Sniffapalooza

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 Womanity – Citrus, Woods, Fig, and Caviar

Etat Libre d’Orange Encens et Bubblegum – Raspberry, 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 Peau – Bread, Spices, Licorice, Apricot, Immortelle, Sandalwood, Woods and Amber

Hilde Soliani  Saaliiisssiimo – Rice, Licorice, and Saffron

Visiting the Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT is like stepping back in time. Formerly a turn of the 20th century Artist Colony overlooking the Lieutenant River, the museum now houses an American Impressionist gallery.

It’s also home to The Rambles, a magnificent 21 foot tall environmental sculpture. NC artist Patrick Dougherty creates his Stickwork installations worldwide. He bends, weaves, and flexes native birch saplings into architectural wonders, with the help of a team of local volunteers.

Walking up to the Welcome Desk, we spot The Rambles through windows overlooking the back lawn.  After purchasing our admission tickets, we’re immediately drawn back outside. The maze of structures beckons our exploration. Muffled sounds, filtered light, and the scent of dried wood surround us. Viewed from different vantage points, The Rambles alternately looks like huge bird nests, or Stonehenge, or a herd of grazing elephants with long trunks and floppy ears. The beauty of The Rambles evolves with time – the sculpture erodes as the seasons change, and eventually fades back into the landscape.

Here are a few fragrances that include Birch, along with their scent notes:

Miller Harris Fleurs de Bois – Galbanum, Grass, Lemon, Green Mandarin, Rosemary, Rose, Jasmine, Iris, Oak Moss, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Myrrh and Birch

Parfumerie Generale L’Eau Rare Matale – Sage, White Flowers, Bergamot, Black Matale Tea, Virginia Cedar, Chinese Cedar, Vetiver, Birch, Burnt Woods, Pepper and Musk

Serge Lutens Chene – Cedar Crystals, Wood Sap, Black Thyme, Oak, Immortelle, Beeswax, Silver Birch, Rum Absolute and Tonka Bean

Il Profumo Vetiver de Java – Lavender, Vetiver, Birch, Incense, Red Rose, Cashmere Cypress, Guaiac Wood, Oak Moss

D&G 6 L’Amoureux – Bergamot, Juniper Berry, Pink Pepper, Cardamom, Birch Leaf, Orris Root, Musks, Woods

Bois 1920 Vento di Fiori – Sicilian Lemon, Cardamom, Tarragon, Jasmine, Galbanum, Patchouli, Amber, Oak Moss, Musk, Siberian Birch