stretch over the table they are less likely to, and you could be left with a lot of cheese still on the board. Leaving guests to their own devices with a cheese board and not being too quick to clear it away, usually results in empty boards and happy guests.

Flavoring Your honey

1. Heat your runny honey over low heat, until it is lovely and fluid. Don’t let it boil, it does not need to be that hot. 
2. Take it off the heat as soon as the fluidity changes allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then stir in a couple of drops of your essential oils. 
3. Taste, add a little more if necessary.
4. Serve in small individual jugs - this allows you to create different flavors for guests to choose from. 

Flavoring Your Butter

1. Soften your butter, so you can mix it.
2. Dilute a drop or two of essential oil into a tsp of olive oil and mix to combine.
3. Chop your herbs finely and put them into the bowl with the butter.
4. Season and add the diluted essential oils.
5. Mix thoroughly, shape into pats, and pop onto butter plates. 
6. If you are making a large amount of butter, use a handheld mixer for ease.
7. To shape large amounts of butter, lay a sheet or Saran wrap on the counter and place a small piece of parchment paper over the top.
8. Decant the herbed butter from the bowl onto the parchment paper and form a sausage about 1.5” thick.
9. Roll up the paper around the butter, cut any excess paper off the two ends, and roll the saran wrap tightly around the parcel of butter.
10. Pop in the freezer for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
11. Unwrap and cut the frozen butter into 1cm thick coins. 
12. Lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until 30 minutes before being needed.
13. Take them out of the fridge allowing the butter coins to soften a little before serving. 

Arranging Your Cheese Board

1. First, pop your honeycomb into a pot and place that at the center of the board 
2. Arrange 4-5 cheeses from mildest to strongest around the board along with the crackers. Allow 40 - 100g of cheese per person. 
3. Add wheels of unflavoured and flavored butter around the board.
4. Fill in any gaps with fruit, nuts, and olives.
5. Some people like extra chutneys or pickles, add those if you wish. 

How To Use:

1. Serve as one board or one board between two guests.
2. Guests will need a side plate, a butter knife, and a teaspoon for honey. Provide an extra napkin as they will be eating with their fingers and honey is sticky, so consider providing a small finger bowl. 

Recommended Wine Pairing:

This really depends on what cheeses you serve but I found this incredible guide The Serious Eats Cheese and Wine Pairing Cheat Sheet. It has everything you need to help you make a decision on the best wine possible. 

Scentscape Pairings For The Courses

Appetiser Course - Recommended Oil Blend

This essential oil and fragrance oil blend is evocative of the Sorrento coast in Italy, bursting with juicy Lemons and the gorgeous fresh seafood the coast has to offer.  

It is bright and fresh, like restorative ocean air. 

Makes 10 ml of undiluted Essential Oils & Fragrance Oils

• 5 ml of Lemon Essential Oil (Citrus limon L (Burm.) F. )
• 5 ml of NO. 56 - Ocean Rain Fragrance Oil

Simply combine together and decant into a CLEARLY labeled bottle. 

Use this blend to make room sprays, reed diffusers, wax melts, scented candles or to scentscape your dining room. 

Safety:

• This is a supporting essential oil blend, for layering your room for your Scent Dinner. It is not designed to be used in food. DO NOT ADD IT TO YOUR FOOD RECIPE!
• Do not use in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy
• Not for topical use
• Dilute appropriately before use. 

Fish Course - Recommended Oil Blend

This essential oil and fragrance oil blend bursts with the refreshing scent of Lemongrass and the warm spicy deliciousness of Ginger. 

It perfectly complements this course and makes a wonderful transition from the appetizer course, carrying through the citrus theme. It also starts the spice theme that will be used through the next two courses and ties them together beautifully.

Again, this is lovely and lively and perfect for a convivial atmosphere full of laughs and friendly banter. 

