What’s Your Favorite Food or Cooking Smells?

[Panhead John]

One of the things we don’t discuss too much here is how aromas affect our enjoyment of the food and cooking process. The smells we experience in the kitchen or next to the grill definitely add to our enjoyment of the meal…..and sometimes the smell doesn’t match the enjoyment of eating it….cabbage anyone? I love cabbage, but let’s face it, it doesn’t exactly smell that great while cooking it…. But that’s the exception to the rule. Not to be Mr. Obvious but damn, to me, few things beat the smell of bacon frying in the morning! They should make an alarm clock that spits out that fragrance. I also love the smell when sautéing onions are mixed in the bacon grease!

My question to The Pit is…what are some of your favorite smells when cooking, or just the raw food itself? [cheese anyone] Also, are there any food/cooks that you love but don’t enjoy the smells of?

[realdocBBQ]

Man, turkey is just one of those smells that takes me back. And the smell of the stuffing cooking inside the turkey, you can tell when it's a stuffed turkey. Even though we don't do that anymore around here, that's my favorite, the stuffing cooked in the turkey.

Anyways. Yeah, and bacon.

[Allon]

Panhead John

Our main ingredient in cabbage and kielbasas.

[Allon]

@Panhead John

GMTA...

[Starsky]

I just made sauteed red cabbage with onions, apples with cinnamon

[Allon]

It's a cabbage weekend!

[Washblue]

Yeast rolls…

[Bkhuna]

When I was a little boy in elementary school my Grandmother was a lunch lady. We had hot lunches and the school made yeast rolls every day. Needless to say, I always seemed to end up with an extra roll.

[texastweeter]

Yes! And pumpkin pie!

[Texas Larry]

Oh, yeah, any bread baking in my oven.

[CHNeal]

That’s a great question and idea for a thread John.

Lets see,

The smell of pecan smoke is like an aphrodisiac!
Onions and garlic sautéing in butter!
Bacon- duh
Fresh bread is what I’m sure heaven smells like


I’ll just stop there because I could probably go on for an hour.

[Panhead John]

“Fresh bread is what I’m sure heaven smells like”……. Can you imagine what Richard Chrz ‘s kitchen smells like!?

[Sid P]

Other than pecan smoke this is my list.

[Allon]

@Panhead John

I mentioned somewhere if he could put that smell in an aerosol he'd make a fortune...

[gboss]

onions cooking down in butter is a top one.

[Panhead John]

+1

[Bogy]

This is what I was going to say, so now, why bother. The woman in my last church had a bazaar every year where they make "chili". The "chili" wasn't that great, but the day before they cooked the onions, then added the hamburger. Those onions just down the hall had my mouth watering all day!

[captainlee]

It's BACON

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I get grumpy when I get woke up before my alarm goes off, unless its the smell of bacon cooking that wakes me up. That makes me happy.

Also, not a specific food, but when the wind blows just right the soffit for my bonus room will get some of my pellet smoker smell wafting up and my PC desk is right next to the poorly sealed access door so I can get a comforting hint of smoked food, while I watch TV and observe my cooker data on my PC screen

[Panhead John]

Is it just me or does anyone else think other peoples’ BBQ while cooking, smells better than mine? I like the smell of mine of course, but it just seems to smell better when smoke is drifting my way from a distance.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Panhead John nah, I think that's why I like the filtered smell from the bonus room. Kinda like when someone in the neighborhood lights the fireplace

[Mosca]

Peppers, onions, and garlic sautéing.

Bacon.

Steak sizzling.

Pot roast.

[Panhead John]

If there’s one thing, besides bacon, that I love filling my house with an aroma….it’s a good pot roast!

[Jerod Broussard]

Cherry wood burning. Vanilla. Pizza, especially the pepperoni.

[Bkhuna]

Bacon,
Smoke from smoker,
Baked goods in general,
Bacon.

[Andrrr]

The first one that comes to mind, and probably my favorite, is making a batch of chicken or Turkey stock. The way it makes the house smell while simmering all day, I just love it. I have chili going right now and love that for the same reason. I have to make some stock but I’m waiting till next weekend so the smell won’t compete with today’s chili.
Onions and butter like gboss said, or the trinity.
Baking cookies, specifically chocolate chip but others are great.
Those are just the indoor smells, the outdoor smoke is obvious.

[Old Glory]

Chicken stock going for hours smells like home.

[Stuey1515]

A lot of those already listed here but the smell of toasting desiccated coconut in a pan for a Rendang is something special for me

[GolfGeezer]

Long simmering, meat and tomato based pasta sauce with meatballs and Italian sausage. Or just bacon!

[Panhead John]

I’m surprised no one’s mentioned bacon yet…..😳😉

[shify]

When we were house shopping, we visited a house where there was a pot of tomato sauce with meatballs and sausage simmering on the stove when we went to tour it. Almost put in an offer right then and there

[wrgilb]

Chicken dripping on a wood fire and I'll second the smell of home made chicken stock.