Napoleonic Pleasures

This is a light dough thrown into boiling water which is then cooked for a few minutes in the oven. Children are particularly fond of these little cakes. Nowadays, little triangular cakes, flavoured with anise, are still sold in pâtisseries in the Auvergne region.

Rice, are you done?In the 19th century, in classic French cuisine, rice was used in savoury dishes simply as a supplementary ingredient, useful as a base for soups; its use was primarily in sweet dishes along with eggs. On the other hand, rice as a basic foodstuff, accompanying a sauce, was a reality for most […]

AnglomaniaEngland was certainly the enemy of old, but it remained oh so attractive. High society envied the gentleness of English manners, the good cut of English clothes, the speed and comfort of English cabriolets, and was fascinated by English gothic novels peopled by ghosts and ruined towers. When it came to cooking, the level of […]

Leg of hare was a dish frequently served at First Empire tables, during dinners which lasted the entire afternoon. In cities, dinner could equally well be at 2 pm as at 6 pm. The Revolution turned the mealtime routine upside down. Breakfast was eaten between 8 and 9 am, most often taking the form of a […]

Frascati, from one empire to anotherDuring the Premier Empire, the Frascati establishment, named after a famous Neapolitan ice-cream maker, was one of the most popular venues in Paris. First of all, it had a delightful garden, decorated with the busts of the greatest French and English poets, and lit up at night. A tunnel of […]

Stew (“Le bouilli”)The stew (“pot-au-feu”, or “bouilli”) reigned supreme at 19th century dining tables. While soup whetted the appetite for a good meal to come, the stewed meat dish really ushered in the festivities, before the arrival of more sophisticated dishes. This recipe gives a good idea of the richness of Second Empire middle-class cooking: […]

The fashion for meringue domesThe Second Empire elevated the meringue to one of the “in” desserts. People liked its light and crispy texture, to the point that they had the idea, albeit initially greeted with incredulity, of combining it with ice cream, to get hot and cold in the same dish. The “Baked Alaska” had […]

A frustrated cookAlexandre Dumas (father), the famous novelist, father of so many heros, had a true passion for cooking. He used to say this taste was a gift from heaven. He liked to choose ingredients, roast joints of meat, slow-cook vegetables in casseroles etc. in the same way that he liked to talk about it. […]

Madeleines – origins and myths  These little sponge cakes, still widely popular, bear a girl's name that was commonly given to little girls during the period. There are three Madeleines who might lay claim to having invented these sweetmeats.Might it have been the pastry-cook to the Polish king, Stanislas Leczinski, living in exile in the […]