Friday, February 27, 2015

Books & Bakes February

photo by Sir Cecil Beaton, 1938


If you squint, don't I sort of, kind of, look like Gertrude? I even have a poodle! My Alice B. Toklas is Mirtha (just the cooking part), and I'm getting ready to have another group over to discuss Monique Truong's novel The Book of Salt. Because the book is about a Vietnamese chef who works for the legendary couple, our menu is both French and Vietnamese. We'll start with Pate and Gherkins and French cheese and crackers while sipping on a French rose. Dinner is a Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Shrimp, Beef or Vegetable Pho and Tofu Bahn Mi. For dessert I've shined up my rusty French pastry skills (another life) and made a Vacherin with Berries and some Ginger Black Peppercorn French Ice Cream. I won't divulge what happened to my first meringue.  Did it burn in our ancient oven that predates Gertrude herself? I'll never tell. I told you that I'm rusty, a far cry from this gal who cooked in a four-star New York City restaurant back in the day under one of those maniacal pastry chefs you read about and an equally maniacal French-Swiss-Hong Kong chef who yelled so much, his white face turned pink and his tall chef's hat nearly blew off with the steam from it. Never at me, though. Never.






The ice-cream base nearly boiled over, too, but I saved it in the nick of time, and it's now sitting in an ice bath, slices of ginger and tiny multi-colored peppercorns steeping away. Oh, la, la.

Wish you were here.

15 comments:

  1. I wish I was there too. Perhaps one day.

    Have a wonderful evening!

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  2. If I took the Red Eye......?!!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  3. That picture of you! Oh my god!
    You are a woman of so many diverse and deep talents. You are the boss of me, baby.

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  4. I tried the squinting thing and um no, you are much prettier. Sorry. Have fun. I agree with Angella, this is perfect for you. I would come but I fear I'd sit in the corner and be intimidated by everyone's brilliance! To be a fly on the wall though...

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  5. Me too! I'll have to read the book on my own instead. It's a long commute.

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  6. The ice cream sounds wonderful, and that's a great smile under your toque!

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  7. Oh, the book sounds marvelous. I will have to read it. I love the photo of them, but, uh, NO, even if I squint you are not Gertrude. You are much too feminine and she is fabulously butch. I'm sure you've had a wonderful gathering by now...French Rose is the best! xo

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  8. Wow, that sounds incredible! "The Book of Salt" is sadly one of the books we've recently lost from the library. No one knows where it's gone. I guess we need to order a replacement because I haven't had a chance to read it yet.

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  9. Oh, right. Like you'd be the butch. Hah! I love this photo of Gert and Alice. What a magnificent room! What awful wallpaper! And I know your evening must have been lovely and delicious, cooked up by your brave butch heart and served by your beautiful femme self.

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  10. Well....Your poodle,Valentine, looks the part anyway.
    The evening was genius, the food divine. Vacherin, vacherin, vacherin is my new mantra.

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  11. Sounds fabulous. Wish we were close enough to drive over, eat and talk and get to know each other in "real" life. x0 N2

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  12. PS -- "Wallpaper" is a very good name for this photo.

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