Khema

There is nothing quite like an extensive charcuterie board, resplendent with all the trimmings and accompanied by a bottle of good wine, to excite one with the promise of a deep satisfaction to come. Charcuterie boards are -in the words of one of my hipster friends- ‘super-trendy’ right now. I use the term hipsters here not in the sense of the 1950s and 1960s beatniks or hepcats, but in the sense of the modern nostalgia miners who Chi Luu of Lingua Obscura describes as a sub-culture who “enjoy fossicking around in the past for cultural items, in an effort to attain authenticity and autonomy (always frantically one step ahead of the mainstream) and ultimately, an eponymous ‘hipness’. Arguably, rather than producing something novel, hipster culture re-samples from history and remixes it into something new.” Often, this remix involves stripping things bare and taking them back to their basics, things made small, by hand, simple pleasures, appreciated for their authenticity and a certain sense of intimacy conveyed by their artisanal nature. Whilst the modern interpretation of the Charcuterie board may not conspire to the ancient laws and rules of the Guild of Charcutiers, it certainly derives its inspiration here. Cured meats, salted, smoked or fermented, sausages, pate’s, rillettes, terrines, fruits -dried and fresh, pickled vegetables, nuts, perhaps some cheese; all harking back to a time when we had to preserve our foods to last through long winters, without access to seasonal ingredients. The curing of meat dates back to ancient times and was an important survival technique for prehistoric humans. In his monumental tome ‘Bibliotheca Historica’, Diodorus Siculus, (90BC-30BC) writes of Cossaei in the mountains of Persia salting the flesh of carnivorous animals, and the Ancient Greek philosopher and historian, Strabo (63BC-24AD) writes of people at Borsippa in Babylon, Iraq catching bats and salting them to eat. The Romans used a salted fat called salsamentum and the Roman gourmet Apicius speaks of making sausages with salt, garum, oil, and wine. “Apicius, the most gluttonous gorger of all spendthrifts, established the view that the flamingo’s tongue has an especially fine flavor.” Pliny The Elder, Naturalis Historia, 77AD The Gauls sent large quantities of salted pork to Rome where different cuts were sold including has and sausages, the meat having been smoked as well as salted. The Belgae of Northern Gaul and the Ceretani of Spain were famed for the fatted, salted lambs and pigs and were the most highly prized meats in Rome. In Ethiopia, according to Pliny the Elder and in Libya according to Saint Jerome, the Acridophages salted and smoked crickets, which arrived at their settlements during the spring in great swarms. The smoking of meat was traditional in North America, where Plains Indians hung meat at the top of their teepees to smoke them above the fire. The Guild Whilst the emergence of artisan guilds can be traced back to the Akkadian Empire over 2000 years BC, they rose to great prominence in medieval France, where highly skilled culinary craftsmen who gave French its characteristic identity were regulated by the guild system, guilds were regulated by city government as well as by the French crown. A guild restricted those in a given branch of the culinary industry to operate only within that field. There were two groups culinary of guilds: one consisted of those that supplied the raw material such as butchers, fishmongers, grain merchants, and gardeners. Whilst the second group supplied prepared foods: bakers, pastry cooks, sauce makers, poulterers, and caterers. There was also a small number of guilds that were allowed to offer both raw and prepared foods, the charcutiers and rôtisseurs (purveyors of roasted meat dishes) would supply cooked meat pies and other dishes, as well as raw meat and poultry. The guilds provided training and set standards for those within their industry. The levels of assistant cook, cook and master chef were awarded and those who reached the level of master chef were of considerable rank and enjoyed a high level of income, as well as economic and job security. It was during this time that Pate became a masterpiece of the culinary arts, s doughy envelope, filled with all manner of glorious or rare meats and grandly sculptured and decorated for important feasts and ceremonies. The first French recipe -written in verse by Gace de La Bigne- mentions in the same pâté, three partridges, six fat quail, and a dozen larks. ‘Le Ménagier de Paris’ mentions pâtés of fish, game, young rabbit, fresh venison, beef, pigeons, mutton, veal, and pork, and lark, turtledove, cow, baby bird, goose, and hen. Bartolomeo Sacchi, also known as ‘Platine’, was a prefect of the Vatican Library, he gives the recipe for a pâté of wild beasts: the flesh, after being boiled with salt and vinegar, was larded and placed inside an envelope of spiced fat, with a mélange of pepper, cinnamon and pounded lard; one studded the fat with cloves until it was entirely covered, then placed it inside a pâte. In the 16th century, the most fashionable pâtés were said to be those of woodcock, au bec doré, capon, beef tongue, cow feet, sheep feet, chicken, veal, and venison. The Age of Exploration During the Age of exploration, salted meat kept sailors fed on protein over long voyages. The need to properly feed soldiers during long campaigns outside the country drove scientific research, and then, in 1975 a confectioner named Nicolas Appert, after a bit of experimentation developed a method of protein preservation that in France still bears his name, ‘appertisation’. A preservation process for long-term storage of food, involving its sterilization in an airtight container by heat treatment, followed by hermetic sealing. This led to the creation of canned, salted meat products such as corned beef and allowed for the long-haul shipment and storage of many cured and processed meat products. The Chevaliers de Saint Antoine The Confrererie of the Chevaliers de Saint Antoine was founded in 1963 and is still in existence to this … Read more

