Mainly for creating feasts of a similar magnitude…
She opened with a turtle soup and a light aperitif. Not my particular favorite starter, but a nice rich broth-y soup to whet the appetite.
Next, she served Blinis Demidoff with a classic champagne. Yes, please!
I believe the next course was her centerpiece, the Caille en Sarcophage. And the Clos Jouveau (mental note to find that out, for knowledge’s sake - I do know that young Erik calls it Clo Juvo in the subtitles).
She cleansed the palates with a light salad. The quick glances we see seem to have endive and other lettuces and possible walnuts on top.
Then the cheeses and some water to clear out the tastes.
She finishes with a lovely cake Baba au Rhum dressed with cream, liqueur and fruit as well as a large and significant fruit tray.
Finally, coffee and a port (?) to finish.
Debra Ollivier has assembled some recipes for a couple of the dishes which I will add below:
Blinis Demidoff
Olllivier takes her recipe from Chicago’s Theater Oobleck (included in Entre Nous, see link above). In the movie, Babette definitely tops her blinis with caviar, creme fraiche and chopped onion. Blini at your own risk.
Baba au Rhum
1 package yeast
1/3 cup warm milk
2 1/3 cups sifted flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 2/3 cups sugar
6 eggs
5 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dark rum
candied fruits or thinly sliced almonds for decoration
Dissolve yeast in milk in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup of the flour, cover, and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
Beat 7 tablespoons of the butter in a food processor (or equivalent, as I do believe Babette did not have a Cusinart in Denmark). Add two tablespoons of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the flour. Then beat in the eggs one at a time.
Beat remaining flour into the risen yeast mixture; then beat in the butter and egg mixture to form a thick , doughy batter. Butter a large baba or Savrin mold (modern day: Bundt pan) with a tablespoon of butter, then spoon batter into the mold. Cover with a clean cloth and set aside to rise until dough reaches the top of the mold.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake baba for 40 minutes until golden brown on top.
Meanwhile, combine remaining sugar and water in a saucepan and boil until syrupy and reduce to about 3 cups. Remove from heat and stir in rum.
After baba is removed from the oven, spoon warm rum syrup over it entirely, allowing it to saturate the cake completely.
Let cake cool and then unmold and decorate with fruits or nuts.
Serves about 8.
…..Now if only I had a Bundt pan!
