Mme. Hermine Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 [Thread title edited by AT so it will be more easily found in the future] Seriously! I'm using capital letters for this! Has anyone ever seen "The Ballet Cookbook" by Tanaquil LeClercq? Well it's got 424 pages (it's sitting in front of me) and anecdotes about and recipes from (whether really or not) many many dancers/choreographers in the mid-60s. I have to think that a few paragraphs' quoting is okay in fair use, but Alexandra, please let me know if it isn't. *************************** "Henning Kronstam cannot think of any food that he really dislikes eating. He doesn't "care too much for all the English specialties, like kippers for breakfast, the puddings, or turkey (only the dark meat)." He doesn't enjoy mixed drinks. But he doesl ike both scotch and bourbon served with water. And, "I love beer and drink a lot of it like all Danes. When I'm performing I eat between two and three o'clock and always a steak or a steak tartare. After the performance we dancers usually form a little group and have smorrebrod (open sandwiches) and beer. Then straight home and to bed." Roast Duck 1 3-5 lb. duck Salt Prunes, boiled and pitted Apples, peeled and sliced 1 smoked tenderloin of pork, diced 3 tbs. flour 2 cups milk, approximately Season duck inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff with prunes, apples and smoked tenderloin of pork. Sew opening of duck. Place duck on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. Add 1 inch water to pan; roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 20 minutes per pound, basting every 20 minutes. Fifteen minutes before duck has finished cooking, pour off juices from pan and let them cool. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for last fifteen minutes of cooking. Skim off all fat from juices. Place juices with flour in pan, stirring over low heat. Gradually add milk to desired thickness, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Serve duck with the sauce, stuffing, small boiled potatoes glazed with sugar and butter, and red cabbage cooked in a little water with vinegar and apples. Serves 2-4. Goose may be prepared in exactly the same way, but it takes somewhat longer as it must cook 25 minutes per pound. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 Sounds like the way my German/Polish great-grandmother used to do it, except that she'd deglaze the pan with a dry red wine and add a few ginger snaps as a thickener, almost like with sauerbraten. This sounds good, too, especially for those who don't care for the "sour" sauce. Link to comment
Mary J Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 According to Alexandra's book, Kronstam was quite an accomplished cook, so I bet this is good. Now I have to look for this cook book, too! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 I interviewed Ann Barzel (a Chicago dance critic) about Kronstam, and she asked me "Did he ever open a restaurant in Majorca?" Apparently that was his plan for retirement back in 1960 (at the age of 25). What other dancers have recipes in that cookbook, Mme. Hermine? Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted December 16, 2002 Author Share Posted December 16, 2002 it's quite a list, Alexandra! ************ Diana Adams Alicia Alonso Sonia Arova Gerald Arpino Frederick Ashton George Balanchine Irina Baronova David Blair Anthony Blum Todd Bolender Lisa Bradley Erik Bruhn Leslie Caron Janine Charrat Yvette Chauvrire Lew Christensen John Cranko Jacques d'Amboise Alexandra Danilova Agnes de Mille Ninette de Valois Anton Dolin William Dollar Felia Doubrovska Natalia Dudinskaya Andre Eglevsky Suzanne Farrell Royes Fernandez Flemming Flindt Margot Fonteyn Carla Fracci Frederic Franklin Melissa Hayden Robert Helpmann Rosella Hightower Jillana Robert Joffrey Tamara Karsavina Nora Kaye Allegra Kent Ruth Ann Koesun Natalie Krassovska Henning Kronstam Tanaquil LeClercq Olga Lepeshinskaya David Lichine/Tatiana Riabouchinska Serge Lifar Anya Linden Lydia Lopokova Conrad Ludlow Nicholas Magallanes Colette Marchand Alicia Markova Patricia McBride Arthur Mitchell Frank Moncion Claire Motte Vera Nemtchinova Nadia Nerina Bronislava Nijinska Rudolf Nureyev Sono Osato Ruth Page Merle Park Mimi Paul Roland Petit-Zizi Jeanmaire Maya Plisetskaya Andre Prokovsky Marie Rambert Jacqueline Rayet Janet Reed Jerome Robbins Herbert Ross Antoinette Sibley Kirsten Simone George Skibine-Marjorie Tallchief Mia Slavenska Michael Somes Maria Tallchief John Taras Nanon Thibon Tamara Toumanova Antony Tudor Violette Verdy Edward Villella Pierre Vladimiroff Patricia Wilde Igor Youskevitch Carlotta Zambelli Vera Zorina ************* You asked! I feel like I just typed a dance encyclopedia! