The Flying  Dutchman |
| The Flying Dutchman |
Crêpes Suzette |
| Everyone agrees that the luxurious dessert named Crepes
Suzette was first made by chef Henry Charpentier, but there agreement stops. The most
popular tale has it that Charpentier devised the dish to honor a beautiful but otherwise
unknown woman named Suzette who accompanied Edward, Prince of Wales, to a dinner party at
the Cafe de Paris in Monte Carlo. Another version has it that Suzette was one of Edward's
mistresses and the dish was invented in the then fashionable spa of Baden-Baden. Yet
another story has Suzette as a well known courtesan for whom Charpentier named the dish
when he was head of the kitchen of a well known Paris restaurant. To each of these versions, however, there is a problem. The prince visited neither Monte Carlo, Paris nor Baden-Baden during the years when Charpentier was there. And, even though he was famous for his peccadilloes, Edward vehemently denied ever knowing anyone by the name of Suzette. Despite this confusion, about ten years after the invention of the dish, Edward, sampled it at London's Savoy and there commented that "a single taste would reform a cannibal into a civilized gentleman." Serves 4 Crepes Sauce Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl, then add milk and stir. Mix in eggs, brandy, and lemon rind. Pour a slight layer of batter into a lightly greased frying pan. Cook each crepe until firm and golden. For the sauce, cream the butter with the sugar, orange juice and rind, and Curaçao. Mix well. When ready to serve, arrange crepes on a warm platter and carefully pour the sauce over them. Sprinkle brandy and powdered sugar. The brandy can be lit with a match for show. |