Thursday, June 7, 2012

Dinner of the Three Emperors, Berry-Caramel Ice Cream Bombe and other delights...



On June 7, 1867,  a dinner was held at Café Anglais in Paris that came to be known as the "Dinner of the Century".  It was called the Dîner des Trois Empereurs  (Dinner of the Three Emperors). Those emperors were:  Tsar Alexander II  (1818-1881), his son Alexander, the Tsarevitch
(1845-94), Kaiser Wilhelm I  (1797-1888), and the powerful, if not royal, Otto von Bismark (1815-1898).

The great men had come to Paris for the Exposition Universelle –– a world’s fair put on by Napoleon III  that was meant to impress (he was inspired by England’s Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851). It showcased exotic cultures (the Japanese exhibit had an enormous influence on artists of the day, especially van Gogh), and new achievements in science and industry and of course fashion and food of the 2nd Empire of France.

So what was this Café Anglais that it should host such a dinner?  Aside from being the restaurant mentioned in my favorite food movie, Babette’s Feast, it was one of the great restaurants of L’Age d’Or of the 2nd Empire, mentioned in Proust, Dumas, Zola, Oscar Wilde –– even Edward VII of England was a fan –– well, everyone went there or wished they had.
Café Anglais may have had humble beginnings as a tradesmen's stop at the opening of the 19th century, but as the century wore on, it became one of the most fashionable restaurants in Paris (it was located at the corner of the Boulevard des Italiens and the Rue de Marivaux). It was noted in the article I read on the restaurant that it was not impressive on the outside, but within there was to be found over-the-top red velvet, gilded-mirrored opulence and 22 exclusive, private rooms.


The most prized location in the restaurant (if not all Paris) was the private dining room called “Le Grand Seize” (sadly, the restaurant was demolished in 1913 and the only photo of the interior that I could find was from 1912 –– past its prime). It was in Le Grand Seize that the dinner was held.


A charming book, Paris: the Turbulent City 1783-1871,  by Andre Castelot, said that Ludovic, Duc de Gramont-Caderousse was the king of the “Great 16” from 1855 to 1865 as well as being “the sovereign of the boulevard and the dandies.” He oversaw a group that included Prince of Orange, Prince Paul Demidoff, Prince d’Arenberg, Duc de Rivoli, Marquis de Modéne, Prince Galitzine, Prince Lubomirski, financier Raphael Bishoffsheim, Khali Bey and Mustapha Pasha, Duc de Brunswick, the ruby-covered Comte Germain.
“When King Gramont-Caderrousse and his “court” left their Great Sixteen and crossed the rooms papered in red with gold hieroglyphics, the clients of Café Anglais watched them with respect and envy.  The lorettes would be there with their “apprentices’ the biches being taken out by rich lovers.  There were also the fops (petits crevés), degenerate dandies, their faces anointed with cream and their beardless chins nestling in their wide collars.  There were also the cocodés –– a more distinguished variety of petit crevé –– and their companions, the cocodettes, who were to the cocotte what the amateur is to the professional.”
Le Miroir Parisien, 1867, Women at a Ball


Worth day dress, 1867

As you can see, the women of the day (newly freed from stiff hoop skirts) were like bare-shouldered floating clouds of gorgeous fabric in the evening (dressing more conservatively in the afternoon) and even the men of the day had a great flamboyance of dress, influenced by artists, writers and wealthy eccentrics).

Charles Worth in Costume –– his calling card

Englishman Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895) came to prominence during this time, virtually inventing the idea of the Parisian couturier and selling dresses to the upper classes of Europe and America as well as French clientele, all in the thrall of his magnificent design and workmanship. 

He was the first to sew his label into his clothes and fit everyone from the Empress Eugenie to the queen of the courtesans, Cora Pearl (he was very popular with the reigning ladies of the evening).


Cora Pearl
His gowns started at 300 francs and went up from there (as he created jeweled coronation gowns, I imagine some gowns cost 1000s of francs).
You can imagine the dining rooms at Café Anglais would have been a riot of colored silk –– bright in the reflected fire of diamonds and crystal, candlelight and mirrors –– what a show it must have been.

Copy of the Original Menu at the Tour d’Argent Museum

Adolphe Dugléré, the chef of Café Anglais and student of the great Câreme,  pulled out all the stops for the the dinner.
In honor of the Emperors,  Dugléré served a banquet consisting of 16 courses with 8 wines served over eight hours at a cost of 400 francs person, around 8,800 today (when an Australian chef tried to recreate the dinner in 2002, he found it cost around $7500 per person with comparable wines).