“…sprinkled with sugar and eaten hot, they form an exquisite dish. They have a golden hue and are tempting to eat. Thin and transparent like muslin, their edges are trimmed to resemble fine lace. They are so light that after a good dinner, a man from Agen is still willing to sample three or four dozen of them! Crêpes form an integral part of every family celebration. Served with white wine, they take pride of place on all joyful occasions.” Anatole Francois Thibault, ‘To Better Times’ 1906 La Chandeleur, or ‘Candlemas’ in English, is a Christian holiday marking the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, it is sometimes called the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary. On Candlemas, many Christians bring their candles to the local church, where they are blessed as a symbol of Jesus Christ, who referred to himself as the Light of the World. The Feast is one of the oldest in Christian historian with documentary evidence of it being celebrated since at least the 4th century AD. Christmas was, in the West, celebrated on 25 December from at least the year AD 354 when it was fixed by Pope Liberius , and for many people, it marks the end of the Christmas cycle. Pope Gelasius I (492–496) whilst he did not invent it, influenced the spread of the celebration, and there is much speculation that this was in order to reduce the significance of the pagan festival known as Lupercalia, which can be traced back to the 6th century BC. A festival which the Pope once claimed in a letter only involved a “vile rabble”. Lupercalia was indeed a much more sordid Roman affair, involving honoring the she-wolf who raised Romulus and Remus and placating the fertility god Lupercus. The Lupercalia festival involved animal sacrifice, feasting, and naked young men daubed in sacrificial blood; who would run through the streets ‘whipping’ women with ‘thongs’ cut from the hides of the sacrificial goats. Many women welcomed the lashes and even bared their skin to receive this fertility rite, which was said to ensure pregnancy for the barren and a safe delivery for those already pregnant. During Lupercalia, men were able to randomly choose a woman’s name from a jar and would then be coupled with her for the duration. It is said, that many of these couples would stay together until the following year’s festival, with some even falling in love and deciding to marry. Pope Gelasius started a candlelit procession around Rome and handed out galettes, (a type of savoury crêpe) to the poor pilgrims, who came to Rome for the procession. It is from these traditions that the holiday became associated with crepes. Crêpes & Superstition In France, Belgium, and Swiss Romandy, La Chandeleur is considered the ‘Day of Crêpes’, It is also said that the pancakes, with their round shape and golden color -reminiscent of the solar disc- became a symbolic rejoicing as the days began to get longer and spring approached. Another -somewhat more practical legend- has it that this was a good way to use up the excess wheat before the new harvest. A tradition dating as far back as the fifth century, and also linked to fertility rites, is to flip the crepe in the air with the right hand, whilst holding a gold coin in the other. If the crepe manages to avoid landing on the floor, then you shall have prosperity throughout the year. It is also customary for the first crepe made to be kept in or atop the pantry, this is to ensure a plentiful harvest and ward off any distress of misfortune. In France, several superstitions survive, surrounding the procession of the candles to the temple; if your candle manages to stay alight all the way to the church then you will definitely not die in that year, unfortunately, if your candle wax only runs down one side, then you will probably lose a family member! Those possessed or under a bad spell can take heart, as they may be cured on this day by a mystic using a candle that has been blessed. There are even superstitions about the weather, a rainy February 2nd means another 40 days of rain. A sunny day will bring more winter and misfortune, a clear day means winter is all but over, and an overcast day means another 40 days of winter chills. The classically thin, irresistibly delicious, French crepe evolved in the region of Brittany sometime during the 13th century. They are now popular all over the world and can be sweet or savoury, they may be flambéed at your table, stacked and filled with jams, preserves, syrups, bananas, bacon, mushrooms, artichokes, and much, much more. “Love is a fire of flaming brandy, Upon a crepe suzette” ‘Life is a Minestrone’ 10cc

