I just had to copy this poem by Edmond Rostand, from Cyrano de Bergerac, translated by Anthony Burgess. It made me laugh...and hungry. Spoken by poet/pastry chef Ragueneau:
A Recipe for Making Almond Tarts.
Poised on steady legs,
First your poet begs
Several eggs.
Froth them to a mousse,
And then introduce
Lemon juice.
Shimmering like silk,
Aromatic milk
Of almonds will c--
--ome next. And next prepare
Pastry light as air
To coat with care
Each pretty pastry mold,
Which sweetly will enfold
The liquid gold.
Smile--a father, fond,
Wave your fiery wand,
Bake till blond.
Melting mouths and hearts,
Ummmmm, saliva starts--
Almond tarts!
HAHAHAHAHA! Love it! I can't believe it took me this long to read Cyrano. I've adored the story ever since I saw the film, starring Gerard Depardieu, in high school French class. Then, of course, there's Roxanne, which is actually more true to the spirit of the original play, being very comedic (the former is just a touch too dramatic). I'm really enjoying the artful language (Rostand is truly a gifted linguist), and the adaptation is brilliant! It's somewhat Shakespearean...full of double entendres, dueling playrights and poets. Hmm, maybe I'll even take a stab at reading it in French!
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