Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee Free Bottle : Perfume Giveaway

Giveaway: Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée spray 30ml (1oz) bottle. It is full, other than 5ml I decanted out for reviewing.

How it works: Please leave a comment answering a question "Do you like to use spices in cooking and what are your favorites?" Each participant will be assigned a number, and the winner will be selected via a random number generator. Draw is now closed, please check back later this week to see if you are the winner.

Giveaway explanation: anybody from the US or overseas can enter it as long as you answer specific questions explained in the contest rules. My policy is not to retain any full bottles from the manufacturers or PR firms. If a winner does not respond within a week, I reserve a right to randomly pick a runner up.

Comments

[Ines]

Thank you for the give-away. :)

I do like to use spices in cooking but regarding favorites... I'm still discovering so many new spices as our cuisine here is not known for using a whole lot of them so I'm experimenting. I do love curry and piment (well, anything that gives some heat to the meal).
Any suggestions of sth else I should try?

[axum]

Spices - yes! They make food sing, don't they? I like to put anise pods in curry. Cardamom in black coffee or green tea. Kulfi with extra cardamom is pretty fabulous too. Grated ginger in salad dressing (with fresh orange and sesame), or in nimbu pani. And ground chilis and cinnamon in hot chocolate sauce or fondant au chocolat. Mmm...!

[ElizabethC]

Please enter me in your drawing!

I love using spices in cooking. My favorite is cardamom! Cardamom in baking and in savory dishes. There is a small restaurant we go to that makes a lamb/apricot/cardamom type stew. It is amazing! I also use cardamom bitters in cocktails and even just with hot water, lemon and brown sugar as a type of toddy (great when you have a cold)!

[Olfactoria]

I love spices! There is hardly a dish where I won't add a little curry and cayenne pepper, I also really love ginger and lemon-grass. For sweet dishes I try to incorporate cinnamon whenever possible.

[Irina]

I love to add ginger, cardamon and cloves in unusual ways to food
lemon grass to salads too
I love cinnamon but rarely use it
all my sweet dishes are vanilla based

unsweetened chocolate sauce with chili is a treat with lean meat

please, enter me the draw, than you

[Zazie]

I use spices a lot, but not a lot of them!
Red hot ground peppers, white and black pepper: these I employ on a daily basis.
Nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamom get some use, but not much.
I don't consider ginger a spice, but that gets lots of love in my kitchen.

I am much more varied in my generous use of fragrant herbs!

[Austenfan]

I am not awfully good with the spices used in Asian cooking. I wish I were. Spices I use regularly include, of course freshly ground pepper. I buy mine from a spice shop run by a man from Sri Lanka.
Cinnamon with a lot of sweet things like deserts, and raisin bread. I use cloves ( do they count as spices?) both for savoury and sweet.
I am more knowledgeable and comfortable using herbs. I think I picked up most of my cooking skills in the South of France where herbs rule in the kitchen.

Thank you for hosting this give-away!

[rosarita]

I love to cook and now my husband is learning how to cook (after 27 yrs) as well. I like an assortment of peppers on hand, and in baking, cardomom/anise/cinnamon/ginger add flair to everything. My husband is more adventerous and less likely to follow a recipe, with varied results! He puts chilis, garlic, turmeric & peppers in everything. :) Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

[Maria]

Ginger, marjoram, origan and basil are among my favorites. I love curry but I have a problem with its strong smell after I enjoyed the meal. Tricky. And cinamon for sweets.

[Samara]

Garlic if that counts and cinnamon to make the guide smell cozy

[sara]

I would love to enter the drawing. I use curry, cumin, saffron, and ginger in cooking. I always love reading BdJ!

[Mikael]

Spices in cooking, oh yes! All kinds, it varies, but especially in the winter I love warming things up with chili/cayenne pepper. Cinnamon and vanilla are favourites in sweeter things like buns, muffins etc. And cardamom in coffee! Please do enter me in the draw.

[Agritty]

I love to use many spices. Turmeric, cardamom, curry leaves, aesofetida... Too many to count! I would love to be entered in the contest.

[Aubrey loves Perfume]

I looove cooking with spices. I'm a fan of it all, but the yellow-mix-of-curries that you can buy at the grocery store is my favorite. Or maybe ginger. And I like cumin in my food, which is strange, since I am terrified of it in perfume! Thanks for hosting the drawing!!

[GalileosDaughter]

Thank you for the giveaway!

My favorite spice would have to be star anise. But the one that I use most often would have to be good ol' black pepper.