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 Wow! Thank you!!! If they all cooked as well as they danced, this is quite a cookbook! Why doesn't some enterprising board use this for a super fundraising dinner party? (And what a tribute to LeClercq, that all these dancers honored her and contributed to her book!) Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted December 16, 2002 Author Share Posted December 16, 2002 i should think it would be a great candidate for some sort of limited reprint, wouldn't you? i don't think it ever had more than one edition. from what i've had the chance to look at, the recipes are very interesting; quite a few of the more accomplished cooks have more than one recipe and balanchine contributed a large number as well, and of course we knew he was a great cook. the russian specialties are very interesting and arthur mitchell has what sounds like a perfectly *yummy* pork chop recipet! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 I think it would be worth reprinting, but then, I think a lot of things are worth reprinting! There might be a problem with "permissions" though -- since (sadly) most of these people are now dead and their works, including recipes, are in the hands of heirs. It would be a lot of work to track them down, and there may be fees involved. Of course, anyone who's involved in publishing and sees this, please do look into it! Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 This is a charming book, even if you never follow any of the recipes. There are amusing anecdotes and some unusual photographs including one of tiny tot Suzanne Farrell seated at table. She has several recipes in the book: Artichoke Omelet, Zucchini Omelet, Sauerbraten, Liver and Ham Loaf, Hot Potato Salad, Graham Cracker Cake, Filling for Graham Cracker Cake, and something called Pate Oscar. The last is what she used to feed Top and Bottom, her cats at the time. It requires 1 lb. lung, 1 lb. fish, 2 cups cumbled dog biscuits, 1/2 cup tomato juice, and 1 tsp cod liver oil. The book was published in 1966, by Stein & Day, a publisher who unfortunately is no more. Link to comment
Estelle Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 What an impressive list! It's interesting to see the names of Thibon and Motte, they were very young POB principals then (that generation has been a little bit forgotten now)... What a pity such a book is impossible to find now. Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted December 17, 2002 Author Share Posted December 17, 2002 i had a request to post a recipe by balanchine but he's got quite a few in the book! so here's a list and i'll take one request, alexandra gets to pick! ********************* The Do's and Don'ts of Serving Caviar Cucumber Pickles Blini Mushrooms #1 Mushrooms #2 Slow Beet Borschok Speedy Beet Borschok Jellied Borschok Fast Soup #1 Fast Soup #2 Eggs Like Mama Used To Make Fish Dinner for Two Sauerkraut and Tomatoes Sauerkraut and Mushrooms Flounder in Sauerkraut Franks in Sauerkraut Bitotchki in Sauerkraut (Small Meatballs in Sauerkraut) Leg of Lamb in Sauerkraut Barley Kasha Mr. B.'s Sweet Kasha Buckwheat Kasha Coriander Sauce Horseradish Ice Cream Mountain Ash Vodka Banana Sweet Kulichi Paska to the person who requested: your mailbox is full! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Mme. Hermine, is paska the Easter cake? I've read he was famous for that. Otherwise, how about Mr. B's Sweet Kasha? Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted December 17, 2002 Author Share Posted December 17, 2002 morning! paska seems to be a molded dessert, rather than a cake, but most definitely a sweet. would you like that one? Link to comment
Alexandra Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 How about this -- paska or kasha, whichever is shorter to type Link to comment
Juliet Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Paskha is a molded cheese dessert served at Easter, with Kulich, which is the Easter bread. Kasha is buckwheat groats, in this country--I suppose they can be eaten sweet. I agree, this would be a great reprint candidate-- Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Oh that Balanchine! He could never use an idea just once!!! I've also got his Kasha recipe. He re-told it to the pianists Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale in the Gold and Fizdale Cookbook, for a wonderful section called "Cooking with Balanchine." Also included are recipes for Gogl-Mogl, Bitki (ground meat patties), Eggplant Orientale, Georgian Coriander Sauce, Chicken Stew with Coriander Sauce, Borschok Balanchine and Salade Olivier, George Balanchine. I think the fact that