It was expected that the meal would be one for the history books –– and it was –– accompanied by the greatest wines in the world arranged by the owner of Café Anglais, Claudius Burdel.

A standout on the heavenly wine list was Roederer’s champagne, served in a custom-made clear crystal bottle for the occasion so that the color and bubbles could be seen.  Alexander II loved it so much he was nearly reciting love poems to the champagne at the dinner and then ordered it to be sent to Russia made in the same way (although with a flat bottom so that explosives couldn’t be concealed in the hollow of the base –– he was already concerned for bomb threats).  This is where Roederer Cristal was born.
Although Dugléré would not permit smoking while a guest was eating, there were cigars between courses and music was played… it was an 8-hour dinner, after all.
Evidently, the only hitch to the proceedings came when the Tsar complained at the dearth of foie gras for the dinner.  Burdel responded “Sire, it is not the custom of French gastronomy to serve foie gras in June, if you can wait until October, you will certainly not regret it.” Alexander II was appeased.  In October, the 3 emperors received a gift of a truffled terrine that became known as Foie Gras des Trois Empereurs.  It is still served at La Tour d’Argent with scoops of port and sauterne aspic with brioche.

Petit Musée de la Table photo by Flicker

Restaurant La Tour d’Argent inherited many things from Café Anglais when it closed its doors in 1911 since there had been a marriage between the daughter of Café Anglais owner, Claudius Burdel,  and a son of the Terrail family, the new owners of La Tour d’Argent.  The vast wine cellar came over of course, and Dugléré’ s recipes, but some of Café Anglais’ table dressing was also saved. It found a new home in a charming mini-museum at the base of La Tour d’Argent called Petit Musee de la Table (15-17 Quai de la Tournelle).  In it, the table dressing that would have been used at the dinner of the 3 Emperors is on display (many thanks to Virginie Guyonnet at La Tour d’Argent for sending me some photos for this post). I also include an original menu from the restaurant.







And what did they eat?  As you can see from the menu below, it was quite a dinner. I included descriptions of the courses from Wikipedia at the end of the post so you have an idea of the meal since many of the dishes are unfamiliar to those of born in the 20th century (I had to look up quite a few!). 

Cold Lobster Presentations

Meat Presentation
Fowl Presentation

Remember, dishes were presented rather differently in those days… there was a lot of pomp and circumstance for a dinner like this.  Urbain Dubois’ 1864 La Cuisine Classique's engravings will give you an idea of what was being done.

Ice Cream Bombe

VINS
Madère retour de l'Inde 1810
Xérès 1821
Châteaux d'Yquem 1847
Chambertin 1846
Châteaux Margaux 1847
Château Latour 1847
Châteaux Lafite 1848
Champagne Roederer frappe

                    La Duchesse de Fontanges
I wanted to try a few things from this menu and decided to start with the soup, named after a mistress of Louis XIV, Marie Angelique de Scorailles, La Duchesse de Fontanges (1661-81).  Her other claim to fame was a loose hairstyle that was the rage for a time that was created by a happy accident. Her hair had been caught in a branch during a hunt in the forest of Fountainebleau and her coiffure came undone. She left it down, tied simply in a ribbon for the rest of the day and Louis found the "rustic" style charming, the next day everyone was doing it.  Perhaps it is the green of the forest that made her a fashion icon that connected her to the soup.  Whatever the connection, Potage Fontanges is made of fresh peas and sorrel for a lyrically green beginning to my mini-feast.  It takes about 5 minutes to make with a blender. 

Next, I thought the Poulet a la Portugaise would be a perfect entrée.  Knowing about his famous Sole Dugléré, it was obvious the chef was known for his skill with tomatoes and this dish shows them off nicely. You may think it is a bit pedestrian for such a meal since it is a sort of proto-barbeque sauce but remember tomatoes would have been rather rare in June in Paris.   I found quite a few recipes for the dish, and discovered that they vary considerably. I could find none in the old recipe books like the one mentioned in the descriptions at the end of the post –– certainly not in Escoffier. Also, most of the old recipes call for the chicken being cut into pieces –– not a whole chicken. Tomatoes are always there and usually rice somewhere but the rest is up to the chef. I used a combination of recipes from Escoffier, Adolphe Meyer and Charles Ranhoffer.  It's a killer sauce, enriched by demiglace... the rice-filled tomatoes are perfect foils for the dark sauce.
As for the bombe glacée… the world was my oyster, Escoffier has a million combinations for them in his cookbook.  I decided on a mulberry-lavender/caramel with Benedictine bombe.  It’s truly an iced dream of subtle flavors and gorgeous to boot (reminded me of the colors of Worth’s lovely lavender dress above). I had a bag of mulberries but the recipe would be great with blueberries or blackberries.  May I say, Benedictine is really a forgotten treasure, it is delicious and this caramel ice cream has the most voluptuous texture imaginable.

