A la Franqaise is, curiously enough, a surname which is
j applied to the least typical preparations, some of them not
rarely the result of a fanciful eclecticism. It should be
more and more specialized and retained for the many
exquisitely French preparations which, like omelettes, pdtds,
and cdtelettes, are distinctly autochthonous in France.
The French themselves love to surname dishes after
some peculiarities favoured in the ancient provinces ; thus
we get :
A la Provengale, which generally means a dish prepared
^ with more or less of olive-oil, and flavoured with garlic ;
not rarely both ingredients are used at the same time.
A la Pdrigord is applied to dishes flavoured with or con-
6
82
THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY
sisting of tribffies, from the circumstance that these mush-
rooms grow in that province of excellent size and quality.
A la Normande generally indicates that aioples enter into
the composition of the dish in some shape or other : to this
rule the matelote only makes an exception, which is a fish-
ragoM of which a particular modification is popular in
Normandy.
A la Daiiphinoise generally implies that a dish is braised,
sauced over with a thick sauce, crumbed, and perhaps sauced
or egged and crumbed twice over, and then fried. This
surname was originally derived from the Dauphinde, and not
from the Dauphin, a royal crown-prince of France, as has
been erroneously supposed by those who have termed
analogously prepared dishes d, la Boyale, etc. This latter
expression possesses no specific significance at all.
A la Boiirguignotte generally signifies a dish prepared
with the addition of red wine of Burg^indy, or of Bordeaux,
or of the Midi — i.e., meridional provinces of France. At
Bordeaux, or when made elsewhere with Gironde wine, the
dish would of course bear the surname h la Bordelaise.
Surnames derived from French towns are numerous, but
not very significant, thus :
A la Parisienne is applied to dishes which are generally
luxuriously prepared, and overladen with expensive gar-
nishes, as will be demonstrated by several examples lower
down ; but they possess little or no specificity.
The French kitchen has some exquisitely descriptive
and well-understood surnames, which ought to be main-
tained, as being generally adopted ; such are the following :
A la jardiniere — this signifies a typical collection of
cooked vegetables given in soups, ragouts, and removes.
A la printaniere also implies a typical collection of
cooked early vegetables, but has, contrary to origin, a some-
what wider application than the foregoing.
A la macddoine is also applied to typical collections of
CULINARY PROCESSES
83
green vegetables, mostly in white sauce ; it includes collec-
tions of ripe fruit imbedded in jellies. Such a dish may be
called a macedoine simply, as a dish of vegetables may also
be termed a jardiniere ; on the other hand, a printanihre
is not usual.
A la maitre d’hdtel generally signifies a dish prepared
by a substantial, but homely, modest sort of cooking.
A la Girard is a surname derived from the name of a
culinary assistant or under-cook, who, having prepared a
dish which was to have been placed before and named
after Madame de Maintenon (like the otherwise nondescript
cdtelettes which are made to bear her name nowadays),
thought it not good enough to bear that name, and gave it
his own. Hence a muddled or miscarried dish is sometimes
sarcastically termed h la Girard.
Page 64
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
À la Française is, curiously enough, a surname which is applied to the least typical preparations, some of them not rarely the result of a fanciful eclecticism. It should be more and more specialized and retained for the many exquisitely French preparations which, like omelettes, pâtés, and cotelettes, are distinctly autochthonous in France.
The French themselves love to surname dishes after some peculiarities favoured in the ancient provinces ; thus we get :
À la Provençale, which generally means a dish prepared with more or less of olive-oil, and flavored with garlic; not rarely both ingredients are used at the same time.
À la Périgord is applied to dishes flavoured with or con-
sisting of truffles, from the circumstance that these mushrooms grow in that province of excellent size and quality.
À la Normande generally indicates that apples enter into the composition of the dish in some shape or other : to this rule the matelote only makes an exception, which is a fishragoM of which a particular modification is popular in Normandy.
À la Dauphinoise generally implies that a dish is braised, sauced over with a thick sauce, crumbed, and perhaps sauced or egged and crumbed twice over, and then fried. This surname was originally derived from the Dauphine, and not from the Dauphin, a royal crown-prince of France, as has been erroneously supposed by those who have termed analogously prepared dishes à la Royale, etc. This latter expression possesses no specific significance at all.
À la Bourguignotte generally signifies a dish prepared with the addition of red wine of Burgundy, or of Bordeaux, or of the Midi—i.e., meridional provinces of France. At Bordeaux, or when made elsewhere with Gironde wine, the dish would of course bear the surname à la Bordelaise.
Surnames derived from French towns are numerous, but not very significant, thus:
À la Parisienne is applied to dishes which are generally luxuriously prepared, and overladen with expensive garnishes, as will be demonstrated by several examples lower down ; but they possess little or no specificity.
The French kitchen has some exquisitely descriptive and well-understood surnames, which ought to be maintained, as being generally adopted ; such are the following :
À la jardinière—this signifies a typical collection of cooked vegetables given in soups, ragouts, and removes.
À la printanière also implies a typical collection of cooked early vegetables, but has, contrary to origin, a somewhat wider application than the foregoing.
À la macédoine is also applied to typical collections of
green vegetables, mostly in white sauce ; it includes collections of ripe fruit imbedded in jellies. Such a dish may be called a macedoine simply, as a dish of vegetables may also be termed a jardiniere ; on the other hand, a printanihre is not usual.
À la maître d'hôtel generally signifies a dish prepared by a substantial, but homely, modest sort of cooking.
À la Girardd is a surname derived from the name of a culinary assistant or under-cook, who, having prepared a dish which was to have been placed before and named after Madame de Maintenon (like the otherwise nondescript cotelettes which are made to bear her name nowadays), thought it not good enough to bear that name, and gave it his own. Hence a muddled or miscarried dish is sometimes sarcastically termed à la Girard.