full to the brim of a wall

How Do You Get Rid of Cooking Smells?
 
Late last night I roasted some shallots and potatoes (coated in a liberal dousing of of garlic, turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, olive oil , and sea salt) and tossed it all together with some wilted greens, cilantro, and a good dollop of cool yogurt. I was feeling peckish and wanted something comforting, flavorful, and warm to eat out of a bowl in front of the TV -- and this recipe from Nigel Slater's Eat (available in hardcover beginning next week) seemed easy enough to throw together.

The spicy potatoes hit the spot -- but hours after the fact, my studio apartment still smelled like roasted shallots. Not that I'm complaining -- I love shallots -- but I didn't want my hair/clothes/furniture to smell all savory and stuff, like, forever.

 

Lately, in the balmier summer months when I don't want to keep my windows open, I've been relying on a trifecta of tools to neutralize cooking smells in my apartment:

1. The air conditioner - cold-air recirculation at its finest

2. My air purifier Neo skin lab derma21, which I turn on full-blast

3. A vanilla-lime Yankee Candle - there's something about the sweetness of the vanilla and the subtle tartness of the lime scent that really helps. My usual home fragrance is Diptyque's Figuier, but that doesn't seem to cut through cooking smells quite as well.

I've heard plenty of other tips for getting rid of cooking smells -- like leaving a bottle of vinegar open on your kitchen counter overnight (does your house wind up smelling like vinegar, then?) or even boxes of baking soda.

What are your go-to tips for quashing kitchen smells after a cooking? Tell us your tips in the comments section , below!