[Sca-cooks] Caneles website translation

[emma at protege.sca.org]

I do not remember who provided this link to the french site, but thank you!

Here is a further translation by an online translator...I apologize in
advance when language gets confusing in places I've tried to clean it up
as best I could, my French is descent...not great.  The parts at the end
are most amusing and worth getting to the end.

emma dandelion


http://www.sansfin.com/additions.php?p=600&c=1

Delicious item of intelligence and of humor!

------------------------.

" Origin and usage of the Canelés of Bordeaux "

Exploration of archives, archeological searches, nothing comes to confirm
the shed hypothesis according to which the cannelé would have seen the
light of day in the convent of the Ladies of the annonciade, to Bordeaux,
to the XVIIe century.  Towards the same era, the corporate body of the
canauliers starts with the one of the confectioners and sellers of roast
meat, a difficult living together that not harms at all to the blooming of
the profession in 1785, one does not count less than 39 canauliers in
Bordeaux.  The original takings is improved to the XXe century by an
anonymous artist and, from that time, the cannelé readied itself to
multiples usages.  This polyvalence, allied to an astonishing plasticity,
not being without inducing, to the occasion, some unpleasentness...

Recently, the press announced an upheaval of the gastronomiques customs of
the Parisians and Marseillais.  Of course, as one another again are not
converted to the wine and always drink Beaujolais and Coasts-of-Provence,
but the civilization marks points and one finds henceforth to consume of
our cannelés by the Seine and on the Old one Lay.  It is necessary to
congratulate himself for this success all while regretting that our
southern compatriots decided to rechristen our municipal pastry of a name
smelling of good the Canebière.  One will forgive them this lexical
acclimation, the habit of the misappropriations of substantives is at this
natural point at their place that they claim to be Phocean.

The Ladies of the Annonciade

This interesting new pose once of more the problem of the origin of the
cannelé.  All was said on this one, but the mystery remains entire.  The
legend more tenacious gives rise to this pretty cake in the cooking of the
convent of the Ladies of the Annonciade of Bordeaux at the end of the
XVIIe century.  What in is it exactly?  The recent refurbishment of this
convent, in the local of which installed itself in 1995 the regional
Direction of the cultural Matters, was preceded of a country of
archeological searches.  No not among the numerous ordinary objects
exhumed ground and dateing back to the modern period did resemble a grinds
to cannelé.  The révérendes mothers in they never possessed?  One can in
to doubt to the reading of their archives of the second half of the XVIIIe
century, preserved to the regional Archives of the Gironde, as well as the
one of the Clarisses of which the convent had been met to the them.

The religious facts very uniformly to repair their cooking battery, their
dinanderie, as well as their tin crockery, but never does not figure in
the lists of instruments and receptacles some molds for cannelé.  What it
was located sister/nun pastery cooks and pastry amateurs and other sweets
in the convent and in his entourage does not do nevertheless no doubt. 
Mister Martin, supplier of the establishment, bill uniformly in the years
1770 to Madam Lamolère his treasury, fine cinnamon, soft, bitter almonds
and in shell, hazelnuts, bark of orange one and of lemon, girofles, dry
grapes, brown sugar...  The food system in the house of Bordeaux must be
very tolerable, the Mother Marries Touges, for example, that the bore for
seventy years not itself some is too poorly reach.  She dies March 27 1785
eighty-nine years old, the canon Boyer that famous its funerals receives
in honorary of mass a basket of four jam accounts/books.  The occasions
are not rare for Mister Boyer and its colleagues to set off again loaded
convents of greediness.  For the Holy jeanne, the same year 1785, the
canon received equally four jam accounts/books, the preacher of this party
again more better is treated, it takes a cake of almonds of a book and a
tourte of the same weight, a bowls of apple jelly, a jelly of other melon,
a third one of dry jam, a dish of pears and of apples reinettes fried.  In
of other occasions this always are jams, but also of the « maquarons » and
of the « twist », that reward the returned services to the sisters/nuns by
Mister Boyer and its colleagues, but of cannelé it never is question.