Potage Frontanges
4 c peas, cooked in salted water for a few moments and sieved
3 c chicken stock
salt to taste (I used a few pinches)
4 T butter (optional)
4 T fresh cooked peas
1/4 c cream (optional)
1/2 c chiffonade of sorrel cooked in1 T butter till soft
handful of chervil leaves for garnish

Add the peas to the chicken stock and boil for a moment with salt, add 4 T fresh butter and  puree the peas, using only enough stock to allow the blender to do its job for a smooth puree.  Add the puree back into the pot with the stock and combine, add the peas and the sorrel and warm though.
To the fresh pea soup, add the chiffonade of sorrel and warm, garnish with chervil leaves and dots of cream if desired.
Poulet à la portugaise
1 4 lb chicken cut into serving pieces
salt and pepper
1 T butter
2 T olive oil
small onion diced
2 cloves garlic
¼ c white wine
1 t paprika
1 t brown sugar
½ c demi-glace or very reduced chicken stock (you can get the demi-glace from D'Artganan HERE)
1 c diced tomatoes
parsley, herbs for garnish (marjoram, chervil and chives)
2 tomatoes halved and baked until softened (350º for 20 min to ½ an hour)

1 c salted cooked rice, tossed with 1 T butter (bread crumbs, parmesan and butter, optional)

Sauté the chicken in the butter and oil until browned then turn and cover and cook through.  Remove from skillet and pour off extra oil.

Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until translucent.  Add the wine and reduce to a syrup.  Put in the paprika and brown sugar and stir.  Add the stock and tomatoes and cook until reduced to a thick sauce.

Put the chicken back in the pan and heat through.

After removing some of the pulp from the tomato, put the rice in the roasted tomato halves and warm in the oven if necessary. You can also top the rice with bread crumbs and parmesan and a pat of butter and place in the oven for 20 minutes to crisp the crumbs.

Serve the tomatoes with the chicken, have the sauce poured over the chicken.
Berry Caramel Benedictine Bombe
Berry Lavender Ice Cream
1 c milk
1 c cream
4 egg yolks
½ t vanilla
¾ c sugar
2 c pureed berries with 1 t lavender flowers (mulberries, blueberries or blackberries) strained, pressing/scraping hard on the solids to get as much as possible (save some puree for the bombe and for serving if you would like, ½ c to a cup- I sweetened my extra puree with lilac jelly for serving, you can use sugar to taste).
Heat the milk in a saucepan and whisk the cream and egg yolks.  Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture and then return to the pan with the sugar.  Heat gently till the mixture coats the back of a spoon (around 180º over low heat - never get above 185º or it will curdle), remove from heat and add the berries.  Taste for sugar and add if necessary.  Refrigerate till chilled and then put into ice cream maker.
Caramel Benedictine Ice Cream  (with a little help from Epicurious)
1 ¼ c sugar
2 ¼ c heavy cream
½ to 1 t flaky sea salt
½ t vanilla
1 c whole milk
3 large eggs.
1-2 T Benedictine
Heat 1 c sugar in skillet, stirring till it melts.  Then stop and let it turn to dark amber… do not overcook, it turns quickly.  If you are using a cast iron skillet it will retain heat.  Add  1 ¼ c cream slowly, stirring.  Add the salt and vanilla
Bring milk, the rest of the cream and ¼ cup sugar just to a boil. Whisk eggs and pour the hot milk in a stream.  Pour back into a saucepan and heat to 180º over low heat never get above 185º or it will curdle).  Strain.  Add to cooled caramel and Benedictine and chill 3 hours. Use in ice cream maker… it will still be a soft ice cream.

To make Bombe
Pour some of the berry ice cream into the mold and freeze.  Pour some of the reserved puree into the mold and freeze.  Pour the caramel into the mold and freeze.

