Trois Chansons by the French Impressionistic composer, Claude Debussy, are settings of poems by Charles d’Orleans to music. This Charles was Charles (1394-1465), Duke of Orléans, a prince. He was wounded at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and imprisoned in England for the next 24 years (held for ransom, actually), during which he wrote most of his poetry, more than five hundred poems — including what some claim was the first Valentine sent to his very young wife, Bonne d'Armagnac, from prison. Sadly, Bonne died while Charles was pining away in The Tower. A manuscript of that poem is in the British Library, however I couldn't find a translation on line. This is the manuscript cover. You can see Charles writing at his desk through the artistic contrivance of a cut-away in the wall of the tower.
Upon Charles' release, he met Maria of Cleves, who was the daughter of a German Duke and a French Duchess also of the house of Burgundy, the older sister of Philip the Good, who arranged for Charles' release. Upon first sight of the 14-year old princess, it is said that he told her, "M'Lady, I make myself your prisoner." Maria went on to bear Charles his only son, Louis the XII of France. Maria would outlive Charles by many years, and would become a poet herself.
The imagery in Charles's poems is vivid, strongly visual, and so romantic. So much medieval French poetry is stilted stuff about unrequited love... sigh... oh Charles, my prince! I can understand why Debussy selected these old poems as texts for his scores. Here is a rendition of Debussy's Dieu! Qu'il La Fait Bon Regarder! Listen, English translation below:
God! But she is fair, graceful, good and beautiful.
All are ready to praise her excellent qualities. Who could tire of her? Her beauty is ever new.
God! but she is fair, graceful, good and beautiful!
Nowhere does the sea look on so fair and perfect a lady or maiden. Thinking on her is but a dream. God! but she is fair!
This illustration of Ovid's story about Diana and Actaeon is by Giuseppe Cesari (1606); notice that Actaeon's metamorphosis has already begun.
According to Ovid, while Actaeon was out hunting, he inadvertently came upon the virgin goddess as she bathed in her secret grotto. To punish him for seeing her naked, the goddess sprinkled Actaeon with water, magically transforming him into a stag. The unfortunate youth was torn to pieces by his own hounds.
Goddess of wild animals and the hunt, the sister of Apollo, Diana was praised for her strength, beauty, athletic prowess, and hunting skills. She was also deemed a protectorate of woman and became associated with chastity, marriage, and fertility.
The myth of Diana (the Greek goddess of the moon and hunt, originally named Artemis) and Actaeon (a Theban prince) is recounted in Ovid's first - century "Metamorphoses". Metamorphoses is a narrative poem that describes the creation and history of the world through the metamorphoses of it's protagonists. Completed in 8 AD, The recurring theme, as with nearly all of Ovid's work, is that of love — personal love or love personified in the figure of Amor (Cupid). The other Roman gods are repeatedly perplexed, humiliated, and made ridiculous by Amor, an otherwise relatively minor god of the pantheon who is the closest thing this epic has to a hero. Apollo comes in for particular ridicule as Ovid shows how irrational love can confound the god of pure reason. The poem inverts the accepted order, elevating humans and human passions while making the gods and their desires and conquests objects of base humor. The Metamorphosis retells 250 Roman myths. Ovid's influence on Western art and literature is a writer's dream legacy. Ovid was a major inspiration for Dante, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton and other of the world's great authors.
Shakespeare alludes to the story, as Orsino speaks of his love:
O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, Methought she purged the air of pestilence! That instant was I turn'd into a hart; And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, E'er since pursue me.
Twelfth Night 1.1.18-22
Had I the power that some say Dian had, Thy temples should be planted presently With horns, as was Actaeon's; and the hounds Should drive upon thy new-transformed limbs, Unmannerly intruder as thou art!
Titus Andronicus 2.3.61
And that my fellow gastronomes and lovers, brings us to Steak Diane on Valentine's day.
In the 19th century sauces made “a la Diane” were dedicated to Diana as an accompaniment to venison. Sauce a la Diane was composed of cream, truffles, and ample amounts of black pepper. The first mention of Sauce Diane, (as opposed to a la Diane), comes from Auguste Escoffier in 1907. He added hard cooked egg white to the a la Diane formula.
