A few years ago, facing a looming midlife crisis, I introduced 'pasta night' among my friends. Every 19th of the month* - no matter what day of the week it falls on - I serve pasta with sauce for all friends who happen to have the time and desire. At a certain age, it's hardly possible to meet friends spontaneously. You have to make an appointment, because children, work, back exercises (!), elderly parents, whatever, prevent us from meeting up easily.
Where I come from, the back doors of houses are always open when someone is home. As a visitor, you just barge in, sit down on the kitchen bench, maybe help with folding laundry, and enjoy community without having to schedule an appointment in your phone, uncomplicated.
The aforementioned 'pasta night' is my adaptation of the open door. I am not a gifted cook, but a tasty pasta sauce is no problem and
frozen in large quantities. Fresh pasta from the fridge is ready in 5 minutes, so it doesn't matter if 5 or 20 people come. In my circle of friends, the date has established itself; whoever can come, comes and is welcome to bring a guest. It's a great opportunity to meet old and new people, stress-free and relaxed, without fuss. A bit like it used to be. No matter how big the group is, a loud hustle and bustle upon arrival and eating is followed by a rich, lazy, wine-soaked relaxation among nice people, right in the middle of a tightly scheduled everyday life, lovely!
So, how does she now transition from pasta night to 'L'Embruns d'Ylang' by Guerlain....
Thierry Wasser has tried to dust off Ylang-Ylang with this fragrance creation (back exercises). He wanted to give the 'retro-Chanel5-Ylang' a new context, in this case with a salty note; l'embruns means spray water from the sea.
Right from the start, Ylang shines brightly in the room, accompanied by a host of floral friends, and if it were to continue like this, the party could tip, but it doesn't. Free from any affectation, Ylang, cloves, and jasmine reveal themselves as pleasant, considerate guests who enrich the evening with their presence and fit perfectly into the group.
You understand what T. Wasser intended, because even though I personally can't smell the salt, it seems to tame and refresh the floral group. Who would have thought I would ever say this about a Ylang-clove fragrance - but this one is truly successful. The best part of the pasta evening... um, the fragrance is for me when people, with a glass of wine in hand, satisfied, full, with loosened belt buckles, chat and let the evening wind down. And just like that, 'L'Embruns d'Ylang' towards the end - with the help of patchouli and vanilla - is warm, rich, complex, wonderfully unpretentious and uncomplicated.
I thank Turandot, without whom I probably wouldn’t have given it a chance....
*Date changed by the editor :-)
I love your idea and description of the noodle experience! Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the scent; I get how you made the connection. For me, it still gives off total Grandma-Chanel5 vibes, even though I don’t always feel that way about Ylang-Ylang. Still, Midlife Noodle Trophy for you! 😊
Well, a subtle scent doesn't quite fit Venus, but it suits a cozy gathering even more. Your pasta night sounds lovely. Here's a link to my favorite regional baker, who is also a poetic soul -
https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/die-brotrebellen/arnd-erbel-und-die-sauerteigrevolution-3-5/br-fernsehen/Y3JpZDovL2JyLmRlL3ZpZGVvLzM3YzM0NWI2LTYwOTEtNGM5My1iZGNjLTg1NDQ2ODIyMDliYw
You'll like it ;-)
Only one thing will help: a comprehensive perfume noodle dining network, so you can meander through Germany on perfume trips and then stop somewhere for noodle meals. Wonderful review.
Unfortunately, the scent probably wouldn't be for me - but your noodles with sauce definitely would be!
Funny, I just applied it after my afternoon pasta and noticed your comment. I'll leave a big bowl of pasta as a trophy for the great idea in the description.
Really a great idea with the "pasta eating" and meeting people in a relaxed atmosphere!! Besides the fact that I love pasta too, I would have liked to have something like that! Now I'm tempted to start a ritual like this myself :) Thanks for the inspiration!!
The scent sounds really intriguing, I like salty... and I'm adding it to my wishlist.
For me, it's the best scent and has become my signature. It has nothing gourmand about it, and I can't relate to the association with such a mundane event, but reading what others make of it was really fun :))))
Your comment makes me smile with nostalgia. I'm feeling a bit wistful now. Beautifully written - it's amazing what words can conjure! I'll give the scent a try; it hasn't drawn me in yet, but who knows, who knows :-).