he used this kasha recipe twice proves what his detractors have always said. He didn't have an original thought in his head, obviously it was all recycled trash from somewhere else. From the cookbook: While he showed us how to prepare kasha, George told us about the first meal he ever cooked. It was for Diaghilev and dancers of the Ballets Russes in Monte Carlo. Balanchine, only twenty was already a choreographer for the legendary ballet company. His first menu was an ambitious one."I made fillet of sole -- came out mushy; chicken cutlets--mushy, souffle--mushy. Everything looked like kasha; was awful!" Diaghilev, always elegant, turned as he left to the table, where most of the food remained uneaten, and, bowing courteously to each platter in turn, said, "kasha number one, kasha number two, kasha number three, and thank you, George!" Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted December 17, 2002 Author Share Posted December 17, 2002 at your service! ****************************** PASKA 4 packages cheesecloth 10 lbs. unsalted skim milk cottage cheese 9 vanilla beans 3 tbs. sugar 2 cups finely chopped blanched almonds 2 tsp. almond extract 1 lb. salted butter, softened 4 lbs. sweet butter, softened 9 cups sugar 2 dozen egg yolks 1 cup sugar 1 lb. cream cheese 1/4 lb. currants 1 lb. white raisins Wash cheesecloth in boiling water and wring out. Line 3 large colanders with three thicknesses of the cheesecloth leaving excess around sides. Place cottage cheese in colanders, fold cloth over top, and lay inverted plate on top of the cloth. Put heavy weights on the plate and place the colanders on top of bowls to drain at room temperature overnight. Meanwhile prepare the following ingredients for use: slit vanilla beans, scrape out insides and combine with three tablespoons sugar; sprinkle almonds with extract; cream butter and 9 cups of sugar, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored, add sugar gradually and continue beating until well combined. Remove cottage cheese from cheesecloth and, along with the cream cheese, rub through a medium fine sieve into a cauldron. Add the remaining ingredients including the vanilla pods and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Half fill a large roasting pan with water and place over two burners. Place a large trivet on the bottom of the roasting pan and set the cauldron on top of the trivet. Heat, stirring often, until the mixture is heated through, about two hours. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Remove all vanilla pods. Pour mixture into paska molds, flower pots or colanders lined with cheesecloth. Fold cloth over, place weights on top. Set over a bowl, making sure molds are elevated to allow for drainage. Refrigerate three days. Unmold and serve. G. Balanchine Link to comment
Alexandra Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 A great genius must have a cauldron! And probably any chef who can reach into his notions drawer and pull out four packages of cheesecloth will have cauldrons in several sizes. Big oven, too, for the roast suckling pig. Link to comment
Juliet Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 This is obviously a recipe designed to feed the entire ballet company. Good grief....... I only make a couple of these each year and feel rather piddling by comparison....;) Link to comment
Nanatchka Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 I happen to have a copy of this book. I don't for a minute believe most of these people ate these things--or even cooked them--well, maybe the Balanchine recipes and the Farrell cat food--but it's a divine read. By the way, I think Dance Magazine used to publish Christmas receipes from famous figures in dance. They were pretty awful, often involving pineapple and maraschino cherries. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Nan, it's from a different era. People did cook then. I can vouch for Kronstam's duck. He was known for his dinner parties when he was a young man, and I doubt he was the only one. Link to comment
Dale Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Thank you Mme. Hermine for the recipes. I had read about the book, but never saw it. Regarding Farrell and recipes, she contributed a few to Allegra Kent's ballet bodies book. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted December 18, 2002 Share Posted December 18, 2002 I just do one, and I mold it in a plain old terra-cotta flowerpot! It works great! Link to comment
Viviane Posted December 18, 2002 Share Posted December 18, 2002 This cookbook is currently offered on Ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=2900347051 ...sadly, too expensive...to my taste Link to comment
Recommended Posts