Gee, Something Smells Terrific

The era of the foodie (persnickety gourmets who follow star chefs and restaurants like groupies) may be over, thanks to the recession closing down so many tony eateries.

But it’s a boom market for aromies, those who are deeply into aromatherapy, which promotes healing and mood-altering through smells. We knew their time had come when we got an invitation for “A special aromatherapy luncheon” at the Regent Beverly Wilshire next month hosted by certified aromatherapist Mary Lee Bank.

And what do aromatherapists eat? According to the menu in the invitation: pumpkin soup in a miniature pumpkin, Middle Eastern tabbouleh presentation, almond tuille filled with fresh berries and sorbet, and Gevalia coffee. Wonder if they sniff their food before they chow down.

Essentials

What you need to maneuver the L.A. scene: You can’t maneuver anything these days without a comprehensive knowledge of slang. But what kind of slang do you need? Rap? Surfer? Valley? College? Traffic Report? To sort it all out there’s “Street Talk 2,” son of “Street Talk 1,” by David Burke, a former actor/composer/tour guide who teaches the basics of slang in classic textbook style.

Sample surfer dialogue:

Scott: “The big mama’s fully macking insanely gnarly grinders with corduroy to the horizon. The conditions are most excellent!”

Rick: “I’m with you, brah. I was so amped this morning that I busted a few real early and got so lunched doing a lip floater on this one hair ball, I thought I was gonna aqua boot.”

Translated, it means:

Scott: “The ocean is really creating incredibly menacing waves with one right after the other. The conditions are fantastic!”

Rick: “I agree, friend. I was so excited this morning that I went surfing real early and got so jostled doing a common maneuver on this one frightening wave, I thought I was going to vomit.”

The book is being touted as a handy reference guide for parents who understand every third word their children are saying. It’ll also come in handy for foreigners who come to American and find they need to learn English after they’ve learned English.