As with Eggs Benedict , New York City appears to be the best candidate for the location of the creation of Steak Diane. Jane Nickerson’s article “Steak Worthy of the Name” (New York Times, January 25, 1953) suggests three possible sources in New York City as originators: The Drake Hotel, the Sherry- Netherland Hotel and the Colony Restaurant. The best suggestion is that it originated with Beniamino Schiavon (aka "Nino"), from Padua, Italy. He worked at the Drake Hotel in New York City. The earliest print references found to date not only point to Nino, but talk about the recipe being wheedled out of him by Perle Mesta who was appointed by President Truman as ambassador to Luxembourg from 1949 to 1953, known as Madam and The Hostess with the Mostes. Perle is such an interesting character that I will digress from Steak Diane for a moment.
In the 1930s, Perle Mesta became involved in the National Woman's Party. She lobbied for the Equal Rights Amendment, first as a Republican and then, after changing party affiliation in 1940, as a Democrat.
She moved back to Washington, D.C., about 1940 and quickly became one of the capital's premier party hostesses. The guest list for her extravagant soirees included senators and congressmen of both parties, world leaders, Supreme Court justices, movie stars, foreign ambassadors, military leaders and White House personnel.
A Christian Scientist, Mesta didn't drink alcohol though she did serve alcohol at her parties. She claimed though that her parties gave her the same elation liquor gave other people.
She was an early supporter of Truman, serving on the Democrats' finance committee during his 1948 campaign and then acting as co-chairman of his inaugural ball. In 1949, Truman named her minister to Luxembourg. She was the first to hold the post -- and the third woman appointed to a foreign diplomatic post. She served until 1953, becoming the first woman to receive Luxembourg's highest honor, the Grand Cross of the Crown of Oak. As minister, she became famed again for her hostess skills. She threw "GI parties" for servicemen and women stationed in Europe.
She also became well known for her title. When asked how she wanted to be addressed, she replied, "Call me Madam Minister." The line was shortened to "Call Me Madam," which became the name of Irving Berlin's musical inspired by her life. The musical featured the song "The Hostess with the Mostes". Mesta was amused when the nickname stuck to her. Starring Ethel Merman, the show was a 1950-52 Broadway hit and was adapted into a 1954 Academy Award-winning filmCall Me Madam.
After leaving Luxembourg, Mesta spent much of the next decade traveling the world. She met with the heads of 19 different governments, even touring Soviet Russia. She narrowly escaped death in 1955 after getting caught up in a riot between Communist and anti-Communist factions in Saigon, Vietnam.
In 1960, she published her biography, "Perle: My Story." She continued to give lavish parties into the early 1970s.
"Hang a lamb chop in the window," was the advice Perle Mesta gave those who wanted to make a place for themselves in Washington D.C.
Lamb Chops or not, one thing is for sure. Steak Diane was the rage in the 50’s and 60’s, especially in New York. A hot culinary trend at the time in upscale restaurants was dishes that could be flamboyantly prepared tableside on a cart. We're talking about the headwaiter or maitre d' wheeling a food trolley to your table and, before your very eyes, deftly performing acts of slicing, dicing, de-boning, saucing or flambéing. Steak Diane theatrics came from the flambéing of the cognac used to make the sauce. One suspects that our current culture's fear of personal injury lawyers, insurance adjusters, non-professional waitstaff and danger in general has doused table side flambéing forever. The Turtle Restaurant chef flambés in the kitchen under the vent-a-hood.
Fortunately, flambéing is not just for show or there would be no reason to continue performing the technique. Igniting the brandy in the recipe intensifies the flavor of the finished sauce by caramelizing the sugars or carbohydrates. During caramelization, the intense heat causes the sugars to undergo a series of chemical changes. The most important of these is to develop mouth watering flavor. Caramelization requires temperatures in excess of 300 degrees.
Here are the secrets:
Start with a dry piece of meat. Use a paper towel to dry off the meat. Water is the enemy of caramelization
Use high heat. Preheat your pan or grill and make sure it’s hot before putting the meat on. If the heat is too low, moisture will collect in the pan and you’ll steam the meat which is what the British are famous for and not yummy.
