Friday, April 12, 2013

What's for dinner?

In addition to my collection of cookbooks, I have some vintage French menus.  Some of these are framed and are on the kitchen wall.  I love them.  They're all hand written and beautifully decorated and I find it really interesting to see what was being served all those years ago.

One I have is dated for today, 12th April, but in 1919 but sadly I don't know where the meal was eaten or what it was for.  It was not long after the end of the first World War so it's a pretty impressive menu.  I love the mystery surrounding it and I'm a little envious of the Spring vegetable soup - it was obviously a warmer Spring in 1919!

Here's my translation of it.  My apologies for any mistakes!


Potage Printanier, a spring vegetable soup

Soles La Vallière, sole, I guess cooked in the style of "La Vallière" (perhaps something favoured by Louise de La Vallière?)

Filet du Boeuf aux Morilles, fillet of beef with morels

Asperges Sauce Mousseline, asparagus with a hollandaise sauce

Poularde à la Lucullus.  A fattened hen, served with a garnish of truffles

This is followed by Glace Manon, Fruits and Desserts


It's certainly more elaborate than what we had for dinner!


2 comments:

  1. Wow where did you get that Cat? That was 9 days before my Dad was born - I don't think they were eating that well oop in North Yorkshire on the farm but they would definitely have had plenty of fresh butter, vegetables and meat! Do you think that might have been Glace Marron (one of Henry's favourites) as the r they use earlier looks a bit like an "n"? Then they would have had other desserts too and fruits! Maybe it was for a special home-coming or a birthday or something!

    Is the menu something you found in this neck of the woods? The asperges have been delicious so far this year.

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  2. Thanks Valerie. It certainly doesn't look like a regular meal, I wondered if it was for a wedding I thought it could be 'Marron' but it definitely looks like an 'n'. I can't think what it is though.

    Strangely my Mum found the menu (and several others) at their local antique shop in Castle Cary about 6-7 years ago. It was the same shop and the same time that she got our agricultural plaques from Vire and St Sever - they're almost home now!!

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