I'm Laura Stanley, host of Inside School Food.

You are listening to Heritage Radio Network broadcasting live from Bushwick, Brooklyn.

If you like this program, visit heritageradion everybody. Welcome to Radio Cherry Bomb.

I'm Claudia Wu.

And I'm Carrie Diamond. And we're the founders of

Cherrybaum, the indie magazine about women and food. Today is the first show of our new season, and we have a fascinating

guest calling in. Her name is Mandy Aftel, and she's a perfumer based in Berkeley, California.

Fessaly LaForest, writing for the New York Times, said Mandy could be considered the scent world's Alice Waters,

borrowing customs from the French in that effortless yet mindful California way. Conveniently,

Mandy lives right near Sheepinise. She didn't know fragrance was her calling. Mandy had been

working as a psychotherapist for decades when she took a perfume workshop one day and experienced

somewhat of an awakening. In addition to creating

bespoke sense for her customers, Mandy has written several books on fragrance. She co-authored a book of

fragrance and food recipes with chef Daniel Patterson called Flavor. Published in 2004, the book

explains how to use scented oils and essences when cooking at home, and it's a revelation

for those of us who have only cooked with spices or simply let the natural smell of ingredients

exist as is. Mandy has partnered with some of our favorite women in the food world, including

blue bottles Caitlin Freeman and Jenny Britton Bauer of Jenny's splendid ice creams, and she's

an advisor to the New Museum of Food. I said food and wine, but that's not true creams, and she's an advisor to the new museum of food.

I said food and wine, but that's not true, food and drink. The new museum of food and drink.

We're fortunate to have Mandy on the phone to talk about all of this and more.

Mandy, welcome to Radio Cherrybaum.

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