1. Do I really want people to read this blog?
2. Why is my chest all congested?
3. Should I go check out the acupuncture place up the street?
4. How can I get my apartment in order?
5. Is there really room in my apartment for another person to live here?
6. Is there really room in my life for another person to live here?
7. Will I ever get a good night’s sleep in this apartment?
8. Why do I constantly start projects and leave them hanging?
9. Am I defeating the purpose by doing this on the computer?
10. Am I having second thoughts about even being able to complete this?
11. How do I find more spontaneity in my life?
12. How do I include more creativity?
13. How much sleep is enough?
14. Why do birds fly south for the winter?
15. Why don’t other animals?
16. Why didn’t I realize that a lot of animals migrate?
17. How can I satisfy my love of fashion and be frugal?
18. Will I be able to retire by the time I’m 40?
19. Will I ever buy those lovely Rebecca Taylor sandals I saw in a magazine?
20. Will I ever actually take my drawing and design classes?
21. Will I get my act together this semester?
22. How can I keep myself motivated to do all of the things that I want to do in my life?
23. What is my mental block against exercising?
24. Will there come a day when there are no more movies left to watch?
25. Could I really live an austere life?
26. What are my basic values?
27. Do I square away my values with my interests?
28. Can they be different?
29. If I had to pick just one of my dream careers, which would it be?
30. Should I answer these questions some day?
31. Could I be a vegetarian?
32. Could I give up chocolate?
33. Why don’t I have a better plan for my time?
34. If I skipped a question would anyone notice?
35. Is frugal living better for one’s happiness?
36. Could I really manage a dog?
37. Could I really manage children?
38. How many children do I want?
39. Can I live my life in accordance with my broader social values and my love for the earth?
40. Will I wake up one day and see all of the damage we have caused to the earth?
41. Will I ever live on the water?
42. What is it about water that makes me feel so happy and calm?
43. What is it about wind that makes me feel engulfed?
44. What is my true style?
45. Will my new computer ever get here?
46. Will I ever get to live in France?
47. In San Francisco?
48. Is there anywhere else that I would really like to live?
49. What are the millions and millions of people in the city doing right now?
50. How do artists get their inspiration?
51. How do they keep their motivation?
52. Why is long-term commitment to projects so difficult?
53. Why is it so hard to pick a favorite activity or a first priority?
54. What will be my cause celebre for my life’s work?
55. Do I have to pick just one?
56. Could I become a food critic in my spare time?
57. Who would listen to any opinion that I would have?
58. Why is there so much bad food in the world that people actually pay good money for?
59. Why isn’t there a better BBQ place in my neighborhood?
60. Why isn’t Indian food easier to replicate in my home kitchen?
61. When will my boyfriend ever get here?
62. Will I like living with another human being?
63. Would I like to have fish?
64. Or birds?
65. Could I pull it off at Pratt?
66. Or Parsons?
67. Will I actually try kayaking this year?
68. Or horseback riding?
69. What is the new Sex and The City, really?
70. Do I have an addictive personality?
71. Or obsessive compulsive?
72. Or anal retentive, for that matter?
73. Do I have to pick just one?
74. Would I do best working from home?
75. Do I need to get out more?
76. How do I commit myself more to the issues I care about when I am exhausted and barely able to keep up with my academic obligations?
77. Will I be able to continue this blog?
78. Will I be able to become a fashion designer?
79. Why do the neighbors run up and down the stairs and drive me insane all day?
80. Why do I listen to everything that is going on around me including the conversation I’m actually engaged in?
81. Can a person be too introspective?
82. Or too open about their faults?
83. Or totally blind despite that apparent openness?
84. Will I ever solve my financial woes?
85. Will the credit card debt dissolve?
86. Will I ever own a pair of Christian Louboutins?
87. Will I ever not care who designed the shoes I wear?
88. Can a person really truly be happy?
89. Is asceticism required for letting go?
90. What does one say to a psychoanalyst?
91. Why is healthcare so expensive?
92. Why don’t I know an acupuncturist so that I could be treated for free?
93. Why can’t I stop eating the foods that I know are bad for my skin?
94. Will I ever have clear skin again?
95. Why don’t macrobiotics eat fruit?
96. Why does organized religion make things so complicated?
97. What are my real spiritual beliefs?
98. Can one not practice anything and still be part of the spiritual world?
99. How can I replicate the feeling of being on a mountain top while in New York City?
100. Will I ever be done?
Sipping a glass of pomegranate cider in my skivs; nibbling on a bit of organic milk chocolate truffle in the afternoon. Sheer delight. And a lovely entree into the latest project for this space of mine.
I have made several attempts to start following the “How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci” program (by Michael Gelb) which actually codifies a lot of what I find worthy in life. I find myself constantly amazed at the world around me, thinking of what a certain pattern of moving cars would look like from above, or how a child would perceive some newfangled creation, or what I felt the first time I saw a sunset, cat, homeless person, etc.
One shouldn’t need a book, let alone an entire step by step program, to rekindle fascination with the world, appreciation of sensual and sensuous pleasures, and intellectual curiousity. But, I am a self-proclaimed self-help addict with undertones of anal retentiveness. I use plans and schedules like a parapalegic uses her wheelchair. They are my main source of mobility, and frankly, I feel stranded without them. (Another quality I’m perpetually trying to rid myself of in a positive fashion).
And so, today, a day without new Netflix treats, I will begin to transcribe my developments here, in addition to my film chatter and in and out food and wine chatter as well.
I have to learn how to archive by topic, since I also want to include some simple living chatter as well and it would be nice to be able to organize (for myself) these missives. I’m sure it’s just a google or a ‘help’ click away.
