In the mid-18th century, in the town of Commercy in France, a maid baked some lightly sweet, spongy, clam-shaped tea cakes for a feast held by the Duke of Lorraine (and exiled King of Poland), Stanisław Leszczyński. Stanisław was charmed by the delicate little cakes and decided to name them for the young woman who created them. Her name was Madeleine Paulmier, and madeleines have been a part of French cuisine ever since.
Among literary types, they are most famously associated with Marcel Proust’s unreadably dull masterpiece, “A Remembrance of Things Past.” July 14 is Bastille Day, a day marking the revolution when the people of France, following the lead of America, overthrew their king. In honor of the occasion, we thought we’d take a look at some of the people behind well-known French dishes.
The information comes from a family history website, myheritage.com . Pommes Anna are enjoying a bit of a resurgence in popularity, or at least they would if I had anything to do about it.
The dish is made from layers of thinly sliced potatoes pressed together with plenty of butter, baked in a hot cast-iron skillet and then flipped so it has a nice, crispy brown top and a soft interior. The dish was created by chef Adolphe Dugléré at the Café Anglais in Paris during the reign of Napoleon III (1852-1870). The chef named the dish for Anna DesLions, who was a famous courtesan of the time.
You know, a fancy prostitute. Crêpes Suzette has to be one of the best-known Fren.