(from La Revue du Vin de France, train reading)

During the Prussian siege of Paris at Christmas 1870, things were
pretty tough. The Commune government made things easier
by providing free wine for all, but even the Bourgeoisie was hungry,
and the various zoos were raided to provide meat. This menu
survives from the Café Voisin, rue St. Honoré (my translation):

Hors-d'oeuvres:

Butter, with radishes
Stuffed Donkey's head
Sardines

Soups:

Purée of red beans with croutons
Elephant Consommé

Starters:

Fried Bait Fish
Roasted Camel in the English fashion
Kangaroo stew thickened with blood
Roasted Bear chops with Pepper Sauce

Main Corps:

Little thigh of Wolf with Roe Buck sauce
The Cat, flanked by Rats
Watercress Salad
Terrine of Antelope with Truffles
Cèpes in the Bordeaux fashion
Buttered Peas

Sweet:

Rice Pudding with Jams

Dessert:

Gruyere cheese

A menu fit for a king, considering that Elephant trunk was selling for 80 FF/kg,
or even a rat of 50 cm for 3 FF, not to mention 8 francs for the cat.

Interesting that the cheese was served after the sweet.

A tough menu to match, you say? Mais, pas de tout! The wines:

First service:

Sherry
Ch. La Tour Blanche 1861
Chateau Palmer 1864

Second service:

Ch. Mouton Rothschild 1846
Romanée Conti 1858
Bollinger on ice

Great port from 1827 (no producer given)

and of course coffee and liqueurs.

Life is easy with a good cellar. My only question is, did the English eat much camel?

-E


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Emery Davis
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Emery Davis wrote:

Incredible stuff, Emery!

> Life is easy with a good cellar. My only question is, did the English eat much camel?

I was going to ask you the same question.

Mark Lipton
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Mark Lipton > wrote in
:

> Emery Davis wrote:
>
> Incredible stuff, Emery!
>
>> Life is easy with a good cellar. My only question is, did the
>> English eat much camel?
>
> I was going to ask you the same question.
>
> Mark Lipton

Well, it's certainly available now:
http://osgrow.com/index.php?document=9

"Camel has a sweet mutton like taste and is imported from Africa..."

d.
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"Emery Davis" > skrev i melding
...
(from La Revue du Vin de France, train reading)


Main Corps:

Little thigh of Wolf with Roe Buck sauce
The Cat, flanked by Rats
Watercress Salad...

Forgive the foreigner - but is not Corps misspelt? Corpse? Course?
Anders

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 03:15:56 +0000 (UTC)
enoavidh > wrote:

> Mark Lipton > wrote in
> :
>
> > Emery Davis wrote:
> >
> > Incredible stuff, Emery!
> >
> >> Life is easy with a good cellar. My only question is, did the
> >> English eat much camel?
> >
> > I was going to ask you the same question.
> >
> > Mark Lipton
>
> Well, it's certainly available now:
> http://osgrow.com/index.php?document=9
>
> "Camel has a sweet mutton like taste and is imported from Africa..."

Ah, this web site gives us some insight as to how Aussies prepare camel.

But how does an Englishman do the deed? And would he accept 30 year
old Bordeaux as the match of choice? (I expect a brash Shiraz from Oz
might do better, but presumably that wasn't an option in 1870s Paris!)

-E

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On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:58:52 +0200
"Anders Tørneskog" > wrote:

>
> "Emery Davis" > skrev i melding
> ...
> (from La Revue du Vin de France, train reading)
>
>
> Main Corps:
>
> Little thigh of Wolf with Roe Buck sauce
> The Cat, flanked by Rats
> Watercress Salad...
>
> Forgive the foreigner - but is not Corps misspelt? Corpse? Course?

OK Anders, you got me. This was actually Freudian typing, but I noticed it
and left it in as a feeble attempt at humour). Course would be correct,
"corps" means body in French, or "body of people" (as in Marine Corps)
in Henglish. Not very precisely, no doubt.

Hope all is well with you, we haven't seen you much here lately.

-E

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Emery Davis
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