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Epic Cooking: The Perfect Cook: Difference between revisions

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Maybe this is how he got his culinary expertise?
Maybe this is how he got his culinary expertise?


In his formative years, which he most likely spent in some Jesuit school, the Tribune must have been made to read classic epics, such as Homer's ''Illiad'' or Vergil Maro's ''Aeneid''. He wold later refer to the latter as "my friend Maro",<ref>A. Mickiewicz, ''op. cit.'', Book IV, verse 977</ref> even though he probably knew the <i>Aeneid</i>'s plot from scholars' commentaries rather than from the epic itself. Mickiewicz too, no doubt, had to read the same classics, in their 18th-century Polish translations, as a schoolboy. And while he didn't think very highly of these translations' poetic value, they must have left a deep impression on his memory. Take, for example, this excerpt from Book XI of ''Pan Tadeusz'':
In his formative years, which he most likely spent in some Jesuit school, the Tribune must have been made to read classic epics, such as Homer's ''Iliad'' or Vergil Maro's ''Aeneid''. He wold later refer to the latter as "my friend Maro",<ref>A. Mickiewicz, ''op. cit.'', Book IV, verse 977</ref> even though he probably knew the <i>Aeneid</i>'s plot from scholars' commentaries rather than from the epic itself. Mickiewicz too, no doubt, had to read the same classics, in their 18th-century Polish translations, as a schoolboy. And while he didn't think very highly of these translations' poetic value, they must have left a deep impression on his memory. Take, for example, this excerpt from Book XI of ''Pan Tadeusz'':


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And now compare it with the initial verses of the second book of the ''Illiad'':
And now compare it with the initial verses of the second book of the ''Iliad'':


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The rhyme is the same, but here we've got the god of all gods making plans for the Trojan War, while there we have a simple nobleman making plans for a dinner. Mind you, it's not the only such parallel; in fact, much of  ''Pan Tadeusz'' is a parody of an 18th-century Polish translation of the ''Illiad''. Interestingly, Mickiewicz is most likely to paraphrase Homer when he's writing about the Tribune. This is no coincidence; for every time the Tribune gets busy in the kitchen, we're in for some epic cooking!
The rhyme is the same, but here we've got the god of all gods making plans for the Trojan War, while there we have a simple nobleman making plans for a dinner. Mind you, it's not the only such parallel; in fact, much of  ''Pan Tadeusz'' is a parody of an 18th-century Polish translation of the ''Iliad''. Interestingly, Mickiewicz is most likely to paraphrase Homer when he's writing about the Tribune. This is no coincidence; for every time the Tribune gets busy in the kitchen, we're in for some epic cooking!


== "A Dear Souvenir of Righteous Customs" ==
== "A Dear Souvenir of Righteous Customs" ==
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|<poem>"<i>What the Tribune's perusal makes known, without fail
|<poem>"<i>What the Tribune's perusal makes known, without fail
The skilled cooks at once carry all out to the letter.</i>"<ref>A. Mickiewicz, ''op. cit.'', Book XI, verses 126–127</ref>
The skilled cooks at once carry all out to the letter.</i>"<ref>A. Mickiewicz, ''op. cit.'', Book XI, verses 126–127</ref>
Szkic młodego Jacka Malczewskiego (1871).</poem>]]
Sketch by Jacek Malczewski (1871).</poem>]]


Skąd Wojski czerpał pomysły na różne wymyślne dania, które miały się złożyć na ostatnią ucztę staropolską? Otóż nie polegał ani na własnej pamięci, ani na domowych notatkach, tylko ostrożnie sięgnął po starą, wydaną drukiem, książkę kucharską.
Where did the Tribune get his ideas for all the dishes to be served at the last Old Polish feast from? Well, he didn't rely on his own memory, nor on any home recipes, but he carefully reached for an old printed cookbook.


