Napoleonic Pleasures : 44
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Bon appetit! / Directory / 1st EmpireLeg of Hare "au soleil"
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 […]
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Bon appetit! / 2nd Republic / 2nd EmpireGâteau Frascati*
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 […]
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Bon appetit! / 2nd Republic / 2nd EmpireRump steak "à la Napoléon Ier"
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: […]
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Bon appetit! / 2nd Republic / 2nd EmpireThe Prince-Jérôme
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 […]
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Bon appetit! / 2nd Republic / 2nd EmpireBacon and beans village style
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. […]
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Bon appetit! / Directory / 1st EmpireCake ‘à la Madeleine’
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 […]
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Bon appetit! / Directory / 1st EmpireTuna omelette "à la Brillat-Savarin"
The philosophy of the culinary artJean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) is one of the world's most famous gastronomic critics. His best known work was The Physiology of Taste, published in 1825, a few months before his death. On publication, his contemporaries proclaimed him a genius and ranked this work on a level with De la Rochefoucauld's […]
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Bon appetit! / Directory / 1st EmpireChocolate cream
Chocolate: friend or foe?At the time of the First Empire, chocolate ventured out of the apothecary's. Up to that time it had been thought of as primarily a medication: chocolate was sold as a purgative, cough mixture, and also an aphrodisiac.From this time on, chocolate, still in liquid form, turned up at the morning meal […]
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Bon appetit! / Directory / 1st EmpireCrow Soup
Birds for your delectationHunting birds was a pastime practised by adults and especially by children. Traps, nets, pipes to attract them, slings and even ferrets were pressed into service to kill small birds, for sport, out of cruelty, and sometimes out of hunger. Thrushes and larks (“mauviettes”) were the most popular food, but people would […]
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Bon appetit! / Directory / 1st EmpireIce creams and sorbets
Ice cream in stock, sweet and savouryIce cream was very popular during the First Empire. In fact it was a real passion. Ice cream was sometimes called “neige” (snow) and flavoured with caramel, chocolate, vanilla, plums, peaches etc., but also with saffron, or even cloves. Certain restaurants offered more than 80 flavours.The name “sorbets” was […]