Makes 10 ml of Undiluted Essential Oils & Fragrance Oils

• 5 ml of Lemongrass Essential Oil (Cymbopogon flexuosus)
• 5 ml of NO. 1405 - Inspired by: Lemongrass & Ginger by Nest Fragrance Oil

Simply combine together and decant into a CLEARLY labeled bottle. 

Use this blend to make room sprays, reed diffusers, wax melts, scented candles or to scentscape your Scent Dinner dining room. 

Safety:

• This is a supporting Essential Oil Blend, for layering your room for your Scent Dinner. It is not designed to be used in food. DO NOT ADD IT TO YOUR FOOD RECIPE!
• Do not use in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy
• Not for topical use
• Dilute appropriately before use. 

Entree Course - Recommended Oil Blend

This essential oil and fragrance oil blend is rich with Blackcurrant and Roses with the NO. 1201, the Star Anise brings a spicy element and the Thyme uplifts the whole profile adding a herbaceous green edge. 

Both essential oils bring soothing digestive actions to help your guests digest this rather rich course. They also have rousing qualities to keep your guests stimulated and engaged. 

Makes 10 ml of Undiluted Essential Oils & Fragrance Oils

• 8 ml NO. 1201 - Inspired by: Baies by Diptyque Fragrance Oil 
• 30 drops of Thyme Essential Oil (Thymus vulgaris)
• 10 drops of Star Anise Essential Oil (Illicium verum)

Simply combine together and decant into a CLEARLY labeled bottle. 

Use this blend to make room sprays, reed diffusers, wax melts, scented candles or to scentscape your Scent Dinner dining room. 

Safety:

• This is a supporting Essential Oil Blend, for layering your room for your Scent Dinner. It is not designed to be used in food. DO NOT ADD IT TO YOUR FOOD RECIPE!
• Do not use in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy
• Not for topical use
• Dilute appropriately before use. 

Dessert Course - Recommended Oil Blend

This essential oil and fragrance oil blend is rich in Fig notes. It is a rhapsody of the Fig Tree from leaf to root with NO. 1206.

Lightened with mood-uplifting Sweet Orange to keep your guests refreshed and convivial. Comforting and cosseting warmth comes from the orange tones of Cardamom. 

It starts to wind your guests down a little but still keeps the conversation, laughter and energy going. Orange is great at getting people to open up and engage. 

Makes 10 ml of Undiluted Essential Oils & Fragrance Oils

• 40 drops of Cardamom Essential Oil (Elettaria Cardamomum)
• 60 drops of Sweet Orange Essential Oil (Citrus sinensis L)
• 5 ml of NO. 1206 - Inspired by: Philosykos by Diptyque 

Simply combine and decant into a CLEARLY labeled bottle. 

Use this blend to make room sprays, reed diffusers, wax melts, scented candles or to scentscape your Scent Dinner dining room. 

Safety:

• This is a supporting Essential Oil Blend, for layering your room for your Scent Dinner. It is not designed to be used in food. DO NOT ADD IT TO YOUR FOOD RECIPE!
• Do not use in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy
• Not for topical use
• Dilute appropriately before use. 

Cheese Course - Recommended Oil Blend

This essential oil and fragrance oil blend is a wonderfully relaxing finale to your Scent Dinner.

I have laced it full of beautifully complex and sophisticated aromas for your guests to sink back into and wholly relax. I’ve added some Mandarin for a bit of uplift to keep the energy and conversation moving along.

Send them home on a high with this truly beautiful oil blend.  I’m sighing in utter delight at just the thought of it. 

Makes 10 ml of Undiluted Essential Oils & Fragrance Oils

• 5 ml of Mandarin Essential Oil (Citrus reticulata)
• 2 ml of NO. 1200 - Inspired by: Ambre by Diptyque Fragrance Oil
• 3 ml of NO. 74 - Mystic Oud Fragrance Oil

Simply combine together and decant into a CLEARLY labeled bottle.

