Recipes from Secret Adversary

Agatha Christie mentioned Hors d'oeuvre, Lobster a l'americane, Chicken Newberg, and Peche Melba in her book, The Secret Adversary. With this information I began to like Agatha even better. Yes, I have to admit. I like eating and tasting good recipes from time to time, and when I heard about these dishes I stopped to listen.

Some of these meals are, more or less, known or, at least, we can infer what they mean (Lobster a l´americane may have to do with lobsters prepared in some nice way, or Chicken Newberg which may refer to some sort of chicken preparation). Hors d´oeuvre is something different since it has a French origin and it doesn´t give any clue to the Spanish speaking learner. Now what about Peche Melba? Does it have to do with an ice cream like Copa Melba in Spanish?

Let us see. We went to the internet and consulted different pages. These are the results.

Hors d´oeuvre are food items served before the main courses of a meal, typically smaller than main dishes, and often meant to be eaten by hand.

If there is an extended period between when guests arrive and when the meal is eaten (for example during a cocktail hour), these might also serve the purpose of sustaining guests during the wait, in the same way that apéritifs are served as a drink before meals. Hors d´oeuvre are sometimes served with no meal afterward. This is the case with many reception and cocktail party events.

Examples of hors d'oeuvre include:

Hors d´oeuvre

Bruschetta

Canapés

Caviar

Cold cuts

Crudités

Deviled eggs

Dumplings

Pickles

Pigs in a blanket

Smoked egg

Spanakopita

Tongue toast

The Peach Melba is a dessert of peaches and raspberry sauce with vanilla ice cream. The dish was invented in 1892 or 1893 by the French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London, to honour the Australian soprano, Nellie Melba.

In 1892, Nellie Melba was performing in Wagner's opera Lohengrin at Covent Garden. The Duke of Orléans gave a dinner party to celebrate her triumph. For the occasion, Escoffier created a new dessert, and to display it, he used an ice sculpture of a swan, which is featured in the opera. The swan carried peaches which rested on a bed of vanilla ice cream and which were topped with spun sugar. In 1900 Escoffier created a new version of the dessert. For the occasion of the opening of the Carlton Hotel, where he was head chef, Escoffier omitted the ice swan and topped the peaches with raspberry purée. Other versions of this dessert use pears, apricots, or strawberries instead of peaches and/or use raspberry sauce or melted red currant jelly instead of raspberry purée.

What about Lobster a l’Americaine and Chicken Newberg? I could not find these dishes, something interesting in any page. Let´s hope somebody informs us about these delicious things.

“… Now let's go to lunch. How about the Savoy?"

Tommy grinned.

"How about the Ritz?"

"On second thoughts, I prefer the Piccadilly. It's nearer. We shan't have to take another taxi. Come along."

"Is this a new brand of humour? Or is your brain really unhinged?" inquired Tommy.

"Your last supposition is the correct one. I have come into money, and the shock has been too much for me! For that particular form of mental trouble an eminent physician recommends unlimited Hors d'oeuvre, Lobster a l'americane, Chicken Newberg, and Peche Melba! Let's go and get them!"… ”

Reference

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia