2 Teaspoons castor oil

1 To 2 tablespoons each a.H. Peppermint and sage

Put the meal, beans, or lentils and the castor oil in a small bowl; add the hydrosol drop by drop until a thick paste is reached. Don’t make it too wet. Let stand 10 minutes to swell, and add a little more hydrolate if it is too dry. Soak feet in warm water, then massage the paste in, paying particular attention to the heels and calluses. Wrap your paste-covered feet in plastic bags and lie down with legs elevated for 15 minutes, then rinse off in cool to cold water. Both sage and peppermint have odor-reducing properties and improve circulation while softening skin; castor oil works better than anything on calluses.

SIMPLE SCRUB SOAP

This is an easy cheat that is fun to make and use, good for the “dogs” and hard-working hands.

2 Bars (125 gm each) good-quality pure-olive-oil soap*2

50 Ml a.H. Lavender, rose, geranium, chamomile, or whatever is appropriate

1 Small loofah sponge

Grate the soap on the fine side of a grater, the side you use for Parmesan cheese or chocolate. The finer you grate it, the better your finished soap will be. Place in a heavy-bottom saucepan, add the hydrosol, and heat over a low flame. Meanwhile, use a serrated knife to slice the loofah crosswise into one-half-inch-thick pieces. The loofah must be dry or you won’t be able to cut it. Line an eight-inch-square baking dish with plastic wrap so that it hangs over at both ends and cover with the loofah slices, fitting them in as snugly as possible. Stir the soap mixture until all the soap is melted; you may add essential oils at this point if desired. Pour the liquid soap over the loofah slices and cover the dish with a heavy board to keep it clean while it sets, which may take a day or more. Turn out onto a board and cut into pieces so that each soap contains one slice of loofah.

In the kitchen

Some of the recipes in this section have been reprinted, with permission, from the two books by Maria M. Kettenring, Aromakuche. If you can read German, order them today; they are the best aromatherapy cookbooks in the world. For now you may find the first one, published in 1994 by Joy Verlag, of more use, as it comes packaged with a beautiful wall chart, “The ABC of Aromakuche,” listing herbs by their Latin names (fortunately these are universally understood) and suggesting appropriate types of recipes where the essential oils and hydrolates can be used. For instance, lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), both essential oil and hydrosol, is good in soups, appetizers and sorbets, salads, vegetables (particularly steamed), tofu, dips and condiments, Asian recipes such as stir-frys and curries, fish dishes, desserts, and beverages.

Hydrosols in the kitchen are a boon for the vegan, vegetarian, and meat eater alike; all you need is a love of food to enjoy their benefits. I no longer have the time to make stocks to keep on hand; I use hydrosols instead—in everything from sauces, soups, and gravies to main courses and desserts. I am providing only a limited number of recipes, as ideas; Maria’s books are more complete than anything I can attempt. However, if nothing else, I hope you will get the idea that aromatherapy is as at home in the kitchen as it is in the clinic, and good nutrition is, after all, part of our well-being.

Soups

BASIC STOCK

Use 100 ml of hydrosol for every 2 liters of water when making stock. This assumes that you will be cooking your ingredients for one hour or more, whether your dish is vegetable or meat based. With fish stocks, which are usually cooked for only 15 to 20 minutes, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of hydrosol per 2 liters of water in the pot.

Soups being made without a “stock” as a base will be greatly improved by the addition of 1 to 2 tablespoons of hydrosol per liter of soup. The classic kitchen herbs, thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano, bay, dill, and basil, all produce hydrosols that will give your soup the same depth of flavor that a stock would normally supply. Others, such as melissa, clary sage, coriander, and cardamom, are also worth trying. As a vegetarian for twelve years, I was always frustrated that no amount of miso or vegetables could give my soups the complexity of flavor I like. Now, even though I eat organic meat, I tend to use hydrosols more often than stock or broth.

MUSHROOM SOUP

500 gm mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 garlic cloves, crushed

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper or 2 drops E.O. black pepper

750 ml water

1 tablespoon A.H. bay leaf

1 tablespoon A.H. thyme CT thymol

Rinse mushrooms and chop coarsely. If you are using exotic varieties like shiitake, remove stems and soak separately in a small bowl with the hydrosols. Melt butter and oil in a large pot; add onion and garlic, a pinch of sea salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper; cover pot and allow to steam and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat. Remove lid and stir until onion is translucent and soft but not brown. Try to prevent all the fluid that has accumulated in the pot from evaporating, as it adds flavor. Throw in the mushrooms, reduce the heat to low, and stir. All the liquid will be absorbed at first, but as you cook them the mushrooms will give it back; you can add more butter or oil if you need it. After 3 to 5 minutes, add the water and hydrosols and cover the pot. If you have soaked the mushroom stems in the hydrosols, remove them and strain the hydrosol for sand before adding to the pot. Turn the heat back up to medium for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test for flavor and adjust seasoning to taste. I partially puree this soup with a hand blender and serve it with a dollop of yogurt and lots of fresh parsley.

