SC - Chicken Feet

[LrdRas@aol.com]

I know that Vatel only played two weeks in Los Angeles
and New York.  However, according to the list of Oscar
nominees, Vatel is up for a "Art Direction" Oscar.  A
very worthy nominee it is too!  Hopefully, the
distributors of this film will bring it out again, so
everyone can see how wonderful it is.  If they do, run
[don't walk] to see this movie.  You won't regret it.

Huette

- --- Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> wrote:
> Hullo, the list!
> 
> I managed to sneak off and see a showing of "Vatel"
> earlier this
> evening, and I wish to add my recommendations, such
> as they are, to
> Huette's. As I've mentioned before, Vatel is
> probably the patron saint
> of the SCA event steward and cook, although a
> post-period contemporary
> of people like La Varenne, Digby and Pepys. 
> 
> Most of what is known, historically, about Vatel is
> the circumstances of
> his death, which the movie actually obscures a bit
> in an attempt to
> flesh out the character, add social and personal
> motivation to the
> character in addition to professional ones which are
> known from
> contemporary accounts. The film manages to make this
> bare-bones incident
> a little more complex, and whether this approach is
> any closer to the
> truth I can't say, but I hope that referring to the
> historical figure in
> this way hasn't spoiled the movie for anyone. 
> 
> Be that as it may. What I enjoyed most about the
> film was what appeared
> to be accurate portrayals of a modern French cuisine
> in its
> semi-infancy. Among other things, there are shots of
> brioche being
> kneaded in the traditional manner, puff pastry being
> made and worked
> with, a huge batch of duxelles being made to fill
> pie shells in lieu of
> absent meat, and a mysterious substitute for custard
> made from sugar and
> cream, which, we are assured, will whip up just like
> egg whites.
> Amazing! It's mentioned in an offhand way that this
> is an old recipe
> from Chantilly. Oh, and some absolutely stunning
> on-camera sugar work.
> It's as if Vatel is some kind of time-traveller from
> the era of Careme,
> sent back to usher in the age of modern French
> cookery.
> 
> Of course, everybody knows that that was really La
> Varenne who did that.
> ;  )
> 
> I can't think of anybody who put in a bad
> performance, and Tim Roth
> proves that his
> "sleazeball-in-an-ornate-powdered-wig" act, as also
> seen
> in "Rob Roy" was not a fluke. 
> 
> Costumes appear to my untrained eye to be excellent,
> and sets and props
> are amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone
> interested in food and with
> a chance to see it.
> 
> Now, does anybody if there's any truth to the rumor
> that Gerard
> Depardieu is really the illegitimate son of Karl
> Malden? As he gets
> older... well, see for yourself.
> 
> Adamantius 
> -- 
> Phil & Susan Troy
> 
> troy at asan.com


=====
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they 
shall never cease to be amused.

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