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W przypisie Mickiewicz dodaje, że to "książka teraz bardzo rzadka, przed stukilkudziesiąt laty wydana przez Stanisława Czernieckiego".<ref>A. Mickiewicz, ''op. cit.'', objaśnienia poety</ref> I&nbsp;tu pojawia się problem. Książka kucharska pod tytułem ''Kucharz doskonały'' rzeczywiście istniała, ale jej pierwsze wydanie ukazało się dopiero w&nbsp;1783&nbsp;r., a&nbsp;więc nie "przed stukilkudziesiąt laty", a&nbsp;niespełna pół wieku przed ''Panem Tadeuszem''. Co więcej, jej autorem wcale nie był Stanisław Czerniecki; był to przekład francuskiej książki ''La cuisinière bourgeoise'' Menona dokonany przez Wojciecha Wielądkę, który poza tym z&nbsp;branżą gastronomiczną mało miał wspólnego. Zamiast przepisów kuchni staropolskiej, Wojski znalazłby więc w&nbsp;niej tylko francuskie nowinki kulinarne.  
In a footnote, Mickiewicz adds that it's "now a very rare book, published over a hundred years ago by Stanisław Czerniecki."<ref>A. Mickiewicz, ''op. cit.'', Poet's explanatory notes, own translation</ref> And this were it gets tricky. A Polish cookbook entitled ''Kucharz doskonały'' (''The Excellent Cook" or ''The Perfect Cook'', depending on how you translate it) did exist, but it was first published only in 1783, which was less than half a century rather than "over a hundred years" before ''Pan Tadeusz''. What's more, it wasn't written by Stanisław Czerniecki (pronounced ''stah-{{small|NEE}}-swahf churn-{{small|YET}}-skee''). It was ''La cuisinière bourgeoise'' by Menon that was translated into Polish and published by Wojciech Wielądko (pronounced ''{{small|VOY}}-chekh vyeh-{{small|LAWND}}-kaw''), a man who otherwise had little to do with the catering business. All the Tribune would have found there were French culinary novelties rather than time-honoured Old Polish recipes.


[[File:Compendium ferculorum.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1
[[File:Compendium ferculorum.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15
|"''Książka teraz bardzo rzadka, przed stukilkudziesiąt laty wydana przez Stanisława Czernieckiego.''"<ref>A. Mickiewicz, ''op. cit.'', objaśnienia poety</ref><br>Egzemplarz ''Compendium ferculorum'' Stanisława Czernieckiego otwarty na dedykacji autora do księżnej Heleny Tekli Lubomirskiej.]]
|"''Now a very rare book, published over a hundred years ago by Stanisław Czerniecki.''"<ref>A. Mickiewicz, ''op. cit.'', Poet's explanatory notes, own translation</ref><br>A copy of ''Compendium ferculorum'' by Stanisław Czerniecki opened on the author' dedication to Princess Helena Tekla Lubomirska.]]


A Czerniecki? On, owszem, był doświadczonym kuchmistrzem, organizatorem magnackich bankietów na tysiące osób i&nbsp;autorem pierwszej drukowanej polskiej książki kucharskiej. Ale ta książka – a&nbsp;właściwie książeczka, bo rzeczywiście można ją było zmieścić, jak zrobił to Wojski, w&nbsp;zanadrzu – nosiła łacińsko-polski tytuł: ''Compendium ferculorum albo Zebranie potraw''. I&nbsp;właśnie w&nbsp;niej, jak zobaczymy jutro, można znaleźć przepisy na wszystkie specjały, które Wojski zaserwował na soplicowskiej uczcie.  
A Czerniecki? On, owszem, był doświadczonym kuchmistrzem, organizatorem magnackich bankietów na tysiące osób i&nbsp;autorem pierwszej drukowanej polskiej książki kucharskiej. Ale ta książka – a&nbsp;właściwie książeczka, bo rzeczywiście można ją było zmieścić, jak zrobił to Wojski, w&nbsp;zanadrzu – nosiła łacińsko-polski tytuł: ''Compendium ferculorum albo Zebranie potraw''. I&nbsp;właśnie w&nbsp;niej, jak zobaczymy jutro, można znaleźć przepisy na wszystkie specjały, które Wojski zaserwował na soplicowskiej uczcie.  
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