[Safran]

My favourite of course, is saffron (Safran being the german word for it), followed by cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, all sorts of chili and galgant. I experiment a lot with spices and herbs, but not all of the experiments are successful!

Please enter me in the draw - thank you!

Cheers
Safran

[k-scott]

I love cooking with spices! Fragrant cumin and coriander are faves. I have a white chicken chili recipe that calls for aniseed, and it really makes the dish. I also love spanish smoked paprika in potato soup.

Thanks for the giveaway!

[Suzy Q]

Cumin is the most often re-purchased spice at my house. I tend to use a lot of it in the dishes that require it. Next is red pepper flakes for Italian cooking. A friend turned me on to zatar which I've been sprinkling on everything. It's great on sweet potatoes.

Honestly, I probably use herbs more than spices. I hope that doesn't disqualify me from the draw!

[Victoria]

I would recommend starting by using a blend of black pepper and other new to you spices in small quantities. Try black pepper + cardamom to flavor roast chicken (plus, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil.) Or try black pepper and a bit of allspice to marinate meat (pork esp.) Red chili peppers can also give a nice flavor, as long as you are careful about quantities.
Also, cumin, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil and lots of parsley make a great marinade for fish. In the Middle East, cumin is a common spice for fish, because it is believed to reduce the fishy odor.
In desserts, I love using cardamom. Even two pods of cardamom (remove seeds, discard the green shell and crushe them well) in a batch of shortbread give such a wonderful flavor.

[Irina]

I use a lot of garlic with my cooking. Like every other mom I believe in garlic ability to kill bacteria. For sweets and baking I use cinnamon, because cinnamon smells fabulously, like sea adventures or unknown islands.

[Victoria]

Of course not!! Anyone else should feel free to talk about their favorite flavorings--herbs or spices.

[Ina]

Hi, V.! I love using spices in cooking. My favorites are curry, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and rosemary. :)

[Isabeau]

Thank you for the give away!!

I love to put rosemary on my potatoes and them put them in the oven, gives them great taste! And I also love dill on white fish! And of course for pasta oregano and basil.

[Alexandra]

First of all, choose really good quality spices... it makes all the difference!
For me, cinnamon is the queen of spices! It always says yes! I use it everywhere I put tomato sauce to balance the sourness- instead of using sugar.
A good combination would be cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, black pepper, chilly powder and maybe if you wish to marinade a chicken add smoked paprika too...
Also, tarragon adds a very interesting taste eg in meatballs, instead of using parsley...
Spices are alchemy!

[Alice C]

I don't believe I could cook without spices. What spices do I use? Well, if garlic counts, that for sure, and oregano, cumin, ginger, basil, rosemary, paprika...It just depends on what I'm cooking!

[DRTVRMoin]

As a rabid non-cooker, my use of spices is limited to a twist of pepper and my latest discovery, bacon salt. When I do wander into the kitchen, it's to bake. It was my mother's forte and strive to reach her heights. Vanilla bean, cinnamon and all-spice are my staples, since all I bake are pecan pies.

Thanks for the draw offer.

[Elisa]

The spices I go through most quickly are cumin and coriander (I used them in both Mexican and Indian dishes). I also love cinnamon, mustard seeds, and curry paste.

[Tara]

Hi Victoria, thanks for the giveaway. I'm from an Anglo-Indian background so I love all the spices for making curry but tumeric is my favourite and it's very good for you too!

[gautami]

I use a lot of spices everyday.
Ginger in my morning cup of chai is a must.
I add cardamom and nutmeg to all milk based sweet dishes.
A lot of mint and mace along with all the regular spice mix to rice dishes like pulao and biryani.
I also usually finish dry lamb or goat dishes with garlic, cumin, and black pepper pounded together.

[mandyrandolph@live.com]

Ahhhhhh I love spices as much as I love perfume! My favorite spice is allspice I love the sweetness it brings to chicken and stews. Cardamom is intoxicating as well. My other favorite is cumin it brings warmth to soups and chicken dishes

[Isa]

Of course I love cooking with spices. Black pepper, pink pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, paprika, red pepper... And I use many herbs too.
Paprika is essential in our Spanish paella. And saffron is delicious (and very expensive) too. There is a mouth watering dessert made with chocolate cream, orange jam and saffron.

I would love to be entered in the draw. Thank you!

[Nadine]

Thank you for the give away!

I love to cook Indian Food because of the spices. My favorites are Cumin, Chilies, Tumeric and Cilantro.
Especially when you roast the spices in Ghee, the taste is really good. I also like Saffron for rice dishes, it gives a great colour as well as tast.

