On Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:14:10 -0500, Michel Boucher wrote:

> Christine Dabney > wrote in
> :
>
>> I should remind all of you, that bechamel did NOT originate in France,
>> but in Italy. It was brought to France by Catherine di Medici's
>> cooks, when she married the King of France. It was then adopted by
>> the French.
>
> There is another, more plausible, story of origin for the béchamel.
>
> It was created by Louis de Béchameil, Marquis de Nointel, maître d'hÔtel of
> Louis XIV, and a renowned gourmet.
>
> It is said he perfected a smaller sauce developed by François Pierre de la
> Varenne, cook to the Marquis d'Uxelles, which itself was a development of
> the cream based Tuscan "salsa colla" brought to France by Catherine de
> Médicis in the 17th century.
>
> http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauce_b%C3%A9chamel

oh shit, the frogs have taken over wikipedia!

your pal,
blake