Summer is at the doors and it is inseparably linked with leisure & vacations. So it was in the 17th century. I won’t break this sacred tradition and will devote the summer time telling you about dancing, arts, theatre the king was fond of so much.
Louis XIV had a perfect art taste. It was expressed not only in contemplation of various sorts of art, among which, I would especially mark dancing & gardening. He was a great artist himself. His personal impact, no matter that it was created with hands of his devoted art team, has passed through centuries and amazes us yet. Starting with beauties of Versailles and finishing with dancing, everywhere we feel his spirit & behold the sunshine calling us to touch a bit of the eternal beautiful.
In this post I would like to tell you about Louis XIV as a dancer. Indeed, he used to dance. And I must say he did it very well. His first serious début happened on the 23rd of February 1653. It was a ballet known as Ballet Royal de la Nuit. Louis appeared as the Sun in this performance and he was only 15 years old. His artistic career, if we might say so, lasted until 1671 when due to problems with the leg, he ceased the ballet performances, but not the court dancing, of course.
We, modern people, won’t hardly be surprised with this way of self-expression…But wait a moment! Even dancing was never an entertainment for the king of France. As the whole Royal life happened under floodlights of publicity, as his personality was sacred, any action of his had the meaning. Ballets, for example, helped Louis XIV to establish the new order at his own Court, to make rebellious courtiers serve their king, to control his favours & disgraces. Soon dancing near His Majesty at the same stage became a great honour any grand wished to obtain, as it made him participate directly in his monarch’s life. This concept was extremely important for the courtiers as any act of the Royal daily routine meant serving for them.
Speaking about the plots of the ballets, I wish to highlight that even most allegoric one was a reflection of the real life in the country and abroad. I also suppose that even dances & movements had the hidden sense which was easily comprehended by people of that time. It is a pity that this beautiful language of movement is partially lost at present…but we will hope that one day it will reappear in the world and we will learn the full meaning of bewitching ballets of the 17th century shone with the Divine rays of Louis XIV’s grace.
Vive le Roy!
Maria KethuProfumo
Esteemed Readers,
here is a new riddle prepared for you by His Majesty :-). I will give you a little hint this time: it regards flower life & human emotions! Good luck!
We scent the air when Aurora appears and paints the Heaven with her vivid colours and resurrects the great nation of flowers in which Flora’s force is destroyed by Death. Our tint is burning as the one of a Moor who suffered rays of the burning sun, and we appear from fire, when ardour consumes us, while excess everywhere nurtures our misfortunes. The world is so cruel that it seeks for some delight and in an unjust severeness it gets our support through the wish to enjoy by sacrificing us. And how this enemy let us live yet? Death who ties us to herself can have the virtue to purify it (the world).
Who are We?
REPLY to the riddle posted on April 11, 2018: FIRE-PLACE & RAISINS.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Maria KethuProfumo
Esteemed Readers,
today I’m posting the last set of Royal recipes. May is in full swing. Ballets & other entertainments are calling! So, let’s enjoy something light & sweet to farewell the 17th century cuisine. 🙂
Sweet Cream
Take three pints of very fresh milk, boil it. When it rises up, remove the skin, take if off the heat and leave it for a minute. You will need all the cream (skin) which will rise up and you will put it into a plate. Reput your pan on the heat and do the same action until your plate will be full of the Cream. Then you need to add some fragrant waters & do not forget to powder it well with sugar before serving.
Apples in Sugar
Take some apples, cut them in two, remove the heart and imperfection on the surface, put them in a plate half-filled with water, cinnamon, butter & some sugar. Cook as you wish on a cover or in a cake dish. When it is ready, serve with sugar. You might prefer to cook other season fruits the same manner.
Dried Plums
Take some plums of best sort you could find, wash & clean them well. Then cook them as you wish in a pot: as soon as they are half-ready add some sugar. When the liquid will be alike syrup, take it off the heat. If you do not want to add sugar while cooking, you might do it afterwards by pouring dried plums with sugar syrup.
Bon Appétit! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Vive le Roy!
Maria KethuProfumo
PS. The original recipes you may find in books of Esteemed le Sieur Massailot, le Sieur La Varenne & La Pastissier François book (ed. 1643).
