Food Foibles
In times of prosperity and plenty it's easy to be picky about food.
During the winter of 1870 Paris was beseiged for 130 days. (The damned Prussians this time.)
While other foods may have run out, their reserves of gastronomic panache still permitted some extraordinary menus. On Christmas Day (99th. Day of Siege) a top restaurant excelled itself with this offering:
l'ane = donkey
Here is the full menu:
ours = bear chameau = camel chevreuil = deer loup = wolf
chats & rats are indeed cats & rats
I was delighted to note that, a week or so later, the American ambassador was gracious enough to accept the invitation to this fine feast:
Napoleon III and Bismark chat about things,after the Battle of Sedan (Pruss. 1 - Fr. 0 )
Napoleon, evidently somewhat peeved that he was about to be sent into exile - to England - couldn't get over that English butcher buying up the entire Paris zoo just before the Siege started, and selling it back as steaks.
During the winter of 1870 Paris was beseiged for 130 days. (The damned Prussians this time.)
While other foods may have run out, their reserves of gastronomic panache still permitted some extraordinary menus. On Christmas Day (99th. Day of Siege) a top restaurant excelled itself with this offering:
l'ane = donkey
Here is the full menu:
ours = bear chameau = camel chevreuil = deer loup = wolf
chats & rats are indeed cats & rats
I was delighted to note that, a week or so later, the American ambassador was gracious enough to accept the invitation to this fine feast:
Napoleon III and Bismark chat about things,after the Battle of Sedan (Pruss. 1 - Fr. 0 )
Napoleon, evidently somewhat peeved that he was about to be sent into exile - to England - couldn't get over that English butcher buying up the entire Paris zoo just before the Siege started, and selling it back as steaks.