dream in March, and Châteaubriand always told Madame
Recamier that the most beautiful half of our lives was composed
of our memories. We must religiously recommence to enjoy
the rich gifts which are provided for lovers of gastronomy. We
have kept Lent amongst our traditions, simply to give historical
pleasure to St. Matthew, St. Mark, and Pope Telesphore, not
forgetting the lovers of the God “7752.” No one looks on Lent
with sadness. À peasant, who had once been a rich man's
servant, was heard to say, “I cannot fast, it is far too ex-
pensive ; for to fast you must have water game, Geneva trout,
carp from the Rhine, forced fruit and vegetables, truffles and
champagne” The peasant was perfectly right, for surely the
meals of some of our most religious devotees cannot be put
under the category of “ Abstinence.”
Provisions in season during March.
Butcher’s meat is not quite so good, but it is the effect of
spring weather on the cattle. We have to fall back onthe sea
for our resources, not by throwing ourselves into it from a rock,
like the unhappy Sappho, but by welcoming myriads of turbot,
brill, soles, lobsters, and especially oysters, which are better now
than at any other time of the year. Hens begin to lay abun-
dantly, and we have forced asparagus, artichokes, radishes,
lettuce, peas, French beans, and cauhflowers.
APRIL.
Palm Sunday and Easter are generally celebrated in this
month, and so naturally we come to the Pascal Lamb ; other
lambs meekly fall under the butcher’s knife, and hams present
themselves under the triple banner of Vork, Mayence, and
Bayonne. Three cheers for the pork-butchers ! No wonder that
even poets have sung in their praises. Butcher’s meat begins to
improve and the first outdoor vegetables, such as asparagus and
green peas, gladden the hearts of kings and peasants. In contra-
distinction to these earthly constellations, we are rejoiced by
the sight of a sea star, namely, mackerel, which is so frequently
xil PROVISION CALENDAR.
dressed maître d'hôtel. Kings have often in vain named towns
and monuments, but mackerel à la maître d’hôtel is a dish for
all centuries. The shad leaves the sea, and comes up the rivers,
to try and console us for the loss of game and good poultry.
It is true we are still a little under the shadows of Lent, but
nature is waking us up to more joyous feelings. Vege-
tables and many-coloured flowers refresh our eyes, and
we have arrived at the season when our superior feelings
of justice must decide against those of the poultry-yard, as
regards spring chickens. Mackerel are usually the avant-
couriers of sturgeon, which latter fish you can at present buy
very cheaply in Paris, no doubt from its having caused many
an indigestion when larded with filets of eel and anchovy and
basted with thick crayfish sauce.
Provisions in season during April.
The same as in March, with the exception of a few more
vegetables.
May.
This month is often called the month of Mary, without any
prejudice to August, which is not only the special month dedi-
cated to the Virgin, but also to the Emperor Augustus. During
May lovers and gourmands are of the same mind, the markets
try to vie with nature, and deck themselves out gaily with spring
chickens, youngfowls, and the adorable duckling from Rouen and
Nantes, all of which come to gladden our eyes. Amiable tame
pigeons, tender as doves, are especially abundant and good just
now, they mingle so gracefully with green peas and make a most
delicious dish. Fresh morels make their appearance with their
sweet perfume and flavour; dear amiable, juicylittle morelswhich
are so easy ofdigestion.
Page 4
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
dream in March, and Châteaubriand always told Madame Recamier that the most beautiful half of our lives was composed of our memories. We must religiously recommence to enjoy the rich gifts which are provided for lovers of gastronomy. We have kept Lent amongst our traditions, simply to give historical pleasure to St. Matthew, St. Mark, and Pope Telesphore, not forgetting the lovers of the God “7752.” No one looks on Lent with sadness. À peasant, who had once been a rich man's servant, was heard to say, “I cannot fast, it is far too expensive ; for to fast you must have water game, Geneva trout, carp from the Rhine, forced fruit and vegetables, truffles and champagne” The peasant was perfectly right, for surely the meals of some of our most religious devotees cannot be put under the category of “ Abstinence.”
Provisions in season during March.
Butcher’s meat is not quite so good, but it is the effect of spring weather on the cattle. We have to fall back onthe sea for our resources, not by throwing ourselves into it from a rock, like the unhappy Sappho, but by welcoming myriads of turbot, brill, soles, lobsters, and especially oysters, which are better now than at any other time of the year. Hens begin to lay abundantly, and we have forced asparagus, artichokes, radishes, lettuce, peas, French beans, and cauliflowers.
Palm Sunday and Easter are generally celebrated in this month, and so naturally we come to the Pascal Lamb ; other lambs meekly fall under the butcher’s knife, and hams present themselves under the triple banner of Vork, Mayence, and Bayonne. Three cheers for the pork-butchers ! No wonder that even poets have sung in their praises. Butcher’s meat begins to improve and the first outdoor vegetables, such as asparagus and green peas, gladden the hearts of kings and peasants. In contradistinction to these earthly constellations, we are rejoiced by the sight of a sea star, namely, mackerel, which is so frequently
xil PROVISION CALENDAR.
dressed maître d'hôtel. Kings have often in vain named towns and monuments, but mackerel à la maître d’hôtel is a dish for all centuries. The shad leaves the sea, and comes up the rivers, to try and console us for the loss of game and good poultry.
It is true we are still a little under the shadows of Lent, but nature is waking us up to more joyous feelings. Vegetables and many-coloured flowers refresh our eyes, and we have arrived at the season when our superior feelings of justice must decide against those of the poultry-yard, as regards spring chickens. Mackerel are usually the avant-couriers of sturgeon, which latter fish you can at present buy very cheaply in Paris, no doubt from its having caused many an indigestion when larded with filets of eel and anchovy and basted with thick crayfish sauce.
Provisions in season during April.
The same as in March, with the exception of a few more vegetables.
May.
This month is often called the month of Mary, without any prejudice to August, which is not only the special month dedicated to the Virgin, but also to the Emperor Augustus. During May lovers and gourmands are of the same mind, the markets try to vie with nature, and deck themselves out gaily with spring chickens, youngfowls, and the adorable duckling from Rouen and Nantes, all of which come to gladden our eyes. Amiable tame pigeons, tender as doves, are especially abundant and good just now, they mingle so gracefully with green peas and make a most delicious dish. Fresh morels make their appearance with their sweet perfume and flavour; dear amiable, juicy little morels which are so easy ofdigestion.