[Susan]

I use loads of cumin, red pepper, and chili powder. I adore saffron, if only it weren't so expensive, I think I'd put it in everything!

I'd like to learn how to use cardamom more.

I guess it's technically an herb (?) but I use basil constantly as well.

[Eric Brandon]

Oh my, I'd love to be entered!

I personally love using spices in my cooking. When I was younger, I would throw about half of the spice cabinet in my couscous, much to the dismay of my family. I love sage, cumin, red pepper, and salt. :3

[linda]

I love spices too.
Last night my house was filled with the smell of cloves, cardamon,coriander, tumeric, black mustard seeds, fennel and peppercorns, dry roasting on the stove....later to become a paste to put in an experimental dal soup.
It turned out wonderfully.
I just love the smell of Indian spices over heat.
Thanks Victoria. xo

[Brooke]

I absolutely love using spices and herbs but most tend to relate to Western European and Mexican cuisines. I love cumin, chipotle, cilantro/cardamom, and a smattering of other peppers when I am craving Mexican flavors. Rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, and white pepper are staples with pasta and meat. I have just started to realize how a little citrus (acid) can complement the spices and elevate the dish further. My next journey is discovering the spices of the east. Funny how I can wear a Lutens spice bomb and love it but I haven't tried cooking with those elements yet.

[Sean]

I love to uses spices! The one I probably use the most is red pepper.

[Jenny]

Maybe it will sound boring, but black pepper is my favorite spice. I use many, but the flavor of black pepper is so good.
Thank you for a draw! Fun question too, I loved reading everyone's responses.

[AromaX]

Using spices? Of course! Nutmeg is one that is become a kinda domestic and as common as pepper in Dutch cuisine. Another one I love to use personally are bay leaves. Very nice in soups and sauces. Red pepper, cinnamon, cardamon are my other favorites.

[Stacey]

I don't actually do the cooking in my household. My boyfriend loves it and is much better at it, but he uses all kinds of spices. Some favorites are cumin (not too much), cardamom, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme. Thanks for the giveaway!

[maureenC]

The spice that I use most in every day cooking is ginger. I like it so much, that my favorite cookie is the Gingersnap. I make it all the time.

[TheCrushedViolet]

Yes! I love to use cardamom & saffron, curry and cayenne for West African dishes (which my usually finicky mother actually requests when she visits!...and I love smoked paprika in many things, especially eggs. I've also tried fresh lavender on eggs and it's quite interesting! Oh, and please enter me in your drawing--thanks!

[angie Cox]

I love saffron rice with lightly spiced chicken using lime to marinade it. My favourite spice is cardamom ( green) which I love in coffee ,rice ,cous -cous and winter soups. I tend to use cloves , nutmeg and cinnamon in sweet dishes or cakes.I use caraway in cakes and breads.

[Susan Webster Adams]

I love using spices in cooking to give ordinary items a kick. I like cinnamon, nutmeg, cayanne, garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme... the ususal suspects.

I LOVE Atelier Cologne! The only one I haven't tried yet is Vanille Insensee. I'm sure it's fabulous.

[Casey]

I'm learning to cook, because I still live at home. My favorite spice is vanilla. Or is it not a spice? I like it in all of my desserts.

[Les]

I love spices - probably my favorite is cumin, particularly with vegetables. I love allspice with meat or fruit - so similar to cinnamon but with an unexpected twist. And plain old black pepper is surprisingly good in a glass of red wine...

[Gitcheegumee]

I don't know if liquid smoke counts as a spice, but I use it in many dishes to give a rich,subtle under current.( I even found some smoked black pepper which is quite interesting.)

Traditional spices such as clove,cinnamon,cayenne, sage,and oregano are used almost daily in my cuisine.

[Gitcheegumee]

I forgot to add flavoured extracts such as almond,vanilla and maple which are some additional "workhorses" in my spice cabinet.

[Dionne]

I'm starting to get more adventurous in my cooking as my youngest children are getting older and are more able to tolerate spicy foods -also, strangely enough, my 15yo inspires me as well, as he's very willing to experiment and has come up with some great-tasting inventions. Right now I'm more of an herb fan than spices, and am thoroughly enjoying what fresh basil, rosemary and cilantro can do to a dish. I also really enjoy Thai red and green curries, cumin and paprika. And garlic...ooh, IMO you can never have too much garlic.

[Marte]

I'm not a very good cook, but I plan to learn! Lots of excellent suggestions here :) I love the smell of cardamom, need to try it in my coffee next time.

