Flowers, food, and fragrance have long been powerful forms of expression—anchoring memory, shaping culture, and awakening creativity through the senses. In this episode, we explore Mastering the Art of French Cooking through a multisensory lens, where aroma is just as essential as technique. This conversation invites us to consider cooking not only as craft, but as a richly layered sensory experience—one that engages smell, taste, touch, and imagination.
Our guest is Jeffrey Paul Ames, also known as The Aromatic Gourmet—a chef and botanical perfumer whose work sits at the intersection of gastronomy and fragrance. Drawing inspiration from his Italian family’s aromatic kitchen, as well as his teaching at the Institute for Art and Olfaction, Jeffrey has developed The Aromatic Gourmet, a thoughtful class series that explores cross‑modal sensorial practices through hands‑on, in‑person sessions. Each class guides participants through an olfacto‑gustatory journey using aromatic flowers, edible flowers, hydrosols, botanical extracts, and traditional techniques such as maceration, all grounded in cultural and historical context.
In this episode, Jeffrey shares how he creates what he calls “edible perfumes” through salts, syrups, spices, and thoughtful food preparation—revealing how fragrance can transform flavor and deepen our connection to what we eat. He offers creative insights into aroma, craft, and sensory awareness, along with simple, accessible ways to bring more intention, color, and joy into everyday meals. If you’ve ever wanted to cook like a perfumer, use scent to anchor memory, or rediscover mindfulness through food, this episode is truly a feast for the senses.
Fragrances mentioned:
Bois des Îles (Excluif) - Chanel
Book discussed:
Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child
France is a Feast: The Photographic Journey of Paul and Julia Child - Alex Prud’Homme & Katie Pratt
Extra research:
The History Chicks podcast on Julia Child
Find the Aromatic Gourmet on
Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records
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