The Physiology of Taste - Brillat Savarin (black female authors TXT) 📗
- Author: Brillat Savarin
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the edition I had so carefully read. Inside I found about two
dozen of the cubes I had gone so far for.
I tasted them, and must say that I found them very agreeable. I
was sorry though, that they were so few in number, and the more I
thought of the matter, the more I became mystified.
I then arose with the intention of carrying the box back to its
manufacturer. Just then, however, I thought of my grey hairs,
laughed at my vivacity, and sat down.
A particular circumstance also recurred to me. I had to deal with
a druggist, and only four days ago I had a specimen of one of that
calling.
I had one day to visit my friend Bouvier des Eclats.
I found him strolling in a most excited state, up and down the
room, and crushing in his hands a piece of poetry, I thought a
song.
He gave it to me and said, “look at this, you know all about it.”
I saw at once that it was an apothecary’s bill. I was not
consulted as a poet, but as a pharmaceutist.
I knew what the trade was, and was advising him to be quiet, when
the door opened, and we saw a man of about fifty-five enter. He
was of moderate stature and his whole appearance would have been
stern, had there not been something sardonic about his lips.
He approached the fireplace, refused to sit down, and I heard the
following dialogue I have faithfully recorded.
“Monsieur,” said the general, “you sent me a regular apothecary’s
bill.”
The man in black said that he was not an apothecary.
“What then are you?” said the general.
“Sir, I am a pharmaceutist.”
“Well,” said the general, “your boy—”
“Sir, I have no boy.”
“Who then was the young man you sent thither?”
“My pupil—”
“I wish to say, sir, that your drugs—”
“Sir, I do not sell drugs—”
“What then do you sell?”
“Remedies.”
The general at once became ashamed at having committed so many
solicisms in a few moments, and paid the bill.
IV.
THE SNARE.
The chevalier de Langeac was rich, but his fortune was dispensed
as is the fortune of all rich men.
He funded the remnants, and aided by a little pension from the
government, he contrived to lead a very pleasant life.
Though naturally very gallant, he had nothing to do with women.
As his other powers passed away, his gourmandise increased. He
became a professor and received more invitations than he could
accept.
Lyons is a pleasant city, for there one can get vin de Bourdeaux,
Hermitage and Burgundy. The game of the neighborhood is very good,
and unexceptionable fish is taken from the lakes in the vicinity.
Every body loves Bresse chickens.
Langeac was therefore welcome at all the best tables of the city,
but took especial delight in that of a certain M. A.
In the winter of 1780, the chevalier received a letter, inviting
him to sup ten days after date, (at that time I know there were
suppers) and the chevalier quivered with emotion at the idea.
He, at the appointed time, made his appearance, and found ten
guests. There was at that time no such A grand dinner was soon
served, consisting of fish, flesh, and fowl.
All was very good, but the chevalier was not satisfied with the
hopes he had entertained.
Another thing amazed him. His guests did not seem to eat. The
chevalier was amazed to see that so many anti-convivial persons
had been collected, and thinking that he had to do justice to all
these fasting people set to work at once.
The second service was solid as the first. A huge turkey was
dressed plain, flavored by salads and macaroni au parmesan.
When he saw this, the chevalier felt his strength revive; all the
other guests were overpowered, excited by the changes of wines, he
triumphed over their impotence, and drank their health again and
again. Every time he drank their health, he took a slice from the
turkey.
Due attention was paid to the side-dishes, and the chevalier stuck
to business longer than any one would have thought possible. He
only revived when the becfigues appeared, and became fully aroused
when truffles were put on the table.
THE TURBOT.
Discord one day sought to effect an entrance into one of the most
harmonious houses of Paris. A turbot was to be cooked.
The fish was on the next day to be served to a company of which I
was one; it was fresh, fat, and glorious, but was so large that no
dish in the house could hold it.
“Let us cut it in half,” said the husband.
“Would you thus dishonor it?” said the wife.
“We must, my dear.”
“Well, bring the knife, we will soon do it.”
“Wait though, our cousin, who is a professor, will soon be here.
He will relieve us from the dilemma.”
The gordian knot was about to be released, when I came in hungry,
as a man always is at seven P. M.
When I came in I tried in vain to make the usual compliments. No
one listened, and for that reason no one replied to me. The
subject in discussion was at once submitted to me.
I made up my mind at once, went to the kitchen, found a kettle
large enough to boil the whole fish, and did so. There was a
procession composed of the master, mistress, servants, and
company, but they all approved of what I did. With the fish we
boiled bulbous root and other vegetables. [Footnote: From the
above it is very clear that Brillat Savarin made what the late D.
