Rout

Degustation in Caleb Carr's "The Alienist"

2005-01-17T04:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone.

Laurie Harris has pointed out that we need the famous degustation from Caleb Carr's "The Alienist", so for all you foodies out there, here it is:--

Oysters in sherry and bitters. Green turtle soup au clair served with amontillado. Aiguillettes of bass in creamy mornay sauce, served with Hochheimer. Saddle of lamb à la Colbert served with Chateau Lagrange. Succulent Maryland terrapin, Sorbet Elsinore, Canvasback duck propared witn hominy and current gelèe served with a glass of Chambertin. Alliance Pears, steeped in wine, deep fried, powdered with sugar and smothered in apricot sauce.

Latin introducing Wordsworth's Poems in Two Volumes

2004-11-07T03:51:00.000-08:00

I bet you've all been wondering what that pesky Latin introducing William Wordsworth's POEMS IN TWO VOLUMES means, you know,

Posterius graviore sono tibi Musa loquetur
Nostra: dabunt cum securos mihi tempora fructus.

Well, it's from Virgil's "Culex" ("The Gnat") and translates

"But later on my Muse shall speak to thee
In weightier tone, when undisturbed rewards
The times shall give to me…"

So now you know!

Degustations à la Sydney

2004-10-31T04:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple of recent menus for you foodies out there.
Bécasse 48 Albion St Surrey Hills 4 April 2004:-
Civet (wine stew) of shellfish, which is tiny but tasty, quite effervescent as if made with champagne. The confit of Flounder Veronique (marinated raw fish) is served with a 2001 Chateau Mayne Du Cross, Graves which is a traminer. A terrine of pheasant and guinea fowl with celeriac and apple vinaigrette comes with a 1996 cab-sav, the 1996 Chateau Liversan, Haut-Medoc. Roast filet of Cod Bordelaise (served with bone marrow) comes with a Merlot, the 1998 Valmy Dubordieu-Lange, Cotes de Castillon. The Slow-roasted Loin of Cervena Venison with Sarladaise Potatoes and a Sauté of Chestnuts, Brussel Sprouts, Quince and Pine Mushrooms with Sauce Grand Veneur comes with a shiraz-style 1998 Chateau Belles-Graves, Pomerol. Cheese plates of six delicious cheeses, including triple-cream, washed rind, wine-soaked etc. Desert is a chocolate and Muscat jelly with poached banana ice-cream, and a Lemon Verbena Crème Caramel with Papaya, Orange and Passionfruit, with a 2001 Chateau du Cros, Loupiac. Petit fours and coffee.

Galileo's 89-113 Kent St 17 October 2004:-
Three breads (pumpkin, onion flakes and chive, sun dried tomato)
First course egg Cocotte (duck custard with truffle broth served in an egg-shell) with Scampi à la Nage (seafood medley of mussels, octopus and scampi wrapped in a cabbage leaf)
Second course Tataki (敲き) venison (venison tartare cured in Mirin (Japanese rice wine) with marinated eggplant and Tosazu jelly. Accompanied by Tigallant “Tribute” 2003 Pinot Gris from Mornington Peninsula.
Third course is the Gravlax of Salmon – cured sashimi with mango jelly, with osietra caviar, kipfler potato apple and fennel salad. Served with the Higher Plane 2003 Margaret River Chardonnay
Fourth course is the betroot udon served with soy and bonito flake consomme, dried nori and wasabe and citrus pepper.
Fifth course is the lobster balls wrapped in baby spinach leaf with thyme and scampi jus, accompanied by the 2001 Rochford Pinot Noir from Victoria’s Mt Macedon ranges.
Sixth course is the Poultry of the Day, roasted quail with sauteed chicken liver, served with tomato, Fennel, and red and yellow capsicum confit. Accompanied by the Mount Billy “Harmony” 2001 “GMS” Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz blend from the Barossa
Seventh course is the Flinders Island baby Lamb served with the mushroom ragout, eggplant puree, lamb and Rosemary jus, with the Peter Howland 2002 Mount Barker Shiraz
Eighth course is the coconut and lime sorbet
Ninth course is a medley of deserts, centre piece the melting chocolate fondant with the warm soft-centre, surrounded by coconut crème brulèe, banana and walnut nougat glace, apple and pistaccio terrine, and on the side the Strawberry, Passionfruit, Mixed berry and Australian sparkling wine soup, accompanied by the Wellington iced reisling from Cambridge, Tasmania.
The cheese plate is huge coming with oatmeal biscuits, comprising
Jindi Triple Cream Brie (Victoria)
New Zealand aged vintage cheddar
Taleggio – Italy
Strzelecki Blue Goats Milk Cheese – Victoria
Berthaut (washed rind) – France
Chaource Lincet (Full fat soft cheese) - France
Petit fours and coffee

Using Dashi

2004-10-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

Last night we tried some 天笊【てんざる】 (Tenzaru) which is 天麩羅【てんぷら】 (tempura)atop a mound of cold 蕎麦【そば】 buckwheat noodles, with 天汁【てんつゆ】 (tenzuyu) sauce (roughly three parts 出汁, one part 味醂, and one part 醤油) perfect during Sydney's Spring subtropical rainy season or summer. Don't forget the grated 大根 and the 山葵.
The 出汁 (dashi) instructions from Ajinomoto www.ajinomoto.co.jp
were only in Japanese. Here is what they said:-
ほんだし
コク深く,香りたつ
顆粒 65g
小さじでも使えろ！
従来の通りフタを取ってもお使いいただきます
かつおだし
炒め物に (for fried food)
便利な
ワンタッチ
キャップで
新登場！
JAS
風味調味料
炒め物に便利なワンタッチ瓶
この瓶はひと振りは, 約0.3g
炒め物 (2 人分)
野菜炒め, チャーハンなど…８－１０振り
だし汁６００ml (4 人分) みそ汁など…小さじ山盛り1杯(4g)
賞味期限 (常温未開封)
使用上の注意 [ほんだしかつおだし]にはすでに塩味がありますので、料理によって塩を加減してください。
ご使用時に、かつお節の粉末が残ることがあります。
品名風味調味料 (かつお)
原材料

