Andy Tauer's Advent Calendar, A Giveaway And Jelly Donuts

I like the idea of Advent, even if as a Jew it doesn't have the same meaning to me as for those who actually observe the season. But the concept of an expectant waiting for something joyous and wonderful is very nice and goes well with other Midwinter themes.

For me, the most wonderful thing about Hanukkah has always been my mother's jelly donuts, which were the reason I counted the days till the first or second night of the festivities, when my mom would spend the whole afternoon making them. Oil-fried foods are a big part of the holiday's tradition (to commemorate of the oil that sustained the Temple's Menorah for eight nights and eight days and what once was your shapely thighs), and nothing is better than homemade donuts. The classic version calls for jelly, but we've also experimented with dulce de leche and Nutella (the husband's favorite). If you ask me, blackcurrant jelly is best, but those who didn't grow up on a very particular way of making Hanukkah donuts would enjoy it equally filled with any not-too-sweet jelly or jam.

As my gift to you and a contribution to Andy Tauer's Advent Calendar, here is my mother's recipe:

Nina's Jelly Donuts

For the dough:

A little more than 5 cups all purpose flour

1 pack dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm milk

1 egg

2 egg yolks

4 tbs melted butter

2tbs cognac

4 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Frying:

1 bottle vegetable oil

Filling:

blackcurrant jelly/jam/confiture

powdered sugar for sprinkling- preferably vanilla sugar

How to:

1. Dissolve yeast in ¼ cup warm milk (100F degrees)

2. Mix together all dough ingredients, yeast mixture included. Add the flour one cup at a time, making sure how much of the last cup is needed. Knead together JUST until smooth and non-sticky. Don’t overdo it. Let rise for two hours, covered with a towel in a warm spot.

3. Halve the dough without much kneading, .

4. Roll out one half and flatten it until it’s less than ¼ inch thin.

5. Take an empty glass or a round cookie cutter of equal size and GENTLY mark with it circles on the dough leaf.

6. Place 1½ teaspoons of jelly in the middle of each circle.

7. Roll out the other part of the dough. Gently and carefully use it to cover the jelly-filled other half. Don’t let too much air inside.

8. Cut dough circles using the glass/cookie cutter. Make sure that the jelly is in the middle of each donut.

9. Put donuts on a flour-sprinkled baking pan, cover and let rise again for about 45 minutes.

10. Heat oil in a large (but not too deep) pan that has a cover. When it’s very hot put a few donuts in and cover for 5 seconds. Lift cover; check if the sides are already golden. If so, turn donuts and fry uncovered.

11. Fry until golden and nice, remove to a paper towel covered tray and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tips and Notes:

1. The reason you don’t want to over knead the dough is to not make it too dry and floury, which might result in donuts that won’t seal.

2. The same goes for the amount of flour in the recipe. It’s usually a little more than 5 cups, but add gradually.

3. According to my mom, adding cognac to the dough makes it absorb less oil.

4. Covering the jelly with the second part of the dough is easier than it sounds. Use both hands.

5.  My mom adds peeled chunks of carrot in the oil. They absorb the frying odor.

6. Use the best jelly you can find.

7. These donuts freeze well and are great when defrosted and microwaved for about 35 seconds each. Just be careful, the jelly is hot.

8. Gym membership not included but very much needed after a week of snacking on these donuts.

And now to the real giveaway: a Thuja root box with a full bottle of the winner's choice from Tauer Perfumes, shipped directly from Zurich. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post. The contest is open to all.
I'll announce the winner tomorrow.


Photo of Hanukkah donuts: life.com

Tauer Perfumes- Un Rose Chypree (and a giveaway)

Today's article about the woes of the perfume industry from the NY Times, The Hunt for That Genie in a Bottle, was very aptly timed, as far as I'm concerned. The big companies and industry leaders are busy soul-searching and naval-gazing, trying to understand where they went wrong (most of us actually have an answer or two, including what they can do with some of their bottled dreck). While they ponder how to win back our hearts, the independent perfumers have been doing things right for a while now.

