Friday, January 02, 2004
Fannie Merritt Farmer wrote about them in 1918 in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book. I doubt you will want to, but just incase, you can read more about this here
Read just what she said about them right here
The thing that is puzzling me though, and what I have been wondering about is, what is the point of a vol au vent, tiny pastry cup things that have various fillings, that as time goes on , looks more and more congealed, are they really necessary? Are they worth the effort that seemingly goes into making them. You dont get more than one bite out of them, because if you dare to try and nibble or bite it, you get covered in the filling and have bits of flakey pastry down your top, you always, always get a bit stuck on your lip too, and if not careful some in your front tooth, and that doesn't look attractive. This is more problematic when we realise that vol au vents tend to be eaten in public, theyre not the sort of thing you snack infront of the tv with, wearing your pjs. So who invented them, and why? Who is it that wants us to embarass ourselves in public, maybe at important events? More over, what is it that attracts us to these devious delicacies? We are all aware of the problems they can create, that we will be worrying about having filling or pastry on our clothes, lips or teeth, wondering if one of our friends will discretely tell us, before we do the great faux pas and talk to someone really important with half a prawn stuck between our front teeth, or maybe a piece of spinach. So knowing the downfalls of vol au vents, why is it that when at a buffet, given a whole range of safe options we always, always but at least 2 or 3 on our plate? This is something I cannot answer at the moment, but I will make a big effort to find out.Do we really like them? Are we just being polite? Do we know how much effort goes into making them, so feel we should indulge? Are we just gluttons for punishment? Are we just gluttons? Or do we absent mindedly forget trouble we can get into eating one? Fannie Farmer doesn't appear to have any hints for eating one without making a mess.Perhaps that is taught in finishing school, with other lessons in etiquette. I will keep you posted
# posted by gilly @ 1/02/2004 03:06:00 PM 
PEZZIE