I don't use a lot of spices, but I love cooking with garlic, chili and ginger (do they count as spices?). I also use a lot of fragrant herbs, such as coriander and basil.

[Nora]

I love using spices when I'm cooking especially oregan, basil, bay leaf, curry and garlic. As for the sweets I enjoy cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

Thanks for the giveaway.

[Kata]

Yes, yes, yes, I love spices, especially the hot and fiery ones! Those ones are not even easy to wash off and their smell lingers on my fingers:)

[kjanicki]

How can one live without spices? My favourites to use are cumin and cayenne pepper.

[dleep]

I absolutely love spices and use them in cooking all the time; cardamom, curry, cinnamon, cloves,I especially love hot and spicy. I grew up in a home where the cooking was mostly bland and when my mother turned her back I would add additional herbs and spices to whatever she was cooking.

[Tara]

Hi. I would love to be entered in the drawing.

My favorite spice is pepper. I like food with a little zip and use different types of hot pepper.

The other spice I am experimenting with is cardamon. It is really interesting in baking.

Thank you for this great opportunity.

[Violaine]

Ooohhh, Vanille incensée...please enter my name in the hat ?
I use spices in almost everything I cook; black white pink pepper, laurel in my tomato sauce, cardamom with my veggies & chicken, nutmeg & cinnamon with my apple in the oven....cloves aniseed in my rice with cane sugar...oh my do I love spices !

[Olfactorily Curious]

I've lately been experimenting with 'featuring' a spice, or a small combination of spices in each dish or meal. In addition to the usual suspects, spices and herbs, Asafoetida, Fenugreek (both seeds and leaves), the moss you featured in one of your articles: Kallu Paachi, Curry leaf, Naagasagaralu and Marathi Moggu in a rice dish.

[nicolezdeb@gmail.com]

I love to use spices, and use them liberally. I use cocoa (not strictly a spice), coriander, lemongrass, thai basil (also not a spice), clove, cumin far too often, black and white pepper...the list goes on and on.

[chrisb]

Yes, I use spices in many dishes. At the moment I am very fond of making cauliflower salad flavoured with cumin and rice pudding is not rice pudding for me without cinnamon. What I would really like is the recipe for cinnamon buns that I ate for breakfast when I was on holiday in Stockholm. They were wonderful.

[Natalia]

I cook often and use a lot of spices. Fresh ground black pepper, red pepper flakes and cayenne are some of my favorites everywhere :), as well as herbs, be it basil, oregano or parsley. Dill is a huge favorite of mine and generally sometimes I will chop a huge handful of fresh greens, mix it with a little cream/youghurt and eat it as a side dish/sauce with veggies, meats or poultry. Curry powder, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg and paprika, sometimes smoked, also run out fast in our household, as well as hawaiian salts and mustard seeds. Oh, i can go on...

[Parisa]

I adore using spices when I cook. I actually start each day with a strong black tea brewed with cardamom pods. The entire house wakes up to this fragrant beverage each and every day. Other spices I enjoy using are tumeric, cinnamon and tons of pepper - all varieties. In fact, once a month, I make chutney using Jamaican and Thai peppers, blackseed, garlic and cilantro. The scent is intoxicating and can be added to virtually any dish. I can't imagine cooking (or life) without spices.

[Kathryn]

I adore spice, in fragrance and in food. My favorites are many peppers, cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg and the related mace. I also like Chinese five spice mix. A neighbor from Madras is teaching me to toast spices for a curry mix. I also love garlic and sesame seedf but they aren't spices or are they?

[Victoria]

I guess, they would technically be flavorings or seasonings. Still, they serve many similar purposes as spices. I love those too.

[bloody frida]

I love using spices in my cooking but honestly it is my DH who does most of the cooking in our home. Pepper and ginger are two of my favorites - along with tarragon - depending of course on what we're cooking!

Thank you!

[Phanie Constanda]

I love cinnamon anywhere,from rice pudding to tomato sauce.Cinnamon mathes well with a pinch of clove
Vanilla is my second choice.It is warm and comforting but can be overwhelming and bitter if you overdo.My brother adds vanilla to some of the wines he makes
Finally I like my cocoa with a hint of chillies or red pepper

[Laura]

I use a lot of turmeric (such sunny hues!) and cinnamon , vanilla (of course ) and star anise...amongst many others.
Please enter me in the draw ! Thanks!

[Olga]

Thank you for the draw, please enter me!
You have an amazing policy -- did you ever regret the decision you made? That is, did a company ever send you a bottle that you gave away but really really wanted to keep?