Quoted in the article, Veronique Gabai-Pinsky, president of Aramis and the Designer Fragrance division of Estée Lauder, said: “We have to make sure what we bring to market is meaningful and relevant”. Ms. Gabai-Pinsky is right, of course, and I highly recommend that she gets herself a sample (or two or three) of Andy Tauer's work, especially his new perfume, Un Rose Chyprée, because this is exactly the kind of emotional, meaningful and luxurious fragrance so sorely missed on the shelves of mainstream stores.

Part of a new series, Mémorables, and a new concept: smaller bottles of the highest quality juice, Un Rose Chyprée is uncompromising in its intention to capture your heart and take you someplace wonderful. It's a real perfume and doesn't try to pretend otherwise. It will make you smell like you know what you're doing, the way perfumes of yore used to be.

Andy Tauer has taken one of the classic structures, the chypre (an accord built on a base of oakmoss and labdanum and topped with bergamot), and gave it a new life. Chypre lovers will be thrilled to find their old, elegant acquaintance here. But it's also a modern perfume that feels very much alive, young without being juvenile, and hopelessly romantic.

If you've smelled Tauer's Incense Rose, you're already familiar with the uplifting, radiant clementine note. Here it's the perfect accompaniment to the roses, making them appealing even to someone who rarely wears rose well (that would be me, though I've never met a Tauer rose I didn't like). Technically speaking, Un Rose Chypree is an elaborate study of rose: The absolute and the steam distilled essential oil. A 15 ml Rose chyprée bottle contains one pound of fresh rose petals. Emotionally speaking, this roses are full of beauty and longing.

An interesting aspect of Un Rose Chypree is how while the perfume opens up and develops on skin, both the juicy citrus and the opulent rose are constantly present. From the spicy heart to the distinct Tauerade base, the metaphoric brushstrokes in a rich but slightly sheer orange color, are always there.

Another wonderful trait of the perfume is its strength and tenacity. One spray scents me for the day (or evening. It's a wonderful date night fragrance). When I wear it, it's big and feminine. A tiny half a spray on my husband's skin is just as beautiful, only quiet and withdrawn, with a more pronounced oakmoss note. In both cases, it has that feeling of a real luxury item, handmade by an artist who knows and loves his craft and respects his customers. It simply doesn't get any better than this.

And now for the giveaway:
Thanks to Andy's generosity, I have two samples to give away. If you're interested, please say so in the comments. The one and only condition is that you haven't won a sample of this very perfume through any of the other blogs that offered it. The winners will be announced by the end of next week.

Un Rose Chypree($75 for 15 ml) will be available July 1st from Luckyscent.com (Scent Bar in L.A.). They currently accept pre-orders for bottles and samples. If you live in Europe you might want to order directly from tauerperfumes.com or check the site for distribution in your country. The samples and bottle I received were a gift from Andy.

Art: Rose Closeup by Declan McCullagh

Top Ten Summer Perfumes

Can there be a list of summer perfume recommendation without boring myself silly and/or mentioning Eau d'Hadrien? I'm going to try. Some of these are new(ish), others are perennial favorites. In no particular order:

1. Reverie au Jardin- Tauer
Midsummer afternoon dream. Will transport you to a magical alpine garden.

2. Amethyst- Olivier Durbano
Slightly sweetened pencil shavings, clean incense and a touch of vanilla. Surprisingly refreshing in the heat.

3. Un Matin d'Orage- Annick Goutal
Green gardenias drenched in rain without an ounce of sweetness until the musky drydown.

4. Monyette Paris *
The other side of gardenia. Tropical, sweet with a touch of nag champa incense. Put a flower in your hair and go dancing on the beach.
*I think it's the first fragrance review I've written here. It's magnificently bad, but kind of nostalgic in a campy way.

5. Nuit de Cellophane- Serge Lutens
Osmanthus flowers with a hint of apricot. Like drinking iced peach tea on a beautiful Cape May porch.

6. Italian Cypress- Tom Ford
Is it an homage to Eau d'Hadrien (so I lied. It had to be mentioned)? Maybe. But the cypress is a darker green and the feeling is more pulled together.

7. Encre Noire- Lalique
Or any other vetiver, really. I've chosen this one because it's a bit softer while still dry and grassy.

