Unper the first kings of France the year commenced on the
ist of March, but during Charlemagne’s reign it was altered to
Christmas-time ; after Hugh Capet it was changed to Easter;
and under Charles IX., the lover of the beautiful Marie Touchet,
the anagram of whose name is “ Je charme tout,” the 1st of
January became New Vears day ; andit was announced all over
Paris with a flourish of trumpets that for the future the 31st of
December would close the year. This was a very good decision,
for January is worthy of being the first month ofthe year; the
winter season blessed by all gourmands now commences. IC
have before my eyes an engraving of the sixteenth century,
where the twelve months of the year are represented by as many
figures.
January is personified by a man at table ; he is eating like
Gargantua, and drinking like Bassompierre, who used to drink
a large butt of wine at one draught to the health of the thirteen
Swiss cantons ; not like St. Macaire of Alexandria, whose saint’s
day is the 2nd of January, for he only used to eat one leaf of
raw cabbage every Sunday ; but much more like Charlemagne.
January is without doubt the great month for eating.
Provisions in season during January.
All butcher’s meat is good, and fattened poultry are in their
prime. Added to the usual game, we have woodcock, larks,
geese, and wild duck. The Mediterranean provides us with
fresh tunny, and all other fish are in perfection. Truffles have
more perfume than at any other time of the year. The first
forced asparagus comes into the markets.
x PROVISION CALENDAR.
FEBRUARY.
In all the old almanacks February is represented by an old
man warming himself; he is poking the fire and shivering like
Méry, who always wished that the summer would come and
spend the winter at Marseilles. This legendary figure seems to
say to us, ‘“ Pray make yourselves comfortable.”
During this month indigestion is the order ofthe day. We
are in carnival time, which Jules Janin translates as “ Adieu to
flesh ;” carnival, with all its follies and intemperarices. Ava-
lanches of truffled fowls and pies of the most tempting .
description come from the sacred places where truffles are
produced. Howisit possible not to succumb? The temptation
is too great! Much eating conduces to much drinking, and
this can never be more safely done than before Lent ; the
military man is able to carry his wine; the southerner need
not fear sunstroke, and the northerner does not get into a fog
The great gastronomical battle always takes place during Shrove
tide ; after which the gastronomical year may be said to close,
and a little diet is most necessary; Lent might almost be called
the gourmand’s holiday.
Provisions in season during February.
We have all the same as in January, with the exception of à
few more forced vegetables. Butcher’s meat continues in per-
fection. Game is scarcer, but excellent. The plump white
woodhens are at their best, particularly those from Bains, in the
Vosges ; and we must not forget to shed a tear for the redbreast,
which we are deprived of having at ourtables by the gentlemen
of the Museum of Natural History, who have forbidden their
being killed. These professors have most assuredly never
tasted this little bird, or they would never have issued this law.
MARCH.
Repose is as much the result of a well-organized digestion
as of a quiet mind. The fatigues ofthe carnival are only a
PROVISION CALENDAR. xi
Page 3
Presented as published in 1884. 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
Under the first kings of France the year commenced on the ist of March, but during Charlemagne’s reign it was altered to Christmas-time ; after Hugh Capet it was changed to Easter; and under Charles IX., the lover of the beautiful Marie Touchet, the anagram of whose name is “ Je charme tout,” the 1st of January became New Vears day ; and it was announced all over Paris with a flourish of trumpets that for the future the 31st of December would close the year. This was a very good decision, for January is worthy of being the first month of the year; the winter season blessed by all gourmands now commences. IC have before my eyes an engraving of the sixteenth century, where the twelve months of the year are represented by as many figures.
January is personified by a man at table ; he is eating like Gargantua, and drinking like Bassompierre, who used to drink a large butt of wine at one draught to the health of the thirteen Swiss cantons ; not like St. Macaire of Alexandria, whose saint’s day is the 2nd of January, for he only used to eat one leaf of raw cabbage every Sunday ; but much more like Charlemagne. January is without doubt the great month for eating.
Provisions in season during January.
All butcher’s meat is good, and fattened poultry are in their prime. Added to the usual game, we have woodcock, larks, geese, and wild duck. The Mediterranean provides us with fresh tunny, and all other fish are in perfection. Truffles have more perfume than at any other time of the year. The first forced asparagus comes into the markets.
x PROVISION CALENDAR.
In all the old almanacks February is represented by an old man warming himself; he is poking the fire and shivering like Méry, who always wished that the summer would come and spend the winter at Marseilles. This legendary figure seems to say to us, ‘“ Pray make yourselves comfortable.”
During this month indigestion is the order of the day. We are in carnival time, which Jules Janin translates as “ Adieu to flesh ;” carnival, with all its follies and intemperances. Avalanches of truffled fowls and pies of the most tempting . description come from the sacred places where truffles are produced. Howisit possible not to succumb? The temptation is too great! Much eating conduces to much drinking, and this can never be more safely done than before Lent ; the military man is able to carry his wine; the southerner need not fear sunstroke, and the northerner does not get into a fog The great gastronomical battle always takes place during Shrove tide ; after which the gastronomical year may be said to close, and a little diet is most necessary; Lent might almost be called the gourmand’s holiday.
Provisions in season during February.
We have all the same as in January, with the exception of à few more forced vegetables. Butcher’s meat continues in perfection. Game is scarcer, but excellent. The plump white woodhens are at their best, particularly those from Bains, in the Vosges ; and we must not forget to shed a tear for the redbreast, which we are deprived of having at ourtables by the gentlemen of the Museum of Natural History, who have forbidden their being killed. These professors have most assuredly never tasted this little bird, or they would never have issued this law.
Repose is as much the result of a well-organized digestion as of a quiet mind. The fatigues of the carnival are only a
PROVISION CALENDAR. xi