Food
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Tarte Tatin
One of these classics in cuisine is the tarte tatin. A simple idea that has stood the test of time, originally made with apple, many chefs today have taken this classic and use pears or many other fruits or even make savoury variations on the theme. But they are still all based on the original dish that was created in the 19th century by Stephanie Tatin.
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Poire Belle-Hélène
This beautifully simple desert marries pears and chocolate with vanilla ice cream. The name comes from “La belle Hélène”, an operetta from Jacques Offenbach and refers to Helen the queen of Sparta (and Troy).
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Brioche
Marie Antoinette, history tells us, said before her death “Let them eat cake”. In fact it was “Let them eat brioche”.
It was most likely that the English misinterpreted brioche as cake, as those familar with brioche know that it is very high in eggs and butter with a little sugar, and so has a cake-like texture.
If you are going to make brioche, you have to do it right, with lots of butter and eggs. (In France they make two types: rich man’s and poor man’s brioche-the difference being the amount of butter and eggs.)