Unmold the bombe when frozen by using a warm towel over the mold, you may have to rewarm the towel but usually holding it with your hands will help release the cream-- do not warm too long or the ice cream mold will lose its sharp edges, just long enough to release the ice cream onto a sheet of parchment on a plate. Wipe off any melted ice cream and put back in the freezer till ready to serve (so that you don't have to do it with your guests waiting at the table and can smooth out any ruffles in the mold before serving). Carefully remove the ice cream from the parchment and serve with additional sauce.

Descriptions of Menu Dishes from Wikipedia:


"Potage impératrice consists of a chicken stock thickened with tapioca and finished with egg yolks and cream to which poached rounds of chicken forcemeat, cockscombs, cocks' kidneys and green peas are added.
Potage fontanges is a purée of fresh peas diluted with consommé with the addition of a chiffonade of sorrel and sprigs of chervil.
Soufflé à la reine is a chicken soufflé with truffles

Sauce vénitienne is a sauce of white wine, tarragon vinegar, shallots and chervil, mounted with butter and finished with chopped chervil and tarragon.
Selle de mouton purée Bretonne is saddle of mutton with a purée of broad beans bound with Breton sauce.
Poulet à la portugaise is whole chicken roasted with a covering of adobo paste consisting of tomato, red bell pepper, garlic, origanum, paprika, cayenne, brown sugar, lemon juice, white wine, chicken stock and olive oil, stuffed with tomato flavoured rice.
Pâté chaud de cailles is warm pâté of quail.
Homard à la parisienne is lobster cooked in court bouillon, cut into slices and glazed with aspic, with a garnish of tomatoes stuffed with a macédoine of vegetables, dressed with a mixture of mayonnaise and aspic and garnished with sliced truffle.
Canetons à la rouennaise is a dish of roast duckling stuffed with forcemeat. The legs and breasts are removed, the legs are grilled and the breasts are thinly sliced and arranged around the stuffing. The remaining carcass is pressed in a poultry press to extract all the juices and this is added to a Rouennaise sauce (a Bordelaise sauce with the addition of puréed duck liver) which is poured over the sliced duck. (This dish is today the speciality of the house at La Tour d'Argent [although it is no longer stuffed, there have been more than a million sold –– each with a numbered card].)

Ortolans sur canapésOrtolans (now a protected species) on toast.
Aubergines à l'espagnole is a dish of aubergine shells filled with chopped aubergine, tomato and ham, gratinéed with gruyère.

Cassolette princesse, (a.k.a. Cassolette argenteuil), A cassolette with a border of duchesse potatoes and an asparagus filling in cream sauce.
Bombe glacée is an ice-cream dessert."

This is part of Castles Crowns and Cottage's trip to Paris, visit her blog to see many other interpretations of the city of lights!!



45 comments:

Linda said...

Deana,
This was such a fascinating post! I would love to be taking a class with you every single day! The dishes you made look simply magnificent and so delicious! Of course I am smitten with the plates you used....is the glass soup bowl and plate very old? I love them all. Where were you able to find mulberries?
Thank you so much for each and every post you do....I really love them all!
L xo

Marjie said...

Of course, I gravitated to the desserts. The ice cream sounds wonderful - especially since it's supposed to get hot again soon - and the custard with the berries sounds divine. (I have 2 mulberry trees here. They are prolific!) I've made something similar to that chicken dish, and it's really good. And I looked at your dress pictures and thought I'd love to wear those, and then remembered all that went into dressing that week, and decided that it's better to wear modern dresses, even if they're not fancy!

Barbara said...

The Worth dresses are divine. I could look at those photos for ages...the details.
Impressive that La Tour d’Argent sent you photos for this post....so nice of them.
Your soup looks gorgeous with its beautiful garnish. I like the sorrel addition...we don't seem to use it much in this country, but I've made a sorrel soup that was delicious.
And then I jump to the bombe. Oh my.
It's a beaut. Layers of flavor and such a color!
Paris is definitely irresistible!

Karena said...

Deana,

I will return to pour over your post and take note of the links!So fabulous, the settings, the attire, the menu! The Roederer Crystal; distant relatives...Roederer is my maiden name.

Come and see my travel with Anita's Parisian Party

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena

It's me said...

Wowwwww what a post !!!..i really like it.....love to see you in Paris too..enjoy your stay....xxx...

It's me said...

Wowwwww what a post !!!..i really like it.....love to see you in Paris too..enjoy your stay....xxx...

catkin tales said...

a fascinating history and wonderful costumes! such an amazing read and that soup! i have never seen such a beautiful soup or desert. what an exquisite artist soul you have.
so lovely to meet you x

Elizabeth@ Pine Cones and Acorns said...