The canauliers of Bordeaux

The cannelé remains an absent distress of the modern dictionaries. 
Nevertheless, in the very precious Dictionary of Trévoux appears the
canole, specialty of Dismiss solid in a bread « that is done with the
purest flour, & yellow part of the egg.  » Doubtless this produced which
that one sells at Bordeaux since the XVIIe century under the name of
canaule, that one finds written as both canaulé and canaulet? it consumes
himself in such quantity as of the craftsmen are specialized alone in
their  manufacture: they are called Canauliers.  These craftsmen are
rather powerfully organized itself in a corporate body and to endow itself
with statutes that records the Parliament by a returned stop February 8
1663.  The statutes authorize the Canauliers to prepare blessed bread,
canaules, retortillons and échaudés, without that it be for them possible
to use of « compounded dough », what is to say in the composition of which
ones enters milk and of sugar, reserved ingredients to the pasta prepared
by the confectioners of which the corporate body moved itself competition
of the canauliers.

The living together between the « bread Bakers blessed, Canauliers,
Gostiers & Pancoussiers » and the masters « Confectioners and sellers of
Roast meat » does not put a time no problem.  At the begining of the
XVIIIe century nevertheless, the offences of the first ones to the
regulation are done more and more frequent, sugar is not anymore a rare
commodity in a city that specializes itself in the importation of colonial
products, his price not more a guaranteed sufficient to reserve it to the 
confectioners alone.  In 1732, following a disagreement, the canauliers
obtain from the Jurats I AUTHORIZATION to use compounded pasta to make
their products.  This revolution returns therefore to allow for them to
prepare and sell pastries.  At the end of a long procedure, the
confectioners, that attack this decision are nonsuits in front of the
Parliament by a returned stop March 22 1738.

Strong of these successes, this are the canauliers that, from this date,
take the offensive.  In 1752 they do to seize two masters confectioners,
Terrein and Méric, that made and proposed to the public of the blessed
bread.  The Jurats relaxes them January 22 1752 and condemns the
canauliers to the expense.  In call in front of the Parliament, the
sentence of the municipal magistrates is broken, defense is done to the
confectioners to do the commerce of some bread or reserved cake to the
canauliers.  One is well far time where the confectioners claimed to
regulate the composition of the dough that had to use their « enemies »,
nevertheless they hope again there to reach and follow their action in
justice even in front of the King.  A stop of the state Counsel returned
to Versailles March 3 1755 nonsuits them definitively.

The corporate body of the canauliers prospers henceforth to this point
that a edict of the month of March 1767 limits to eight the number of
authorized masteries for the city.  It regulates of more harshly ACCESSES
to the profession.   To the coming from a period that cannot be less than
to two years in becoming them canauliers must present a teacher to work
under to become a master.  Thus, for example, first June 1767, John
Lamesure is received in the corporate body after examination by the Bayles
of the community of his teacher to work under, solid in four fournées,
sçavoir an of bread beny, including the three imperial pieces, a canolles,
an of retortillons and cookies and an of chaudelets...  » The examiners,
after to have deliberate, decide to 1' unanimity that Lamesure « has the
capacity to be received as a master in this and that the dough of the
retortillons étoit well done, cook by the way, the accessories stop and
small retortillons and other selections well do, the bread bless and the
imperial pieces well do and cook by the way, the canolles well done and
well conditioned just like the chaudelets...  »

As for the number of the masters canauliers their limitation to eight
never was respected.  As it was usage in those cases, and when it some
existed the possibility, the craftsmen were going to install themselves in
the suburbs to the harbors of the city and in the sauvetés for all while
respecting the law, to cross it in all impunity.  In 1785 one did not
count less than thirty nine canauliers in Bordeaux, of which ten were
installed alone in the Holy suburb seurin.  The Revolution eliminates as
all the corporate bodies the one of the canauliers but not the profession,
directories continue to signal the shops of the canauliers and bakers in
blessed bread, even squarely Terror.

The canaules or canoles of the former System, are they the ancestors of
our cannelés, that certain orthographient besides canelés and again
canelets?  That seems likely, but these canaules did they resemble as for
forms for them to the cannelés?  That appears on the other hand stongly
improbable.  No text, inventory after deaths of canaulier, shop inventory,
not more than the archives of the corporate body of the mending of old
works in iron and copper, do not refer to the molds again less to the form
of the mold in which these were cooked the productions of the canauliers.


