So I lost my sense of smell early in September and despaired of ever having it return. But Sunday it came back. Just like that. Saturday nothing, but there Sunday, noonish, it was. And it was wonderful: I was braising a veal loin roast with a lovely mirepoix, white vermouth, herbs d'provence, bouquet garni with extra bay leaves and several cloves of garlic when I realized from upstairs that I could not only smell the dish, I could keenly smell every one of those separate ingredients. An apple pie in the oven was giving off lovely aromas, too. I danced around the house giddy with pleasure and too relief, for there's some strange pressure at the top of one of my nostrils that still shouldn't be there and by this time I had to consider the possibility that it wouldn't come back at all.
Last night's dinner was grilled lamb shoulder chops with braised greens. I grilled the chops inside on an indoor grill. And despite the fact that I ran the strong 1500 CFM vent over the grill throughout and even for a few minutes after while the meat rested and the grill cooled down, the smell of hot sheep fat lingered in the house. And lingered. And lingered. Three hours later, especially upstairs, it seemed as strong as it had been when I grilled the chops and by the time we went to bed I was completely nauseated and rather missing my sterile little smell-less world!
It will be a loooooooong time before I feel like having lamb again.