Use a heavy skillet. The heavier the better. This helps the pan retain heat when adding room temperature meat. Cast iron or heavy stainless steel.
Bring the meat to room temperature. This will keep the pan from cooling too much when you first put in the meat. Always remember that 41-140º F is known as the danger zone. Foods that are exposed to this range for more than four hours may not be safe to eat. Don’t let meat sit out all day- just let it warm up a bit before you intend to cook it.
Balance the heat and time. Balance the heat and time so that the meat has the perfect amount of caramelization when it’s just done inside. Tip: For thick pieces of meat - start by caramelizing in a pan or on the grill on high heat and then finish it in the oven (350F).
More surface area. The larger the surface area, the more room there is for caramelization. Butterfly cuts like chicken breasts or pork loin to create a larger area to brown, this creates a flatter surface so the meat caramelizes evenly.
Flambé. The food is topped with a liquor, usually brandy, cognac, or rum and lit afire. The volatile alcohol vapor burns with a blue flame, leaving behind the faint flavor of the liquor or liqueur.
Only liquors and liqueurs with a high alcohol content can be used to flame foods. A higher proof will ignite more readily. Beer, champagne, and most table wines will not work.
Liquors and liqueurs that are 80-proof are considered the best choices for flambé. Those above 120-proof are highly flammable and considered dangerous. NEVER light the pan before you are finished pouring or the flame could follow the stream of alcohol up into the bottle causing an explosion severely burning the cook and bystanders.
The liquor must be warmed to about 130F, yet still remain well under the boiling point, before adding to the pan. (Boiling will burn off the alcohol, and it will not ignite.)
Always remove the pan from the heat source before adding the liquor to avoid burning yourself. Vigorously shaking the pan usually extinguishes the flame, but keep a pot lid nearby in case you need to smother the flames. The alcohol vapor generally burns off by itself in a matter of seconds.
You can apply these techniques to anything that benefits from caramelization. Now that you know those secrets, I’m going to leave you with a tip. NEVER discard the brown bits left in the pan after caramelizing meat. The French call this “fond.” I will tell you why I am fond of fond in a future post.
This means you have two opportunities to treat your honey. Sunday Brunch can be very romantic. Sleep late then dally over coffee, creme brulee french toast or a pitcher of Mimosas while playing footsies under the table From 10:30 am- 2:00 pm
OR
Surprise your sweetie with our special Prix Fix Dinner $45.00 per person - four courses 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Reservations requested 325-646-8200 or online.
The Legacy of the Huntress - Steak Diane Tournadoes of beef tenderloin, garlic, shallots, brandy, demi-glaze, dijon mustard with roasted potatoes, green beans almondine
The Lake Front Sundae For Two A scoop of mint chocolate, dark chocolate, and flor di latte gelato in a waffle cone bowl topped with fudge and marshmallow sauce, a sprinkle of coconut. A white chocolate ganache sloop rides the confectionery waves.
as one of the top ten restaurants of 2009. We are quite happy with honorable mention because the other restaurants listed here put us in very good company, indeed. I appreciate Air!'s food photography. All those lovely photographs of gorgeous plates of food made me want to go to my room and do art on a plate.
There are also few honorable mentions: Modern Pastry (Boston, MA): Forget the long line at Mike's, the cannoli here is far better, and hardly anyone knows about it
Sunburst Grill (Denver, CO): It's a little mindboggling that Denver has super authentic Filipino food.
Four Winds Steakhouse (Wills Point, TX): delicious steak, even better setting
5-8 Club (Minneapolis, MN): Jucy Lucy is a heavenly experience
Enoteca Vespaio (Austin, TX): fun place to kick back and enjoy some cannoli in Austin
The Turtle (Brownwood, TX): an unexpected gem in a very small town, the owner also makes outstanding gelatos
You may have noticed that we had posted an article about the history of Eggs Benedict and Brunch. It was because we have been anticipating the reopening of the restaurant for brunch service. For the past two months we have been training Jerome Vigil to take over lunch service so Chef Thomas may extend our service to include Sunday Brunch. We also thank the good doctors at Brownwood Specialty Group, and Dr. Strefling, for taking good care of Chef Thomas' knee so that he is back on line. Everyone has been waiting for this moment. I know I have missed Eggs Benedict with real hollandaise sauce in the worst possible way and nobody does it better than Chef Thomas Vezina.