Rue de Mont Blanc, Geneva For the past 92 years, a charming little Cafe at #26, Rue de Mont-Blanc, just a short walk across the Rue de Cornavin from Geneva Central Station, (today wedged between a Starbucks, a Five Guys hamburger joint and a McDonalds), Café de Paris has been serving a simple dish with a complex secret, one that has seen it become an institution in Geneva and it fame and fortune all over the world. In 1981, the American novelist, Paul Erdman, wrote in ‘The Last Days of America’: “We went to a restaurant near the station, the ‘Café de Paris’ in Geneva, which has the best butter steak of all places you can eat on earth. “ In 1930, whilst the owner of ‘Restaurant du Coq d’Or’, Mr. Boubier created his unique butter sauce, made with herbs, spices, and many other ingredients, to enhance his grilled beef. Mr. Boubier then gave this recipe to his daughter and her husband. As well as being Mr. Boubier’s son-in-law, Arthur ‘Freddie’ Francis Dumont was the owner of the ‘Café de Paris’, a sort of micro-brewery/pub at the time, he decided to turn it into a restaurant, offering one unique dish: beef rib steak topped with his father-in-law’s astonishing butter sauce. The restaurant -with its single main dish- was an instant success, the sauce a sensation, its ingredients quickly turning into a closely guarded family secret. Geneva’s unique composition as a global city, a center for international finance and diplomacy and the home of numerous international bodies and organizations, saw the legend of the ‘Café de Paris Butter’ begin to spread out to other cities, countries, and continents, and very soon, no visit to Geneva was complete without a visit to Café de Paris to try Mr. Boubier’s remarkable butter sauce. It was on everyone’s itinerary and so, Arthur Dumont presented the recipe at the National Exhibition in Lausanne in 1964, at the Universal Exhibition in Montreal in 1967, and even traveled to Iran to prepare the dish for his Highness the Shah. Chez Boubier’s Café de Paris in Geneva has changed little in almost a century; from the red leather banquette, the little terrace of tables out on the walkway to the 1930’s Paris Brasserie chic décor, it oozes nostalgic charm and authenticity. The set menu consists of a green leaf salad with a mustard vinaigrette, unlimited house-made fries, and an entrecote steak with the famous ‘Café de Paris Butter’, served on a platter over a candlelit burner, so that the butter sauce begins to melt as you begin to dine. The main course is followed by an impressive selection of desserts to choose from. In fact, there is only a wine list and a dessert menu, for your main course the only consideration is whether you prefer your steak bleu, saignant, À point, or bien. Today, there are several Franchises of the famous Café de Paris, with restaurants scattered across Switzerland, Spain, The United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Venice in the 17th Arrondissement The Gineste de Saurs family of wine producers has lived in southern France since the fourteenth century, the family château is situated in Lisle-sur-Tarn 50 kilometers northeast of Toulouse, and was built from 1848 to 1852 by Eliezer Gineste de Saurs. In 1959, Paul Gineste de Saurs was looking to develop an assured outlet in Paris for the wines from his struggling family winery; taking his inspiration from the Café de Paris in Geneva, he purchased an Italian restaurant in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, near Porte Maillot. The Inn was named Le Relais de Venise and without changing anything inside nor out, Gineste de Saurs commenced with the almost identical set menu of green salad, desserts, and an entrecote steak with his own version of the famous ‘Café de Paris’ butter sauce. Seeing no reason to change a perfectly good neon sign he simply added another smaller one with the words, ‘Son Entrecôte’ underneath the original one. Throughout the next 60 years, no one has seemed to mind that the little Italian trattoria with the Venetian name served a decidedly French ‘Prix fixe’ menu, built around a single main dish. The restaurant has a no-reservations policy and has become famous for its long queues outside of people waiting patiently for a table. Following the death of Paul Gineste de Saurs in 1966, three of his children carried on in the business. One daughter – Hélène Godillot – took control of the original restaurant Le Relais de Venise – L’Entrecôte at Porte Maillot, and her branch of the family subsequently opened additional locations under that name in Barcelona (in 2003) and London (in 2005). A second daughter – the same Marie-Paule Burrus who heads the family’s Château de Saurs winery – established her group of restaurants under the name Le Relais de l’Entrecôte in the 6th and 8th arrondissements of Paris and in Geneva. And a son – Henri Gineste de Saurs – opened his group of restaurants outside Paris, under the name L’Entrecôte, in Toulouse (in 1962), Bordeaux (in 1966), Nantes (in 1980), Montpellier (in 1990), Lyon (in 1999) and Barcelona (in 2019). The founder’s grandchildren are now taking an increasingly active role in the business. From 1979 to 2014, the Relais de l’Entrecôte in Geneva occupied premises that originally housed the ‘Bavaria’, a brasserie established in 1912, which became a favourite place of international officials during the early years of the League of Nations. In his 1959 novel Goldfinger, Ian Fleming mentions the Bavaria as a place visited by James Bond. The Relais de l’Entrecôte succeeded the Bavaria in 1979, but the rue du Rhône neighbourhood evolved through the years and the street was transformed into a strip of luxury boutiques. The restaurant’s landlord started converting its own ground-floor, retail space into high-end boutiques and by 2006 it sought to terminate the Relais de l’Entrecôte’s lease. After eight years of legal wrangling, appeals, and court decisions, the landlord won and the restaurant … Read more