I always love coming here to visit! It is a history lesson, and a beautiful cookbook all in one!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful version of Paris!

Dawne said...

Bonjour Deana!
Such an ambitious and erudite post! I love the way you have given us such a fascinating history lesson. I'm not much of a cook [ having sworn off the stove after a 5 year career as a caterer], but the images and the words are very satisfying!
Thank you for your visit, and I shall be following you!
Amitiés,
dawne

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

OMG.

I knew that when I started my tour just minutes ago, (I have been at work all day long!) that I was going to be OVERWHELMED by all the beauty, the history, the art and now, FULL with the feast of feasts.

Café Anglais.....my favorite destination in movie making, for the story is one of passion and more...the need for an artist to do what she/he MUST DO. It is also evident that the French NEED to create an environment of beauty and sensuality for all of the senses....dear one, I love what you IMAGINED for us when you described the colors of silk and the sparkle of diamonds in the great salons of this historical site....I WONDER how the women walked without getting their hoops stuck on the chairs!

Like always, your recipes here are divinely inspired. God above has accorded EACH AND EVERYONE of us with special abilities to make some one INSPIRED and feel they can do anything...you are one of those.

BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO!!!

Thank you for joining us! BE WELL and have FUN! Anita

Woolytales Miniatures said...

this post is so interesting i will have to re read it!lol
smiles~

Diane said...

What an interesting post and I just love the recipes. I must try that soup, yet another way for me to use the sorrel in the garden. Great bit of reading, thanks Diane

Mary Bergfeld said...

I don't know where to begin. This is a fantastic post that is both interesting and informative. You must spend hours researching your features. I am truly in awe. Have a wonderful weekend. Blessings...Mary

Fresh Local and Best said...

I'm impressed with the dishes you recreated especially the ice cream. I've always wanted to try on one of those beastly dresses. Imagine the swirling riot of colors in the dining room.

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

I just HAD to come by again my dear. That dessert is calling my name on this hot evening here in Minnesota!!! Anita

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

SO elegant! But that berry ice cream bombe is an absolute work of art! Exquisite!

Champagne Macarons said...

Great post! You created amazing dishes.. I must try them all! I love to cook.
It's lovely to meet other bloggers with the same passion for Paris.
xoxo, B

tasteofbeirut said...

Loved this post! André Castelot was )is he still around) a very popular writer who always wrote entertaining historical novels. Roederer champagne is the one my dad prefers and serves it every Saturday and has for the past 5 years to his friends even though they are begging him to switch to wine or beer. Louis XIV's mistresses were plenty but I did not know about this one; love love love your ice-cream bombe especially with the mulberries! Since we are still getting some from our tree, i will be making it asap. Deana, your posts are unique and wonderful!

Denise said...

A very interesting and exciting post,filled with so many wonderful tid bits.Lovely photos.I could learn so much just from this one post.So glad I dropped by.Thank you for visiting Me-Denise

Vær våken said...

Wow, how interesting. A little history is great! Thank for your interesting post!!!!!

Virginia said...

I"m in awe. I cannot imagine how long it took your to create this amazing post! I'm feeling sorely inadequate as I only post one Paris photograph a day!!

And I'll be adding the Musée de la table to my ever growing list!
Bon dimanche,
V

Angelsdoor * Penny said...

So nice to meet you at Anita's Paris party Deana. Your post is so very interesting and informative. I must say that my eyes were drawn to the ball gowns. I absolutely love period dresses and these are just beyond beautiful.
Thank you so much for visiting Bebe and your kind words.
Blessings,
Penny

claudiaberry@gmail.com said...

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful post! I love history and to be in the places that lived it - thank you for all these wonderful pictures!

Simplement ... said...

Toutes ces merveilles me donnent envie de revoir Paris !
Très belle soirée
Marie-Ange

Anonymous said...

Your post is so rich. It is informative, unique, and delicious. I am fascinated by all of it, especially the Benedictine Bombe. Unreal.
Thank you so much for sharing on this delightful Parisian tour, and thank you for stopping by.
Much love,
Marcia

Red Rose Alley said...