The eclipses XIXe century and the return to the following century

During the XIXe century the canauliers disappear from the list of the of
bordeaux craftsmen.  Doubtless they must have assimilated themselves to
the confectioners, this so much more easy than this era the profession of
the latter transforms itself.  They specialize themselves in the
manufacture of the cakes and abandon to the restaurant keepers the one of
the roasts, pâtés and other works in crust that constituted to the origin
the bulk of their activity.  The arrival to Bordeaux under the Restoration
of big confectioners and swiss chocolate makers accelerates, even if the
term can appear paradoxical, this conversion.  The canaules, cakes rustic
by excellence, then must disappear from the laboratories of these
confectioners.  Alcide Bontou, the pope of the of bordeaux gastronomie at
the end of the century, does not mention even their existence in his
famous cooking treaty bourgeois.

To which era the canaule does she be republished under his current form of
cannelé?  The question always remains put.  The an assert that the cannelé
existed before the Big War, the others that it appears only between the
two wars.  The testimony of born persons to the all beginning of the
century that do not remember any never to have known Bordeaux without
cannelés inclines in favor of the theory of the first ones.  The memories
are they nevertheless very reliable?  One can astonish themselves the fact
that Jacques The Tanner cantor distinguished of the of bordeaux
civilization of the years 1920-1930, is unaware of him also the cannelé in
its famous one of bordeaux Hours, appeared work in 1924 in which it
consecrates nevertheless some lines to the ceremony of tea.

Although the exact date to which it, this genius inspiration, is unknown
and which that it was, a confectioner that had preserved or rediscovered
the dear takings to its distant predecessors the canauliers the
fashionable remit in the first quarter of the century.  It the améliora
while adding to his dough rum and vanille.  A vague homophonie him donna
she the idea to confer to this modest cake the appearance that we know for
him again today?  She evokes without protests the Doric one without bases,
harsh and temperate expression of an architecture that one had dared to
use for the religious structures, military officers or judicial but never
previously in the domain of the pastry.  His brown color, obtained by the
effect of caramelization on the part cake in contact with the grinds,
underlines the strictness of his drum outline of column to flutings to the
lively fishbones and of bunker to the Montalembert.  More again than the
cannelé himself that, by definition, fleeting east, grinds it in which it
cooks constitutes an object all as finished one as the wood to shoes or
the pallium of the bishops of which person would not think to change the
form.  Poorly honored in his own fatherland, these molds are not exposed
in any of the of bordeaux public collections, the museum of the county of
Los Angeles, quoted doubled with Bordeaux, some  fortunately preserves a
very beautiful copy.  Until there is little time again molds for cannelé
were made exclusively in copper in his version « canonical » to twelve
flutings, it himself in produces today in two others cut, sized average
and small, and one can some to find that are in aluminum.


The all worked up cannelé

One will pass briefly on the cannelé confectioner, always of a beautiful
brown one and apparently cooked to not at all when it offers himself to
the lust of the customer.  His aspect irréprochable places it is
physically well above the domestic cannelé realized by confectioners or
frequently avid pastery makers.  With the latter two schools confront
themselves.  The holding first one do not envision to cook it in molds in
copper, while those of the second think that the usage of such molds or
the one of a molds in aluminum is indifferent.

The takings of cannelé that circulate in the city are of course all very
near ones of one another.  The more known the one of the famous boss John
Marries Amat, the one of the supply store for confectioners To The
Companion, situated street Judaïque but today unfortunately closed since
than his owner rejoined the eternal east here now two years, the one at
last of the factory of molds registered trademark under the name « The
canelé ».  The takings of John Marries Amat seems the nearest one of the
one of the canaule, it adamantly excludes the usage of the white of the
egg. it shows himself generous on the quantities of vanille and of rum to
employ in his dough.  The three recommends preparing this dough
twenty-four hours before his cooking.