Webster called a “chowder.”] When the fish was cooked we sat down
at the table, our ideas being somewhat sharpened by the delay, and
sought anxiously for the time, of which Homer speaks, when
abundance expells hunger. [The translator here omits a very
excellent recipe for a fish-chowder. Everybody knows it.]
VI.
PHEASANTS.
None but adepts know what a pheasant is. They only can appreciate
it.
Everything has its apogee of excellence, some of which, like
capers, asparagus, partridges, callow-birds, etc., are eatable
only when they are young. Others are edible only when they obtain
the perfection of their existence, such as melons and fruits, and
the majority of the beasts which furnish us with animal food.
Others are not good until decomposition begins, such as the snipe
and pheasant.
When the pheasant is eaten only three days after its death, it has
no peculiarity; it has not the flavor of a pullet, nor the perfume
of a quail.
It is, however, a highly flavored dish, about half way between
chicken and venison.
It is especially good when the pheasant begins to be decomposed—
an aroma and exciting oil is then produced, like coffee, only
produced by torrefaction.
This becomes evident by a slight smell and change of color.
Persons possessed, however, of the instincts of gourmandise see it
at once, just as a good cook knows whether he should take his bird
from the spit or give it a turn or two more.
When the pheasant is in that condition it should he plucked, and
not before.
The bird should then he stuffed, and in the following manner:
Take two snipe and draw them so as to put the birds on one plate,
and the livers, etc., on another.
Take the flesh and mingle it with beef, lard and herbes fines,
adding also salt and truffles enough to fill the stomach of the
pheasant.
Cut a slice of bread larger, considerably, than the pheasant, and
cover it with the liver, etc., and a few truffles. An anchovy and
a little fresh butter will do no harm.
Put the pheasant on this preparation, and when it is boiled
surround it with Florida oranges. Do not be uneasy about your
dinner.
Drink burgundy after this dish, for long experience has taught me
that it is the proper wine.
A pheasant served in this way is a fit dish for angels, if they
visited the world as they did in Lot’s day.
What I say, experience has already proved. A pheasant thus stuffed
by Picard at La Grange [Footnote: Does he refer to La Fayette’s
estate?] was brought on the table by the cook himself. It was
looked on by the ladies as they would have looked at one of Mary
Herbault’s hats. It was scientifically tasted, and in the interim
the ladies eyes shone like stars, and their lips became coral.
I did more than this; I gave a similar proof to the judges of the
supreme court. They are aware that the toga is sometimes to be
laid aside, and I was able to show to several that good CHEER was
a fit companion and reward for the labors of the senate. After a
few moments the oldest judge uttered the word excellent. All
bowed, and the court adopted the decision. I had observed that the
venerable old men seemed to take great delight in smelling the
dish, and that their august brows were agitated by expressions of
extreme serenity, something like a half smile hanging on their
lips.
All this thing, however is naturally accounted for. The pheasant,
itself, a very good bird, had imbibed the dressing and the flavor
of the truffle and snipe. It thus becomes thrice better.
Thus of all the good things collected, every atom is appreciated
and the consequence is, I think the pheasant fit for the table of
a prince.
Parve, nec invideo, sine me liber, ibis in aulam.
VII.
GASTRONOMICAL INDUSTRY OF THE EMIGRES.
Toute Francaise, a ce que j’imagine,
Salt, bien ou mal faire, un peu de cuisine.
Belle Arsene, Act. III.
In a chapter written for the purpose, the advantages France
derived from gourmandise in 1815, were fully explained. This was
not less useful to emigres; all those, who had any alimentary
resources, received much benefit from it.
When I passed through Boston, I taught a cook, named Julien, who
in 1794 was in his glory, how to serve eggs with cheese. Julien
was a skilful lad, and had, he said, been employed by the
Archbishop of Bourdeaux. This was to the Americans a new dish, and
Julien in return, sent me a beautiful deer he had received from
Canada, which those I invited to do honour to it, thought
admirable.
Captain Collet also, in 1794 and 1795 earned much money by the
manufacture of ices and sherbets.
Women always take care to enjoy any pleasures which are new to
them. None can form an idea of their surprise. They could not
understand how it could remain so cold, when the thermometer was
at 26 [degrees] Reaumur.
When I was at Cologne, I found a Breton nobleman, who thought
himself very fortunate, as the keeper of a public house; and I
might multiply these examples indefinitely. I prefer however to
tell of a Frenchman, who became very rich at London, from the
skill he displayed in making salad.
He was a Limousin, and if I am not mistaken, was named Aubignac,
or Albignac.
Poor as he was, he went, however, one day to dine at one of the
first restaurants of London. He could always make a good dinner on
a single good dish.
While he was discussing a piece of roast beef,
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