COLD NECTARINE-MELON SOUP

1 ripe galia or honeydew melon

4 ripe nectarines

2 teaspoons A.H. peppermint

2 drops E.O. green pepper

1 tablespoon acacia honey

Peel and deseed the melon; wash and pit the nectarines and cut into pieces. Puree the melon and nectarines with the peppermint hydrosol in a food processor until smooth. Add the green pepper oil and sweeten with honey to taste. Chill for at least 20 minutes. Serve in chilled glass bowls garnished with fresh mint leaves. (From Aromakuche.)

“CREAM” OF CARROT SOUP

5 cups water or stock

½ teaspoons sea salt

4 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 small parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 teaspoons fresh ginger juice or 1 tablespoon A.H. wild ginger

1 tablespoon A.H. cinnamon

4 drops E.O. black pepper

Bring water or stock to boiling; add salt and chopped vegetables; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then puree. Add ginger juice or hydrosol, cinnamon hydrosol, and pepper oil and check seasonings. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. (From Miriam Erlichman.)

MISO-GINGER SOUP

1 Spanish onion, diced

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

6 cups water

1 stick kombu seaweed, washed

2 stalks celery, including leaves, thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 heaped tablespoons barley or rice miso

2 tablespoons A.H. wild ginger

2 tablespoons organic tamari

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar

1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 bunch spring onions, chopped (for garnish)

Sauté Spanish onion in sesame oil until translucent and a little browned. Add one cup of the water and the kombu and simmer for 5 minutes. Add rest of the water, the cut-up vegetables, and the fresh ginger and simmer for 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except spring onion, and stir over low heat until miso is dissolved; the miso must not boil. Remove kombu, garnish with spring onions, and serve. (From Miriam Erlichman.)

Vegetables

Steaming vegetables preserves their vitamins but makes them more difficult to flavor. If you steam them, try adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of hydrosol to the steaming water or sprinkle 1 tablespoon over the cooked vegetables as soon as you take them from the pot.

“ORANGE” CARROTS

500 gm carrots (organic)

4 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons butter

2 drops E.O. sweet orange

½ tablespoon A.H. Clementine petitgrain sea salt

Organic carrots can be just scrubbed and not peeled, then cut into batons 1 inch long and ¼ inch square. Put all the ingredients except the salt into a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, add a pinch of salt, cover and cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Check periodically to make sure all the water does not evaporate and to test for doneness. There should be almost no liquid left in the pot by the time the carrots are cooked. Serve with parsley sprigs or chopped chervil.

MINTED PEAS

1 cup frozen peas

2 to 3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon A.H. peppermint

sea salt

2 teaspoons butter

Put peas, water, hydrosol, and a pinch of salt in a pot, cover, and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Check for doneness—the time will vary depending on whether the peas are petit pois or large; do not let the peas cook dry. Drain any water left over and add the butter.

This recipe is great with lamb. Frozen peas are a fact of life for many people, and this will make them taste really fresh.

AFGHANISTAN CREAMED SPINACH

1 kg fresh spinach

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

5 teaspoons organic sesame oil (not toasted)

sea salt

½ cup water

1 tablespoon A.H. cardamom

5 drops E.O. cardamom

5 drops E.O. cumin

2 egg yolks, beaten

100 ml heavy cream or crème fraîche

Wash and clean spinach, place in a pot while still wet, cover, and cook over medium heat until just wilted. Drain. Brown the onion in the sesame oil with a pinch of sea salt. Mix the water with the remaining ingredients and cook over gentle heat until thickened, stir in spinach and onion, and serve with plain boiled rice. (From Aromakuche.)

Salads

POTATO SALAD

1 kg new or any waxy, firm-textured potato (try Pink Fir Apple potatoes)

sea salt

1 tablespoon A.H. sage, bay laurel, or thyme

1 tablespoon olive oil

Freshly ground pepper or E.O. black pepper

spring onions or shallots

mayonnaise

yogurt (optional)

New potatoes should be scrubbed but the skins left on, as they contain valuable vitamins. Cut potatoes into cubes and place in a large pot with sea salt and plenty of water. Cook until just done; do not overcook, as the latent heat will continue the process after they are drained. Drain off water and immediately sprinkle the hot potatoes with the hydrosol. Place potatoes in a large bowl and stir in the olive oil and pepper; leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, finely chop the spring onions and add to bowl with enough mayonnaise or mayonnaise and yogurt to achieve a creamy texture, but do not stir so much that you break up the potato cubes. Freshly chopped chives will add color and taste, if you have them.

Choose your potatoes wisely, as many are genetically engineered.

TABBOULEH

½ cup bulgur wheat

2 teaspoons A.H. peppermint

1 teaspoon A.H. melissa or lemon verbena

sea salt

1 large bunch parsley (1½ cups chopped)

3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1 small onion or 3 spring onions, finely chopped

olive oil

fresh lemon juice or E.O. lemon

Put the bulgur in a large bowl, add the hydrosols and a pinch of sea salt, and cover completely with water. Leave to soak for 1 to 2 hours. Drain well and fluff with a fork. Mix chopped parsley, tomato, and onion into bulgur. Add olive oil to taste and plenty of fresh lemon juice. If using lemon essential oil, taste after each drop is added; it’s easy to add too much.

SALAD DRESSING

You can add hydrosols to any dressing recipe or store-bought brand. Add no more than ½ teaspoon at a time and taste after each addition.

Basic Vinaigrette