8. (Vintage) Vivara-Pucci
I'm talking about the original 60s formula. A salty chypre that belongs with the jet set in San Tropez. White pants, a Pucci scarf and oversized sunglasses are essential.

9. Bois Blond- Parfumerie Generale
A roll in dry hay on a lazy Sunday afternoon. You can smell the earth and trees baking in the sun.

10. Figuier- Heeley
Like lying in the shade of a huge, old fig tree next to a running stream.

What are your summer favorites this year?

art: Embarkation by Dan Dahlke

Effulgent- Tauer Perfumes Incense Rosé (and a giveaway!)

Part of my process when writing a perfume review is finding an image that captures it. Sometimes it's an art work, other times it's a scene from a movie (an old classic, because that's where my heart is). Unless I have a very specific idea right from the start, I google ideas, feelings, keywords until I find just the right one. Preparing to write about Incense Rosé, I didn't have to do any of that. The kaleidoscopic arabesque that's on the flyer that accompanies the bottle is perfectly evocative of this lovely scent.

Oh yes, if there was any doubt: I love Incense Rosé. A lot.

Just as much as Incense Extreme is a stark, serious with the cleanest lines and notes, Rosé is joyous and exuberant. Clementine and bergamot are not necessarily notes one would expect to find in an Andy Tauer creation. But what they do here is lend a sweet, radiating quality to the Tauerade base. They open rich and almost boozy and don't fully leave until very late into the dry-down, when the very pretty and streamlined rose takes their place, filling and illuminating the gaps between the darker, incensy parts.

As the scent develops, the familiar labdanum and ambergris that form the dry Tauerade emerge. They are spiced and prettified, making the perfume just a bit more feminine than what we're used to, though not girly or predictably femme. It's just lighter, full of joy.

The big surprise for me was deep and late into the dry-down. After the incense, labdanum, orris, cedar and ambergris calm down, I'm left with one of the most gorgeous myrrh notes I've smelled this side of Diptyque L'Eau Trois. And it lasts forever. Both in the air after I spray it and on my skin. It's still faintly there after a shower and demands serious scrubbing to make it go away.

Incense Rosé will be available at Scent Bar in L.A. and their online store Luckyscent starting March 29th. On that Saturday, Andy Tauer himself will make an appearance at the store (click the link to RSVP), to talk about his work and demonstrate some of the ingredients that go into the bottle. I met him last year at the launch of Reverie au Jardin, and can't recommend enough that if you're anywhere in the Los Angeles area, try to make it to the event. It's a rare opportunity to meet such an artist, and a lot of fun because Andy in person is as charming as he is on his blog.

I'm often asked about the best way to try and learn about niche and artisan fragrances. My advice is to start with something extra wonderful that would change the way you think about perfume. This is definitely a great place to begin.

I have a couple of samples to give away. Please leave a comment if you're interested.
Bonus entry if you can guess the reason behind the title of this post, Effulgent (obscure pop culture reference, nothing to do with perfume).

The sample I've been using, as well as the ones for the giveaway were sent to me by Andy. Samples and bottles of Incense Rosé and the entire Tauer line are available in the US from Luckyscent ($90-$100). For European distributors, please see Tauer Perfumes website.

Image: Deszö Bödi for Tauer Perfumes. To read more about the artist and this creation click here.

Journey in a Bottle: Hyacinth and a Mechanic by Tauer Perfumes

The bottle that arrived at my door a few weeks ago had no label or logo. But the inscription on the plain white box was written and signed by a familiar hand. This bottle is one of a kind, for now. Andy Tauer has created a perfume, bottled it and sent it on a journey. You can read more about it here. This fragrance, unofficially named Hyacinth and a Mechanic, isn't in production, but I hope that one day it will be.

It's not just the handwriting on the box that was recognizable. From the first sniff, just from smelling the cap, it was unmistakeably a Tauer perfume. No need to wait for the dry-down and the "Tauerade", there's something in the blend, a signature ingredient perhaps, that instantly makes it feel personal.

Because that's the thing: Andy's scents carry you away. Some of these journeys are to remote destinations. Others are to places you've been to, places within yourself.