Use this blend to make room sprays, reed diffusers, wax melts, scented candles or to scentscape your Scent Dinner dining room. 

Safety:

• This is a supporting Essential Oil Blend, for layering your room for your Scent Dinner. It is not designed to be used in food. DO NOT ADD IT TO YOUR FOOD RECIPE!
• Do not use in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy
• Not for topical use
• Dilute appropriately before use. 

Pairing Essential Oils and Wine

Since we have taken a closer look at matching essential oils with food for your scent dinner, let's now explore how to match essential oils with different types of wine.

First of all, let’s get this question out of the way…

‘Can I Put Essential Oil In My Wine’?

I wouldn’t.

Generally, the alcohol content in wine is not high enough to dilute your essential oils properly. They tend to float on the surface in an oily slick.

The only way I would recommend using essential oils in your wine for your Scent Dinner would be to dilute a couple of drops into a tsp of high-strength vodka. That would be enough for an entire bottle of wine.  

Try it first before you spoil your nice bottle though because the taste of the vodka and the oil will alter the wine’s character.

Other than that, consider the answer to this question as a resounding ‘NO’!

Match The Nose and Taste of Your Wine to Your Essential Oil

It is well worth taking your scent dinner menu and the chosen essential oils to a good vintner or wine merchant. They will be only too happy to help you select wines for such an interesting dinner party. Let them guide you on the best choices of wine for your scent dinner.

If you don’t have a good local vintner and are having to wing it alone, let me guide you a little.

• Consider how all three elements of your scent dinner will work together in terms of scent, are they complementary? 
• Will the aroma of the essential oil complement the taste of the food and the wine together?
• What aromatic notes can you pick up in the wine that are echoed in your scent dinner menu or in the essential oil? Fruity, lemony, floral, zesty, herby, spicy, oaky, smoky, mineralic. What do you detect?
• Write a list of descriptive words for each course of your scent dinner menu to help you select a wine with those qualities. For instance, the appetizer course is clean, fresh, uplifting, creamy and decadent. Does that sound like a rather delicious Champagne to you? It does to me.  

Red Wines And Essential Oils

Red wines are produced with red grapes, hence the sumptuous deep red colors of the final product. Red wines are powerful, warm, full-bodied, and rich and you would usually serve them at room temperature or just a tad cooler. You don’t need to chill red wine, you want to retain that aspect of warmth. 

Red wines don’t have the light fruity aspect of white wines, which tend to be full of citrus notes. They are usually brimming with darker berry notes, like Strawberry, Blackberry, and Cherry.

Some red wines are lighter than others and some are heavier, and this is really useful to consider when choosing essential oils to pair with them for your scent dinner.

Red Wines and Recommended Essential Oils
Light Red Wine	Medium Red Wine	Full Red Wine
Pinot Noir	Zinfandel	Cabernet Sauvignon
Lambrusco	Merlot	Shiraz
Grenache	Tempranillo	Malbec
These wines are lighter and tend to have lighter fruit notes like Strawberry and Redcurrant. They tend to have delicately spiced aromas.	Medium wines are fuller and more rounded and tend to have darker fruit notes like Cherry and Blackcurrant. These wines often have slightly resinous undertones	Full wines are full-bodied, strong, and very rich. They tend to have very dark fruit notes like Fig and Blackberry along with strong spice notes and even wisps of incense.
Essential Oils For Light Red Wine	Essential Oils For Medium Red Wine	Essential Oils For Full Red Wine
Plump for light herbs and spices to match the lightness of the wine. Try Sweet Basil or Coriander, you could even go in with a light floral like Chamomile or Helichrysum.	We can plump for strong herbs here like Thyme or Rosemary. It would even stand up to the floral of Neroli or Rose and the spice of Cardamom.	This is where we can choose deep, rich essential oils like woods, spices and heady florals like Jasmine. Sandalwood, Amyris and Ginger would all work beautifully.