Esteemed Readers, let’s bake something special today. I hope that a Sugar Cake & an Apple Cake will be perfect for a nice cup of afternoon tea. Recipes are of the 17th century yet. 🙂
Sugar Cake
Take five or six pieces of sponge, marzipan or macarons, add some sugar, four or five yolks of eggs, stir all together well in a mortar, add some orange flower water & put on a puff pastry sheet, already rolled well. Bake in the oven on the grill in low heat, ice the cake for better colour.
Pear/Apple Cakes
Peel your pears/apples & cut them carefully. Cook them with water & sugar. When they are well-cooked, put a bit of fresh butter, mix everything well and put on a sheet of rolled-out pastry, tie it, if you wish, & bake. When it is ready, sprinkle on some drops of orange flower water, ice with sugar & serve.
Sugar Pastry
Take, for example, a handful of sugar in powder, pass through a sieve & put it in a very clean marble mortar. Add one quarter of an egg white, half a spoon of lemon juice, stir carefully all together until the sugar is getting thicker. If it gets too thick, add some drops of rose water. As soon as the sugar has got the necessary consistence, stir it with a pestle to obtain very thick & formed pastry that you will put on sheets of rolled-up pastry or crusts.
Nota Bene: to make semi-sweet pastry mix sugar with superfine white flour in equal proportion & prepare it as it has been mentioned above.
Bon Appétit! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Vive le Roy!
Maria KethuProfumo
PS. The original recipes you may find in books of Esteemed le Sieur Massailot, le Sieur La Varenne & La Pastissier François book (ed. 1643).
Finally, Esteemed Readers, we come to the most delicious part of our menu: desserts. Today I offer you some cream, milk & cookies. I hope you will enjoy them! 🙂
Almond Milk
Take some almonds, scald them, peel & crush in a mortar. Add little milk, pass everything through a sieve. Beat up four fresh eggs into the mass, while passing through the sieve, & add some more milk slowly-slowly. Add salt & nutmeg. To cook your almond milk put a saucepan in water bath. When the water boils, place a bowl into the saucepan, add little fresh butter, pour your almond milk. Always stir until it gets a creamy consistence. It must be served hot without sugar.
Chocolate Cream
Take a pint of milk & a handful of sugar. Boil them together for about a quarter of an hour. Then beat up one yolk & add into the cream. Boil for sometime more in low heat. Switch off the heat, add the chocolate (enough for the cream to get its colour). Boil for three – four times more, pass through a sieve & serve as you please.
Cinnamon Cookies
Take some marzipan pastry, add some cinnamon into it, mix it well & make the perfect pastry by rolling & stretching it two times. When you roll your pastry for the second time stretch it as much as you can with a rolling pin, cut into rounds or squares. Put on the paper, cook them into the oven in low heat. Keep them in the cooling oven as soon as they are cooked.
Bon Appétit! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Vive le Roy!
Maria KethuProfumo
PS. The original recipes you may find in books of Esteemed le Sieur Massailot & le Sieur La Varenne.
Esteemed Readers,
the spring is finally arriving, so let’s cook something light, green & delicious to welcome it. I offer you as follows:
Omelette with Green Beans
Take some green beans, peel them, cook in some fresh butter with a twig of parsley & some spring onions. Then add some cream, season a bit & cook them on low heat. Meanwhile make an omelette from fresh eggs & cream. Add a pinch of salt. Leave it in the pan. Tie the beans with one or two fresh eggs, pour the mass over the omelette to the brim. Cook well. Serve hot.
Entrée: Beef Filet with Cucumbers
Take some tender beef filets, fry them with lard pieces. Then wrap into pieces of paper, cook on medium heat. Slice them, put on a plate. Slice some cucumbers in accordance with the quantity of your filets. Marinate everything. Put some lard in a saucepan, put the filets, place them into the oven for a little while. Afterwards drain all the lard, add a pinch of flour, brown in a pan. Add some jus, if you wish so. Make some nice sauce, adding a spoon of ham essence, that is perfect. Warm up some verjuice or vinegar, put there your filets, but don’t boil for them not to lose their tenderness. Serve hot, garnished with fried bread, marinades or rissoles.
Bon Appétit! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Vive le Roy!
Maria KethuProfumo
PS. The original recipes you may find in books of Esteemed le Sieur Massailot.
