Topical Guide 513
Mark Dorset
Words: Misnomers
Reservations Recommended, Chapter 5:
THEY EAT their salads, then their entrees are served, […]
Americans get made fun of a fair bit for using the word entrée. In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, the word entrée refers to a starter course or courses, coming after the appetizers but before the main course. So, is it another case of Americans just not knowing what’s up or is there another reason behind the different meanings?
The word entrée entered the French culinary lexicon by way of music. An entrée is a term used to speak of an opening act in a musical or opera. So, it follows, an entrée was a beginning course for a traditional, French multi-course meal. By 1759, entrée [was] widely accepted as a culinary term in France.
Did Americans just get their words wrong? Is this just another reason to be called knuckleheads?
[See the article for Liya Swift’s answer to those questions. MD]
Music: Jazz
Music: For the Reservations Recommended Soundtrack Album
Reservations Recommended, Chapter 5:
He began listening to old pop music of the thirties and forties, that led him to jazz of the same era, and that’s how he discovered the saxophonists with the big sound, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Chu Berry.
Music: Lyrics
Reservations Recommended, Chapter 5:
“Where would you like to go?” he asks.
“I don’t know. Someplace grown up. Like an old movie? You know, ‘out together dancing cheek to cheek’?”
Am I in the middle of some kind of miracle? Am I awake? “Heaven, I’m in heaven — ”
Food: Swiss: Züri Gschnätzlets
Reservations Recommended, Chapter 5:
“How are you enjoying the Züri Gschnätzlets?”
Betty Bossi, “Züri-Gschnätzlets: zünftig gut”:
Ein zünftiges Zürcher Geschnetzeltes steht auf jeder Speisekarte. Zartes Kalbfleisch an sämiger Rahmsauce, mit Champignons und nach Belieben mit Nierli verfeinert, ist zum Klassiker der Schweizer Küche geworden. Am Sechseläuten, dem höchsten Zürcher «Feiertag», ist das beliebte Gericht unverzichtbar. Es ist aber auch während des ganzen Jahres ein von allen geschätztes Erfolgsrezept.
Geschnetzeltes - typisch Zürich?
Tina Turner, Al Gore und Roy Hodgson kennen und schätzen es: Alle drei haben das «Züri-Gschnätzlets» schon gekostet. Saftig-zarte Kalbfleischstücklein inmitten einer hellen Sauce aus Rahm und Weisswein. Wie dieses Gericht zur typischen Zürcher Spezialität wurde, lässt sich kaum mehr nachvollziehen. Eines ist sicher: Es ist schon seit einigen Jahrzehnten weit über die Schweizer Grenzen hinaus bekannt.
Translation from Google Translate:
Züri-Gschnätzlets: really good
A hearty Zürcher Geschnetzeltes is on every menu. Tender veal in a creamy sauce, refined with mushrooms and Nierli if you like, has become a classic in Swiss cuisine. The popular dish is indispensable on the Sechseläuten, Zurich's highest “holiday.” But it is also a recipe for success that is valued by everyone throughout the year.
Geschnetzeltes - typically Zurich?
Tina Turner, Al Gore and Roy Hodgson know and appreciate it: All three have already tasted the “Züri-Gschnätzlets.” Juicy, tender pieces of veal in a light sauce made from cream and white wine. How this dish became a typical Zurich specialty can hardly be understood. One thing is certain: it has been known far beyond the Swiss borders for several decades.
Have you missed an episode or two or several?
You can begin reading at the beginning or you can catch up by visiting the archive or consulting the index to the Topical Guide.
You can listen to the episodes on the Personal History podcast. Begin at the beginning or scroll through the episodes to find what you’ve missed.
You can listen to “My Mother Takes a Tumble” and “Do Clams Bite?” complete and uninterrupted as audiobooks through YouTube.
You can ensure that you never miss a future issue by getting a free subscription. (You can help support the work by choosing a paid subscription instead.)
At Apple Books you can download free eBooks of Little Follies and Herb ’n’ Lorna.
You’ll find overviews of the entire work in An Introduction to The Personal History, Adventures, Experiences & Observations of Peter Leroy (a pdf document) and at Encyclopedia.com.