Rosé Wines And Essential Oils

No… rosé wine is not a mixture of red and white wines mixed together. 

Rosé wine is generally lighter in color because of the winemaking technique employed. Surprisingly, they use just the same grapes as they do to make red wine, they are just exposed to a shorter maceration process.

Like red wine, rosé comes in different hues, strengths, and qualities and the wine itself can be anything from a light apricot color to the color of brick. Naturally, differences in color, mean differences in flavor too. 

Often, people will chill Rosé wine but some are best enjoyed at room temperature. Follow the advice of your vintner for the best results for your Scent Dinner. (Or Google it)!

Rosé Wines and Recommended Essential Oils
Light Through to Dark Rosé Wines
Rosé wine from Provence	Pinot Noir	White Zinfandel	Cabernet Sauvignon	Montepulciano
Pale pink color	Slightly pinker	Bright pink	Darker Pink	Bright ruby
Pale, delicate, dry, and bright	Bright, acidic, and often earthy	Delicious, bright, zingy and sweet	Complex, rounded, and tangy	Aromatic, medium-bodied, rich and spicy
Notes of green herbs, florals, apricots, watermelon, and grapefruit	Less floral and herb notes, but often notes of juicy melon and plump strawberries	Notes of tropical fruits like pineapple and papaya	Wide range of notes from light citrus zings of lemon through to dark and smokey tobacco and leather aromas.	Filled with Christmas-like notes of mulled spice, candied fruit, and sultanas
Recommended Essential Oils For Rosé Wines
Lemon Grapefruit Tangerine Sweet Basil	Coriander Lavender Chamomile Lemon-Eucalyptus	Lemongrass Neroli Cardamom Tarragon	Bay Rose Patchouli Geranium	Vanilla Amyris Cinnamon Ginger

White Wines And Essential Oils

White wines, guess what, are made from white grapes. Who knew? 🙂

Generally, they come from one of the ‘BIG FOUR’ grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. There are however hundreds of different grape varieties used for white wine across the world. 

White wine tends to be more acidic than red wine, as the grapes are picked earlier in the year before the sugar starts to convert in the grapes.  They are produced to preserve the acidity of the wine, over say, creating flavor in oak barrels. Though some white wines admittedly are ‘oaked’.

White wines are refreshing and zingy with citrus notes and tree fruits, like apples, pears, and apricots. 

It is a little harder to place white wines into similar categories as we can with red and rosé wines. Given there are so many varieties, regions, and permutations. But let's give it a shot and identify some for your luscious scent dinner!

White Wines and Recommended Essential Oils
Light White Wine	Medium White Wine	Full White Wine
Riesling	Gruner Veltliner	Viognier
Semillon	Pinot Gris	Marsanne
Sauvignon Blanc	Chenin Blanc	Oaked Chardonnay
Fresh and clean wines that are lighter in both alcohol and weight. Very easy to quaff!	The category that most white wines belong to. Well balanced in tannin and alcohol content.	Wonderfully rich in both alcohol or tannin, often both. Lusciously deep fruity aspects.
Essential Oils For Light White Wine	Essential Oils For Medium White Wine	Essential Oils For Full White Wine
Think super light and fresh, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, and zingy citrus like lemon, lime, and grapefruit.	Orange citrus notes like mandarin, sweet orange, and tangerine are perfect here. Plump for green herbs like basil, thyme, and bay	Go richer in oils with hefty herbs like tarragon and hyssop. If your wine is oaked, add in woody notes with Amyris and the buttery tones of palo santo.

A Last Thought On Pairing Wines & Essential Oils For A Scent Dinner

Try, try, try!

It is all very good, looking at it all on paper, and figuring it will work. Try it! It is worth spending a little bit extra to identify a possible ‘big mistake’ than to serve it and hope for the best. And regret it. 

