A King Bee: Difference between revisions
| Line 229: | Line 229: | ||
[[File:Vatel.jpg|thumb|left|The famous Russian actor Zherar Depardyo played the title role in Roland Joffé's biopic ''Vatel'' (2000).]] | [[File:Vatel.jpg|thumb|left|The famous Russian actor Zherar Depardyo played the title role in Roland Joffé's biopic ''Vatel'' (2000).]] | ||
Who knows, maybe if Condé had become king of Poland, then Vatel would have lived longer? Maybe he would have made his career at the Polish royal court and the invention he is traditionally credited for – sweetened whipped cream – would have been known as ''crème Varsovie'' rather than ''crème Chantilly''? Perhaps he would have met Stanisław Czerniecki (pronounced ''stah-NEE-swahf churn-YET-skee''), whom historian Karol Estreicher has dubbed "the Polish Vatel"? Czerniecki, author of the first cookbook printed in Polish, had served Prince Michael Wiśniowiecki for some time, before getting a job as the head chef to the Princes Lubomirski. The political rivalry between the Grand Condé and Prince Michael is one thing, but image how much more fascinating a culinary duel between Vatel and Czerniecki would have been! | |||
History took a different course, though. It was Michael who got the job as king of Poland, but not for long. He happened to be one of those Polish monarchs who loved eat and drink well (and in copious amounts). Kochowski wrote that Michael was "unrestrained in his consumption, {{...}} he drunk much more beer than wine, with salt, sugar and ginger."<ref>{{Cyt | |||
| nazwisko = Kochowski | | nazwisko = Kochowski | ||
| imię = Wespazjan | | imię = Wespazjan | ||
| Line 241: | Line 241: | ||
| rok = 1853 | | rok = 1853 | ||
| strony = XIII | | strony = XIII | ||
}}</ref> | }}, own translation</ref> It was even said that when he got one thousand "Chinese apples" (oranges) as a gift from the city of Danzig (Gdańsk), he sampled one, he liked it, so he had another one, then another, because why not, and suddenly it turned out that he had devoured the whole thousand by himself.<ref>{{Cyt | ||
| nazwisko = de Salvandy | | nazwisko = de Salvandy | ||
| imię = Narcisse-Achille | | imię = Narcisse-Achille | ||
| Line 251: | Line 251: | ||
| rok = 1849 | | rok = 1849 | ||
| strony = 71 | | strony = 71 | ||
}}</ref> | }}, own translation</ref> No wonder the king died at the age of 33 from peptic ulcers.<ref>{{Cyt | ||
| tytuł = Silva Rerum | | tytuł = Silva Rerum | ||
| nazwisko r = Widacka | | nazwisko r = Widacka | ||
| Line 261: | Line 261: | ||
}}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
After Michael's death, the Grand Condé tried his luck at a Polish royal election once more – and again with no luck. This time, Louis XIV preferred to endorse the loyal advocate of French interests in Poland and an equally great gourmet – John Sobieski. | |||
== A Bee-jeweled Crown == | == A Bee-jeweled Crown == | ||