The green opening is strong and almost overwhelming. Especially if you give it a big spray. I've played with it a little, and discovered that it's easier to wear if you start by dabbing just a little, and get acquainted with this very unusual scent. As I said, it's green. And lush. And floral, but not in a girly, ornate way. If hyacinth and lily of the valley make you think Laura Ashley, you'll have to reconsider. These flowers are wild, untamed, hiding in shady corners of a secret, half forgotten garden.

When I was about six years old we lived in a house with such a yard. The grass grew high, hiding small creatures like turtles. My parents' bedroom was on ground level, and on spring days I'd climb out and land in the soft, green, fragrant grass, eager to play, pick flowers and follow the kittens. The house was just above a ravine that went all the way down the mountain to the beach, full of fragrant plants and shrubs, including white and dark pink cistus (labdanum is made of cistus resin).

The green and floral notes in this perfume take me back there. But there's a lot more to the Mechanic than these notes. It also feels raw, almost jagged and unfinished. The oily part comes and goes, not always emerging from behind the stems that keep growing and growing.

The scent lasts forever and at times feels like it's getting stronger instead of calming down. It's very potent and full of personality. Spray too much and you'll get looks from people around you, wondering if you've just rolled down a grassy hill straight into a flower bed, crushing everything along your way. But if applied just so you get the prize: A dry-down that is reminiscent of the magnificent L'air du Désert Marocain, but where L'Air is dry and ambery, this one is infused with dew and plant nectar.

(images found randomly online and mercilessly mangled by me)

Reveries- Tauer Perfumes Reverie au Jardin

There are several variations on the theme of summer fragrance. The one that seems to be very popular lately as seen in the Estee Lauder/Tom Ford bastard child, Azuree, and in Bond's Fire Island is all about memories of sand in your bikini and SPF-less suntan lotion. It has its charm, but it's just not for me. I also stay (far) away from most scents that boast aquatic notes, as they usually remind me really cheap mall scents (or maybe it's just my Jersey imagination).

My summer love is for dark, shady greens baked in the afternoon sun, maybe with a hint of dust, earth and more than a little South European charm, as seen with both Annick Goutal's Eau d'Hadrien and the far less popular L'Eau Trois by Dipyque.

Andy Tauer's Reverie au Jardin is a gorgeous addition to the second group. It's not really Mediterranean, and the greens are less wild. Instead, the afternoon sun has warmed and enveloped a well-tended flower and herb garden. It's rich and beautiful, has the most haunting lavender note I've smelled since Gris Clair, and manages to transport you to that place and frame of mind that was Andy Tauer's original intent.

I was among the lucky ones who got to meet Andy last Saturday on his visit to NYC. There's nothing quite like listening to a great artist describing his passion, inspiration and deconstructing his work into its components, especially when said artist is very charming and funny. Andy brought with him ten samples of some of the pure notes that make Reverie. It was fascinating to sniff each one of them and examine how they all blend in the final composition. His French lavender was unlike any I've come across. I grow several types of this flower in my back yard, but a Jersey-grown French lavender smells different than the original thing.

(Insert your favorite Jersey joke here)

The lavender isn't limited to the top notes. It's there all the way through the drydown (just like in Gris Clair), where it plays well with the oakmoss, vetiver and tonka beans. I know some people who object to lavender perfumes because they remind them of their spinster Aunt Tilly. But this perfume is far removed from girdles and mothballs. It's a very unisex scent. The Blond wears it just as happily, and it has a whole new twist on his skin. He promises to write his own review soon.

On my skin it's not manly at all, and the frankincense-rose combo gives it the pretty angle. While the fragrance belongs in the clean/green category, there's much more to it. There's depth and magic there, and that special something that I find in all the other Tauers.

The sillage isn't too aggressive, which makes it very suitable for a summer day. It won't linger in the elevator long after the wearer has left. The drydown stays close to the skin for a few hours, even more when I use it apply jojoba oil first.

Reverie au Jardin, as well as the other Tauer Perfume creations can only be found at LuiLei in Brooklyn (worth the visit for the great selection of niche fragrance and skin care, as well as for the friendly service) and Scent Bar in LA. The latter is hosting the West Coast launch party of Reverie this week, where Andy will be giving his presentation. Those who cannot get to either store in person, can still order samples online.