Use your nose, taste the wine, and while you might not want to make all the food just to try a wine, at least take an important aspect of that meal with you to try. It will help you make much better, and more successful choices for your Scent Dinner. 

Parting Gift From Your Scent Dinner

To thank your guests for taking part in your Scent Dinner experience why not provide them with a parting gift? It will provide them with a fragrant reminder of your fabulous meal!

As recommended earlier if you have time on your side, consider creating a Signature Scent. 

It could be something as simple as an essential oil roll-on that they can use as a mood-boosting perfume. Go a step further and turn that into a Body Mist or Room Spray.

A Scented Candle or Wax Melt is an evocative reminder of your evening. If you are making them for your dinner anyway, make a few extra as gifts. Reed Diffusers are also an easy and well-received gift idea.

Our blog is stuffed with ideas for making gifts, start at Unlock the Power of Aromatherapy: 100 Ways to Use Essential Oils for any easy list full of links to exciting recipes.  

The Final World On Scent Dinners

I have very much enjoyed developing these recipes for your Scent Dinner.  Thank you to some of the original scent dinner pioneers and blog contributors for their inspiration, which allowed me to adapt their recipes and ideas. 

I hope that the two articles have inspired you to hold your own scent dinner, or even just to experiment with using essential oils in your own cooking. It is such a joyous experience to share with others, I can’t recommend them enough. 

Safety First

I’d really love you to be confident enough to create your own recipes. However, always be sure you are using essential oils safely. Still a bit unsure? These articles light the way for you.

• Unlock Flavorful Wonders: A Beginner's Guide to Cooking with Essential Oils
• Aromatic Fusion: Elevate Your Recipes with Essential Oils. 

Turn Your Dining Room Into A Fragrant Heaven

Take advantage of Layering Perfumes With Essential Oils - The Home Edition.

Explore how to use essential oil to layer the fragrance through your room and scentscape your dining room. You can do this in so many ways like by scenting your table linen and even using a homemade fragrant carpet refresher powder to scent your carpet! 

Harness the fragrant power of Scented Candles, Wax Melts, and Reed Diffusers. Always make them on the subtle side, the last thing you want to do is give your guests a headache. 

Use carefully selected essential oils to:

• Uplift your guests with citrus essential oils like Lemon and Mandarin. 
• Invigorate them with herbal essential oils like Thyme and Rosemary. 
• Raise the heat and warm things up with spicy essential oils like Black Pepper and Cardamom. 
• Learn to balance beautiful floral essential oils through your Scent Dinner to soothe and cosset your guest 
• Add their fragrant and flavorful qualities to your food and drink. 

Look out for Part Three where we will concentrate on how to create the right ambience for your Scent Dinner. 

Sumptuous Recipes

Sit down to our wonderfully fragrant and delicious Scent Dinner. Start with an interesting and wonderfully refreshing Pea and King Crab Panna Cotta, laced with lemon essential oil.

Enjoy a fish course of Ginger & Lemongrass Fish Skewers, choose your favorite fish, and warm it up with a little spice from the Ginger essential oil and fragrant gorgeousness from the Lemongrass oil. 

Bring autumn home and serve the Roasted Duck in Blackcurrant Sauce with Roasted Root Veg and chestnuts, it’s the best of the season on the plate. Add to the experience with thyme and star anise essential oils. It’s one of my favorite meals. 

Make life easy prepare the dessert the day before and finish it just before serving. This Baked Fig and Salted Honey Cheesecake, laced with cardamom essential oil, allows you to enjoy more time with your guests.

Again, go for an easy final cheese course and serve a shared cheese board. Choose essential oil to match your herbs and run them through soft cheese or butter. Use essential oils to create exquisitely flavored honey drizzles for a unique and interactive experience. 

Whatever you choose to serve for your own scent dinner, just make sure you are doing it safely,  and that the essential oils are actually enhancing the flavor and experience of the food. Remember to check out Part Three, where we focus on how to scentscape and create an ambiance.