That's true, a great scent, but after spraying it a few times, I found it a bit overwhelming - usually it's the opposite for me ;) And that awesome noodle dish coming in through the back door - I remember that from back in the day, but we always made fried eggs after the shooting festivals.
But seriously: I think I’d much rather come over for noodle dinner at your place than to sniff salt notes with Thierry Wasser. No way, he should stick with his cucumber crew.
Gymnastics sounds a bit old... ;D The noodle meal sounds like a wonderful tradition. I'll keep that in mind; I'll do it that way someday. The scent, though, meh, probably just passes me by ;-)
On one hand, your noodle dish sounds absolutely like my kind of thing. If I weren't located in the far south of the country, I would definitely be one of your next guests... I’d even help with the dishes as a thank you! On the other hand, the way you transition from food to fragrance is very elegant and impressive...
Everyone in the friend group should offer a date like this. Then you could always go somewhere when you feel like it. (Well, almost always. Unfortunately, I don’t have 31 friends.) Nice comment. (What’s the abbreviation for review? Rezze?) So: Great review, hahaha :)))
I grew up in a community garden, where there was always a wild mix of young and old. We grilled like crazy, and there was always schnapps on the table. I’m happy to join, even though I’m not a fan of pasta. It only tastes good in Italy.
As for the scent, well, you can keep it.
Glad to read this, I’d love to be at the pasta night as well. Until then, I can get to know the scent - I’ve already gotten a good impression from your description! I’ll leave the trophy here, but don’t lift it (back issues)!
One should stay humble, but fried sausages with pasta and sauce would be really great! And in a wine-fueled relaxed state, I'm all in! The scent would definitely fit, because both there and with the pasta, you need the salt to make the whole composition tasty. Great insight into Frisian life!
How great! It's such a shame that you live sooooo far away, based on your name. I would really love to come over. My parents' house was always open to everyone, and if someone came by, they could just join us for a meal...
I'm hosting a gin and tonic gathering in my office instead of a pasta dinner. And for special occasions, a praline tasting (which has specific, unelaborated reasons behind it). If I ever hit a midlife crisis, I'll have to adjust accordingly (maybe a meat side with the gin or something). I'd appreciate any tips from the pasta crew!
It reminds me a bit of my neighborhood when I first moved into my own apartment. Our doors were almost always open, and when someone cooked, it was plenty for everyone. And there were often noodles :-) Great times. I still keep in close contact with one neighbor, even though we’re now separated by quite a few miles.
And yes, the scent has also proven to be a great guest for me.
Anyone can make pasta, and it always tastes good. Whether it's too soft, too hard, just right, warm, cold, hot with ketchup, or whatever... It's a really great idea to have a fixed day each week and keep everything so simple.
The scent sounds quite interesting too, despite all the floral notes. I'll add it to my overflowing wishlist ;-). I'll leave you a trophy with pasta sauce.
My goodness, I would love to be in your neighborhood, enjoying that relaxed atmosphere. I've also heard a lot of good things about the scent. Everything sounds wonderful!
Great idea, I'd love to stop by if the schedule allows - it's always tricky with a kid, aqua jogging, macramé class, and so on... I'll send you a fusilli trophy in the meantime!
What a wonderful ritual you've introduced among your friends! I'd love to join in, as pasta is always a hit for me; whether with or without sauce ;)
Great personal comment!
https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/die-brotrebellen/arnd-erbel-und-die-sauerteigrevolution-3-5/br-fernsehen/Y3JpZDovL2JyLmRlL3ZpZGVvLzM3YzM0NWI2LTYwOTEtNGM5My1iZGNjLTg1NDQ2ODIyMDliYw
You'll like it ;-)
Unfortunately, the scent probably wouldn't be for me - but your noodles with sauce definitely would be!
The scent sounds really intriguing, I like salty... and I'm adding it to my wishlist.
On the other hand, the way you transition from food to fragrance is very elegant and impressive...
Nice comment. (What’s the abbreviation for review? Rezze?) So: Great review, hahaha :)))
As for the scent, well, you can keep it.
A better ritual than the one in the novel by the Frisian neighbor Noteboom.
And yes, the scent has also proven to be a great guest for me.
The scent sounds quite interesting too, despite all the floral notes. I'll add it to my overflowing wishlist ;-). I'll leave you a trophy with pasta sauce.
Great personal comment!