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Amuse Bouche

Amuse Bouche  def: \a-‘myuz bush\ [Fr. amuse the mouth] a little bite to amuse the mouth and invigorate the palate.

Drive slowly up Avenue U, past Kings Plaza, and you may notice a small shack on the edge of Mill Basin.  You’d probably miss it, but there’s a long line of people assembled on the sidewalk out front.  This is Dolly’s Italian Ices, simply the best place for homemade Italian ices in Brooklyn.  Or maybe even anywhere else.  The canopied sign lists a myriad of tempting flavors, including novel offerings such as Peanut Butter and Jelly, Rainbow Cookie, Apple Crumb, Banana Walnut Chip, Cannoli, and Jelly Ring. There’s also a bounty of fruit flavors that are studded with real fruit morsels. Be careful, you may still be perusing the menu when it’s your turn to place an order. Two scoops – or three or four – are served in a small white paper cup that squashes up just right so you can slurp the last melted drops. When visiting family in the summer, I always take the time to stop at Dolly’s and savor a cup of their icy smooth ambrosia. Their creative flavor combinations help me experience a true moment of amuse bouche.

Some fragrances provide the olfactory equivalent of palatal surprise. Their originality, and a touch of the unexpected, awakens the senses. Here are a few that come to mind, along with their scent notes:

Thierry Mugler WomanityCitrus, Woods, Fig, and Caviar

Etat Libre d’Orange Encens et BubblegumRaspberry, Peach, Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, Vanilla, Musk and Incense.

L’Artisan Piment Brulant Red Pepper, Chocolate, Vanilla, Cloves, Poppy, and Musk

Serge Lutens Jeux de PeauBread, Spices, Licorice, Apricot, Immortelle, Sandalwood, Woods and Amber

Hilde Soliani  SaaliiisssiimoRice, Licorice, and Saffron