Sorry, I digressed :) So, the spices. I use cinnamon and cumin when I improvise, I use dried herbs a lot in addition, I use a drop of vanilla extract in just about anything I bake. I cook different foods of the world, and I try to use authentic spices and herbs. Usual oregano in Italian dishes, Mexican oregano, chili and cumin in chilly, toasted mustard seeds, cumin, cinnamon, tamarind, etc. in vindaloo... I start with the recipe and go from there.

[Full of Grace]

The spices I use with the greatest consistency are garlic, basil, oregano, salt and vanilla and then there is ancho chile powder too that is great in my brownie recipe.
Please enter me in this yummy draw.
Thank you

[Victoria]

Olga, not really, I never did, even with this fragrance, which is very nice, by the way. I have very limited space for perfume (and an even more limited opportunity to wear it all), so I have to be reasonable. Perfume doesn't last forever.
Plus, it gives me a chance to share more with my readers, which is always satisfying.

[yassna]

There's no cooking without spices. And the king of them all is cumin. Basil is the queen. Others I use frequently: heavenly rosemary, parsley, garlic, more garlic, chives, oregano, black pepper, thyme, marjoran.

[Flora]

Wow, what a great giveaway!

I do like to use spices in cooking, especially Indian style seasonings like garam masala, turmeric and cardamom. Whenever I make rice I always throw some in, and maybe some coconut too. I love the aroma that fills the house when the rice cooker is on.

[JBird]

Black pepper, far and away!
Also: ground mustard, five spice powder, and grey salt.

I have a not-so-secret dream of a perfume that smells like onions cooking in butter.

[Elizabeth]

I experiment with adding spices to things - chili powder, ginger, clove, cinnamon - but I'm not that good at it yet. I'm not sure which spices go together, or which foods they go well with!

[azalea]

My favorite spices are anise and star anise. I love the licorice goodness. Can't imagine chicken without them.

[maggiecat]

Thank you for you giveaways!

Spices are important in cooking - they make mundane dishes sparkle! I add Herbes de provence to salads, rosemary (always! to chicken, and sea salt whenever I can to anything. Garlic is a staple in our house, and ginger tea is a favorite (perhaps to recover from all the garlic!)

[CC]

I love cooking with spices that can fit many different types of cuisines - basil, cilantro, cardamom, and standard black pepper. But of course the pepper has to be freshly cracked from peppercorns! Thank you

[Syl]

Hmmmmmm....herbs and spices! We use lots of garlic, both bottled and dried. There isn't much that I don't stick some garlic into! I figure it's good for us. We use lots of black pepper,lemon ,ginger, and cinnamon. And ridiculous amounts of vanilla. I guess we really put garlic OR vanilla OR cinnamon in something ; ). It just smells So good!
And I try to grow some herbs so there's always a good supply of basil and Italian type herbs around. Great smells!
Thanks for the draw/perfume opportunity! It sounds like a wonderful winter/spring transition scent!!!

[Ashley]

I love using spices in my cooking, especially anything that will make it spicier! Curry, red pepper, black pepper, and chili powder are among some that I use.

[Lamont]

Yes, I like to use spices in cooking. My favorites are ginger, garlic, and curry.

[Myra]

Let me begin by saying that I absolutely heart your blog. I archive all your articles in my email so that I can go back and re-read. I just wanted you to know how much I enjoy your reviews. I can't tell you how many times I must have read your article on Oud.

Anyway, back to the topic of this contest :) I absolutely enjoy spices, both in my food and in my perfume. For perfume, I keep reaching out for SL's Arabie when I want a spice fix. In food, I like to spice my tea with ginger and lemongrass and coffee with chicory and nutmeg. The coffee idea I got from a Madras coffee recipe <3. Lately, I have been into middle eastern cuisine with flavors such sumac & shawarma spices to bake chicken. It tastes divine with some tzatziki and fresh pita bread! But my all time favorite spice is garlic and cumin.

[arvi]

I adore green and black cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. And of course, curry powder.

[Dariia]

i know it may be too late, but i just could't keep silence about the theme. as for me, spices rule the course, like conductor rules the orchestra. i just can't imagine cooking without it. i love cumin for orient styled dishes, rosemary for vegetables and fish, sage for meat, vanilla for deserts, coffee and fish)) and for me, too))

[Victoria]

Thank you very much, everyone, for your inspiring answers! It was such a delight to read through them. Please check back later this week to learn if you won!

[Victoria]

Myra, thank you very much for your kind words! It is so gratifying to hear that others enjoy the posts here and that they are useful. :)