Whatever the nature of the molds and the adopted takings the attained
results lack rarely originality.  The model the more calamiteux consists
in crumbs of cannelé, it is obtained when, to the moment of the delicate
operation of turning out the avid confectioner noticing itself than it
have not or poorly coating grinds it butter or of grease, must resolve
itself to extract this that could have been a pretty cake in various
poorly gauged pieces, of varied colors and for all to say not very
presentable.  It cannot consume themselves that in family.  The cannelé to
bubons obtains itself by a homogénéité defect of the dough and
conséquemment of cooking.  It is equally difficult to serve it to guests,
otherwise to those that are very interested in the research in plastic
arts.  The cannelé in mushroom, nevertheless edible, originates the fact
that the dough refuses to remain in the molds and while cooking inflates
exgeration.  It can be transformed in cannelé apparently successful by the
suppression of the head of the mushroom to the assistance of a knife, it
is recommended using it to forbid to the consumers to return the cake. 
The cannelé lowered or sagged is the one that seems perfect but that some
minutes after his gone out of the oven does the blow of the breath, well
known of all the cooks.  It unfortunately cannot be confused with the
small one or average cannelé for it shrinks while taking a form not very
uniform.

Usage of the cannelé

What one perseveres to make cannelés, rather than to buy them with a
confectioner, or that one folds back oneself on this simple one and wise
solution, one will observe that it is more better to serve the small
cannelé in the cocktails, the means in teas and the big by way of dessert
at the end of a meal.  The drink imports little, the cannelé sponge just
as well mushrooms in tea and all sorts of wines.

The manner more pleasant to make use of the cannelé is to offer it.  It is
light and practical to transport because of his solidity.  In case of
falls during the trip, it distorts himself little and a light remodelage
returns him his initial aspect.  The same advantages take advantage to the
récipiendaire: the office accidents can be repaired without more of
difficulties, if it fell in an unadjusted place a light dépoussiérage
returns him his initial aspect.  The cannelé is very well come in the
picnics on the arcachon Pool, if it drops in water it floats and can
easily be recovered, preserved and dryed it will give an honorable sea
cookie.  In case of étanchéité problem between two trimmed ones, less for
the boats that some possess, this that should be the case of all, it
provisionally can serve calfat.  The cannelé remains equally very well
come abroad, particularly in England or the hosts always appreciate that
one thought about the dog of the house that is crazy about of this so
pretty pâté continental.

The manner more ordinary to use the cannelé is to eat it.  The more
gluttons and less well students, that happens therefore especially in the
cocktails, devour the small cannelés a pair.  There is a little allocation
to eat the big cannelés to the assistance of a cover, nevertheless when
they are served in dessert that is again the better means of not to coat
itself the caramel fingers.  For the cannelés to consume at the time of a
tea, the exercise is very difficult, otherwise perilous.  A lot of
mistresses of houses persist to present it in a small plate that it is
impossible to put elsewhere that on the knees or worse on the edge of a
table to three feet generally not very stable.  It is accompanied of a
fork to cake of a model that does not cut evidently, destined when you
appuierez on the object to split to the éjecter of the plate towards the
rug or again to do to tip to count it on which several guests will have
taken care to put compacts for them tea, necessarily before to have
consumed it.  Generally, the pretty embroidered briefcase charitably
granted to the victim of this torture is very small and very fine,
especially if the cannelé is very caramelized, she serves probably
destined test to identify those that eat with the fingers.  If, this that
is done more and more and one can deplore it, the briefcase is in paper,
she condemns the glutton to eat the good cellulose dose that stuck itself
to the cannelé.

The tragedy of the tea with cannelé takes disastrous proportions in
certain cases.  It is recommended of not to offer cannelés to the persons
of which one suspects that they are provided with dental devices, unless
the Faculty does not recommend for them the gymnastic mandibulaire.  It is
absolutely dissuaded to use the cannelés in the snacks of children.  The
crushed cannelé is extremely difficult and totally repugnant to extract of
the groove floor.  The children more melancholic suck their cannelé during
hours before to decide to write with, to the back of the armchairs or on
the walls preferably and especially themselves they are not at their
place.  Those that the appreciate not some eat that periphery and the
over, the emptiness of them central left that they abandon does not import
where, a lot of adults do besides of even especially if it is located in
the vicinity of the children that they can accuse to have committed this
sprain to propriety, the alone difference with the latter lies in the fact
that they leave theArmchair in which someone prepares itself to sit.  At
last, as each knowledge, the children do not use briefcases, done or
cover, or forks to cake; their small size drives them to use the skirts
and pants of their parents that are at height of their hands to rid them
caramel that there adheres, certain take even the precaution to verify
that they wipe themselves well on their parents.

Philippe MAFFRE, researcher to the Regional Service of the General
inventory of aquitaine.  Appeared item in the n°25 of the magazine "The
Festin" in February 1998.