Serendipity a la Italiano and Francais

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
Serendipitous Event # 1 -- I mentioned to JoAnne that I was in the
mood for wienerschnitzel. In an accommodating mood, she accordingly
prepared a very nice rendition of wienerschnitzel accompanied by
collard greens and farro.

Serendipitous Event # 2 -- While digging through my wine cellar, I ran
across two orphan bottles of Chateau De La Tour Clos Vougeot
Grand Cru '96. Why not?...even with an Italian dish. Far surpassing
my middling expectations, it was a lovely expression of grand cru
Burgundy -- expressive bouquet, excellent softness and balance with
ample fullness, tannins largely resolved, altogether a delicious
accompaniment with the dinner, including with the blondies at the end.

Life can be grand.

. . . . . Pete
 
As is the case with many Viennese dishes, there are all sorts of conjectures as to how it came about. The most probable is the theory that Wiener schnitzel is from Italy, where it was popular as the “Milanese cutlet.” Yet how did the Italians arrive at this glorious recipe?

In the late Middle Ages, the Italians looked upon their neighbors in Byzantium (the later Constantinople, now Istanbul) with envy. There, they arrived at the idea of coating meat with gold leaves in order to flaunt their wealth. The Italians took up this fad, yet of necessity were limited by the widespread famines of the time and the gold coating became a shell of golden brown fried white breadcrumbs.
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History

. . . . . Pete
 
Not sure I follow. Even your link cites it as a Viennese dish with inspiration in Italy. Not sure I would call a McDonalds croissant sandwich 'french food' just because the inspiration was from France.

Regardless, sounds like you had a nice multicultural meal. That is standard in my house!
 
come now Rahsaan -- everybody know that the croissant was a transplant from Vienna, hence les petits choses viennoiseries. And these were inspired by the Turks last siege of Wien. So in truth McDo's sandwich is the direct linear descendant of Narses.

Maybe Procopius.

QED
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
As is the case with many Viennese dishes, there are all sorts of conjectures as to how it came about. The most probable is the theory that Wiener schnitzel is from Italy, where it was popular as the “Milanese cutlet.” Yet how did the Italians arrive at this glorious recipe?

In the late Middle Ages, the Italians looked upon their neighbors in Byzantium (the later Constantinople, now Istanbul) with envy. There, they arrived at the idea of coating meat with gold leaves in order to flaunt their wealth. The Italians took up this fad, yet of necessity were limited by the widespread famines of the time and the gold coating became a shell of golden brown fried white breadcrumbs.
Click to expand...

History

. . . . . Pete
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Debunked in 2007. click
 
Truthfully, I had a brain lapse when I called it an Italian dish, probably because the particular presentation we had struck me as being "Italianesque" and it stuck in my mind that way.

I realized my mistake as soon as I posted but decided to google first and spotted the linked article and just decided to leave it for discussion.

Regardless, the "Serendipity" was enjoyable whether the dish was a la Italiano, a la Viennese, a la Germanic, or a la whatever.

The main story was the Ch De La Tour Clos Vougeot.

. . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

Truthfully, I had a brain lapse when I called it an Italian dish, probably because the particular presentation we had struck me as being "Italianesque" and it stuck in my mind that way.

I realized my mistake as soon as I posted but decided to google first and spotted the linked article and just decided to leave it for discussion.

Regardless, the "Serendipity" was enjoyable whether the dish was a la Italiano, a la Viennese, a la Germanic, or a la whatever.

The main story was the Ch De La Tour Clos Vougeot.

. . . . . Pete
Click to expand...

We are indeed an unforgiving lot. Statistics show that disorderlies are nine times more likely to overcome their inertia and comment if it is to criticize or rectify than to compliment or show support.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

Truthfully, I had a brain lapse when I called it an Italian dish, probably because the particular presentation we had struck me as being "Italianesque" and it stuck in my mind that way.

I realized my mistake as soon as I posted but decided to google first and spotted the linked article and just decided to leave it for discussion.

Regardless, the "Serendipity" was enjoyable whether the dish was a la Italiano, a la Viennese, a la Germanic, or a la whatever.

The main story was the Ch De La Tour Clos Vougeot.

. . . . . Pete
Click to expand...

We are indeed an unforgiving lot. Statistics show that disorderlies are nine times more likely to overcome their inertia and comment if it is to criticize or rectify than to compliment or show support.
Click to expand...

This is what happens when you poke the bear . . .

It's all'italiana and à la française.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

Just curious -- Why feminine instead of masculine?

. . . . Pete
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The implicit noun is mode, which is feminine.
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And in Italian it implies “alla maniera italiana” and because “maniera” is feminine so is the expression.
 
I was quite partial to my grandmother’s rántott csirke, which she occasionally made as rántott borjúhús, although I always preferred the csirke. (I really miss her.)

There is decent reasonably priced Schnitzel at a restaurant on 7th in Park Slope that I had a couple months ago. Such a great simple meal with lemon and a salad - I’m partial to cucumber in this context.
 
My source for topnotch Schnitzel is no longer open and I have yet to find a another restaurant to look to. As you say, "Such a great simple meal with lemon and a salad". I especially like it with white asparagus.

. . . . . Pete
 
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