One of my daughter's favorite artist is van Gogh. What an interesting story. I love the pictures of the dresses. They are so elegant. The dishes look very yummy too. When the girls traveled to Paris, they couldn't believe how delicious the food was. Thank you for visiting. It's so nice to meet new friends.
~Sheri at Red Rose Alley

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

I remember the reference to Cafe Anglais and the movie (also one of my favorites). What a shame there are no photos of the interior to be found. It must have been so beautiful.

Another detailed and well-written piece and finished with such delicious French dishes. Well done!

DolceDreams said...

Merci for taking me on this most insightful tour of the past, I adore history...and merci for your kind comment, it is wonderful to have the romantic memory of being engaged in a place full of L'amour, isn't it!
A bientot,
Nathalie

Maria said...

What an incredible post! Thank you for sharing such wonderful information and de recettes délicieuses ~ Everything looks delicious! What a meal!
What clothes!
What a histoire!

Happy Sunday to you!
*Maria

Kerri said...

Thanks so much for the blog visit, and for sharing the wonderful pictures of the Paris tour :)

Have a wonderful week!

Frank said...

Gorgeous presentation, as always. And what a mea. That would really have been the dinner of a lifetime!

Jacqueline said...

Oh my, oh my! Your bombe looks like a piece of art. I was admiring your beautiful food, but when I got to that I had a hard time breathing! Truly a work of art. I am so glad that our clothing has simplified - can you even imagine carrying that much fabric around and in the heat?

Now I have another reason to return to Paris - I am definitely trying your idea of a picnic on the hotel bed - can't wait! I will definitely blog about it when I do!!!!!!!!!!!

Palomasea said...

All I can say is WOW. Well, maybe a tad more ;)
My goodness, your blog is EXTRAORDINARY!
What a post, I have just been educated, inspired, and entertained in a most glorious way...MERCI!
Et un grand merci a belle Anita!
I thank you so much for visiting me, and am now following you...
just fantastic.
Bises,
- Irina

Stacey said...

I loved this! So interesting and enlightening! XX

Peter said...

That's impressive. Nice work. I'm gravely disappointed, however, that you didn't manage to procure any of those wines.

Victoria Sayer said...

Hey Deana,
this kinda reminded me of my history lessons at school.(a few decades ago) Facinating! Informative, and interesting. Those french really knew how to 'play with their food'!
Bet you got good marks in your history class ;-)
Glad we have moved on to being 'allowed' to wear T shirts and shorts!...although I do love the look of fashion...just not too fussed on having to wear it!
~Vicki

Rowena | Apron and Sneakers said...

It's history that didn't make me yawn. You explained it well and I loved how you did it. Everything seems delicious but I couldn't take my eyes off the ice cream. Superb! I'm glad I discovered your blog.

Ken Albala said...

Meat replete with horns. I love this! and I want a moustachio now to go with it.

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Darling friend,

It is a pleasure to have you as a friend and participant in the Paris party. THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking us all down a path that many of us would never see and taste, for you always include the history of how these masterpieces came to be. AND OH, not a prince or a pumpkin, but a GOWN en papier is trailing behind my slippers my dear!!!! MERCI ET GROSSES BISES! Anita

Draffin Bears said...

Hi Deana,

Thanks for sharing this great post of Paris and the history.
I loved seeing your photos, very interesting, the dresses are so very beautiful.

Happy weekend
Carolyn

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

The detail and the ceremony of the day was remarkable! And I must say that as always, you conveyed it so well in your recipes. Love the jewels in the centre! :D

RecipeNewZ said...

I found your website through Pinterest: the photo was so beautiful that I just had to come here to read the recipe! And I really love your blog! How interesting, elegant and original! You have a new fan :-).

I would like to invite you to share your recipes on a new photo based recipe sharing site that launched in May. The idea is simple: all recipe photographs are published within minutes of submission. And, of course, the images link back to the author's site. It's called RecipeNewZ (with Z) - http://recipenewz.com

Lori Lynn said...

You slay me Deana. I spent almost a half hour pouring over this post. A must see on next visit to Paris - the petit musee. And look at the color of that soup. Such perfection. What a meal.
LL

Melissa Rossi said...

Brava! This is such a well-researched, elucidating post! I love how your bring in so many elements--food to fashion to historical celebs to recipes. Impressive!

JustMe said...

Thank you so much. Reading this was like taking a mini-vacation back to my beloved Paris. Lots of work went into your post and it is greatly appreciated. I'm a chef who is forever researching and ferreting out historic French dishes to revive for my clientele. A search on the Café Anglais landed me on your site. I'm pleased to have met you and thanks so much for sharing. Sharon