So - if you've ever been curious about the word brunch or why we eat at the times we do or the origin of Egg Benedict, I hope I've answered those pressing questions adequately. If you've been dying for a really excellent Bennie - here's your chance to taste one. There are many variations on the classic which we will explore as time marches on. Meanwhile, try all the comfort food on this menu. Other restaurants serve chicken fried steak but The Turtle goes all out with chicken fried beeftenderloin steak and real, and I do mean real, cream gravy. We didn't list all our gelato flavors, or the new Italian Soda flavors, but we take this occasion to remind you that we have fabulous coffee drinks made with fresh roasted Anderson's Coffee beans. Sunday is a time to eat with the family and relax - take it easy at The Turtle. Brunch is served 10:30am - 2:00 pm Sunday at The Turtle Restaurant, 514 Center Avenue, Brownwood, Texas 76801 reservations are nice 325-646-8200
Soup & Salads Soup of the Day
Windy Hill Mixed Greens white balsamic herb vinaigrette, candied pecans, gorgonzola cheese crumbles Add grilled chicken, salmon or asian grilled tuna salad for $5 Center Avenue Caesar hearts of romaine with handmade dressing, grated parmesan cheese, croutons Add grilled chicken, salmon or asian grilled tuna salad for $5 Insalata Caprese sliced roma tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar
Brunch Mary’s Quiche egg custard with ham, cheddar cheese, a touch of roasted peppers in a light flaky crust, side of steamed broccolli Eggs Benedict Two poached eggs, canadian bacon, 1910 English muffin smothered in hollandaise with country style home fries Creme Brulee French Toast Our challah bread baked in creme brullee custard, maple syrup, bacon, with country home fries Monte Cristo ham, turkey, swiss cheese on challah sandwich dipped in french toast batter - grilled, maple syrup with country home fries Grilled Chicken Sandwich grilled chicken topped with dill havarti cheese on a toasted cranberry orange English muffin, mixed greens with white balsamic vinaigrette, home made chips Asian Grilled Tuna Salad Sandwich chopped grilled ahi tuna, crunchy oriental vegetables, chow mein noodles, pineapple, wasabi mayonnaise, secret spices, on a challah roll, home made chips Chicken Fried Beef Tenderloin buttermilk battered fork tender beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes, real cream gravy and french green beans Pecan Crusted Chicken pecan crusted chicken breast with carrots and potatoes in a honey butter sauce Slow Roasted Prime Rib Thomas’s amazing 10 oz prime rib, mashed potatoes, au jus, french green beans Chalkboard Specials
In 1827, at the beginning of New York City's evolution as the financial center of the world, the genesis of what would become a world renowned culinary institution, Delmonico’s Restaurant, was set. A small shop selling classically prepared pastries, fine coffee and chocolate, bonbons, wines, and liquors as well as Havana cigars was operated by the Delmonico brothers. Its success led them to purchase a triangular plot of land at the intersection of Beaver, William, and South William Streets where, in 1837, they opened the first fine dining restaurant in the country.
Delmonico's offered the unheard of luxury of the availability of private dining rooms (located on the third floor) where discriminate entertaining was the order of the day. The basement held the restaurateur's treasure, the largest private wine cellar in the city, holding an impressive 16,000 bottles of the world's finest wines. It was during these early years that Chef Alessandro Felippini began to develop the restaurant's culinary identity with the house special, Delmonico Steak.
In 1862, Charles Ranhofer was named Chef de Cuisine inventing many original dishes during his time at Delmonico's. He is most noted for his innovative creations, Eggs Benedict, Baked Alaska, and Lobster Newburg. These dishes remain on the Delmonico's menu today.
A regular patron of the restaurant, Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, finding nothing to her liking and wanting something new to eat for lunch, discussed this with Delmonico’s Chef Charles Ranhofer (1836-1899), Ranhofer indulged her with Eggs Benedict. He has a recipe called Eggs a' la Benedick (Eufa a' la Benedick) in his cookbook called The Epicurean published in 1894.:
Eggs à la Benedick - Cut some muffins in halves crosswise, toast them without allowing to brown, then place a round of cooked ham an eighth of an inch thick and of the same diameter as the muffins one each half. Heat in a moderate oven and put a poached egg on each toast. Cover the whole with Hollandaise sauce.
Before Delmonico's , diners ate at cafes or boarding houses, where food was offered prix fixe. Diners had no choice of dishes but ate the food that was served. Delmonico's changed all that and claims the following firsts:
* The first dining establishment called by the French name restaurant * The first restaurant where guests sat at their own tables instead of communal tables * The first printed menu * The first tablecloths * The first debutante ball outside a private home * The first restaurant to offer a leisurely lunch and dinner * Oysters Rockefeller * Lobster Newberg, first called Lobster Wenberg * Baked Alaska in honor of the acquisition of the Alaskan territories * Eggs Benedict * Delmonico potatoes * Delmonico steak * Hamburger (known then as the Hamburg Steak) *First use of the expression that something is "86'd"
(since the Delmonico Steak was item 86 on the menu and, when sold out, it was "86'd")
A good idea can be had in more than one place and more than one time. The following story appeared in the December 19,1942 issue of the weekly New Yorker Magazine "Talk of the Town" column and is based on an interview with Lemuel Benedict the year before he died:
In 1894, Lemuel Benedict, a Wall Street broker, who was suffering from a hangover, ordered “some buttered toast, crisp bacon, two poached eggs, and a hooker of hollandaise sauce” at the Waldorf Hotel in New York. The Waldorf’s legendary chef, Oscar Tschirky, was so impressed that he put the dish on his breakfast and luncheon menus after substituting Canadian bacon for crisp bacon and a toasted English muffin for toasted bread.
I wondered what, exactly, is a "hooker" of hollandaise? It's not what one might think... it's a boat, a boat of hollandaise. The boats are often noted for their strong sharp bow and sides that curve outward like 'the breast-bone of a water fowl' Compare! In another account, Craig Claiborne, a writer for The New York Times Magazine and famous cook book author, wrote in a September 1967 column about a letter received from Edward P. Montgomery, an American living in France at the time. In the letter, Montgomery detailed a dish that was created by Commodore E.C. Benedict. Commodore Benedict was a banker and yachtsman who died in 1920 at the age of 86. The dish created by Commodore Benedict was Eggs Benedict. The commodore claims that the recipe had been given to him by his mother who had received it from the commodore’s uncle.
In November of the same year, Mabel C. Butler of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts responded to Mr. Montgomery’s letter to The Times requesting a correction to the story. Her story was the “true story” of how Eggs Benedict came to be, a retelling of the Delmonico's stpry above. In Ms. Butler’s story, the creation of Eggs Benedict was well known to the relatives of Mrs. Le Grand Benedict, of whom she was one. Her version included a truffle on top.
A fourth origin of the dish is in food historian, Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking, where she writes about a traditional French dish named œufs bénédictine, consisting of brandade (a puree of refreshed salt cod and potatoes), spread on triangles of fried bread. A poached egg is then set on top and napped with hollandaise. This story would also explain the continental syntax, where the adjective follows, rather than precedes, the noun.
Mrs. Isabella Beeton's Household Management had recipes in the first edition (1861) for "Dutch sauce, for benedict" and its variant on the following page, "Green sauce, or Hollandaise verte", so Eggs Benedict undoubtedly precedes the New World stories above. In 1859–1861, she wrote a monthly supplement to The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine In October 1861, the supplements were published as a single volume, The Book of Household Management Comprising information for the Mistress, Housekeeper,Cook, Kitchen-maid, Butler, Footman,Coachman,Valet,Upper and Under House-Maids,Lady's Maid, Maid-of-all-Work,Laundry, Nurse and Nursery maid, Monthly, Wet Nurse, and Sick Nurses, etc. etc.—also Sanitary, Medical,; Legal Memoranda: with a History of the Origin, Properties, and Uses of all Things Connected with Home Life and Comfort.
While all of these stories are entertaining, it is most likely that the dish is a Lenten or meatless dish evolved from Renaissance times.
Now presenting How To Make Truffled Eggs Benedict...
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