Delicious. If you would like me to translate or further details of this great recipe, contact me.

poem by Giacomo Leopardi (1798 - 1837)

2004-08-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Here's a poem you might like by Italian poet and scholar Conte Giacomo Talegardo Francesco Di Sales Saverio Pietro Leopardi, (1798-1837)

Il sabato del villaggio (Saturday Night In The Village)Canto XXV

La donzelletta vien dalla campagna
in sul calar del sole,
col suo fascio dell'erba; e reca in mano
un mazzolin di rose e viole,
onde, siccome suole, ornare ella si appresta
dimani, al dí di festa, il petto e il crine.
Siede con le vicine
su la scala a filar la vecchierella,
incontro là dove si perde il giorno;
e novellando vien del suo buon tempo,
quando ai dí della festa ella si ornava,
ed ancor sana e snella
solea danzar la sera intra di quei
ch'ebbe compagni nell'età piú bella.
Già tutta l'aria imbruna,
torna azzurro il sereno, e tornan l'ombre
giú da' colli e da' tetti,
al biancheggiar della recente luna.
Or la squilla dà segno
della festa che viene;
ed a quel suon diresti
che il cor si riconforta.
I fanciulli gridando
su la piazzuola in frotta,
e qua e là saltando,
fanno un lieto romore;
e intanto riede alla sua parca mensa,
fischiando, il zappatore,
e seco pensa al dí del suo riposo.

Poi quando intorno è spenta ogni altra face,
e tutto l'altro tace,
odi il martel picchiare, odi la sega
del legnaiuol, che veglia
nella chiusa bottega alla lucerna,
e s'affretta, e s'adopra
di fornir l'opra anzi al chiarir dell'alba.

Questo di sette è il più gradito giorno,
pien di speme e di gioia:
diman tristezza e noia
recheran l'ore, ed al travaglio usato
ciascuno in suo pensier farà ritorno.

Garzoncello scherzoso,
cotesta età fiorita
è come un giorno d'allegrezza pieno,
giorno chiaro, sereno,
che precorre alla festa di tua vita.
Godi, fanciullo mio; stato soave,
stagion lieta è cotesta.
Altro dirti non vo'; ma la tua festa
ch'anco tardi a venir non ti sia grave.

(Thanks to A. S. Kline at http://www.tonykline.free-online.co.uk/Leopardi.htm for the following English Translation)

The girl comes from the fields,
at sunset,
carrying her sheaf of grass: in her fingers
a bunch of violets and roses:
she’s ready, as before,
to wreathe her hair and bodice,
for tomorrow’s holiday.
The old woman sits spinning,
facing the dying sunlight,
on the stairway, with her neighbours,
telling the tale of her own young days,
when she dressed for the festival,
and still slim and lovely,
danced all evening, with those young
boys, companions of her fairer season.
Already the whole sky darkens,
the air turns deep blue: already
shadows of hills and roofs return,
on the young moon’s pale rising.
Now the bells are witness
to the coming holiday:
you would say the heart
might take comfort from the sound.
A gang of little boys
shout in the tiny square,
leaping here and there,
making a happy din:
and the farmhand, whistling,
returns for his simple meal,
dreams of his day of rest.

When the other lights are quenched, all round,
and everything else is silent,
I hear the hammer ringing, I hear
the carpenter sawing: he’s still awake
in the lamplight, in his shut workshop,
hurrying and straining,
to finish his task before dawn.

This is the best of the seven days,
full of hope and joy:
tomorrow the hours will bring
anxiety and sadness, and make each
turn, in thought, to their accustomed toil.

Lively boy,
your life’s sweet flowering
is like this day of gladness,
a clear day, unclouded,
that heralds life’s festival.
Enjoy the sweet hour, my child,
this pleasant, delightful season.
I’ll say nothing, more: let it not grieve you
if your holiday, like mine, is slow to arrive.

2004-08-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

À votre santé

Information on criminals, crimes etc.

2004-08-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

Hi

Does anyone have any information on the following crimes or similar;-

Dr Savandra/savardra (?Bishopsgate Insurance)

Kempsey – Hector Thompson lynched by the Green Hill mob vs the Darus (Carrol Rallock (?)) and the other hanged man who got charcoal via a nasogastric tube into his lungs → resp. arrest at Wyong Hospital(?)

Merioola murder. (Christine France’s article on Donald Friend) and see Merioola and after / by Christine France. Published Sydney, N.S.W : National Trust of Australia (NSW), 1986

Mary Edwards - who because of her involvement in the Archibald Case was not especially popular

George McLachlan’s daughter marries George Freeman, and his 3-wheeler the front wheel of which was caught in the tram-track

Morris Shapiro, and his murder in 1981

Mystery quotes

2004-08-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

Hi
Can anyone confirm these quotes?

“No matter how good you are, Act 1 can’t go longer than 55 minutes” (?Sir Laurence Olivier)

“A human life is worth nothing, and nothing is worth a human life” (?André-Georges Malraux, but shouldn't it be French?)

You are a true musician, and you deserve to be heard. (?George Eliot, Daniel Deronda)

'A great drama is a great jurisprudence, balance is all' (?Arthur Miller)

not just act, but behave (? Oscar Wilde)

Plutarch quote

2004-08-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Hi
Hundreds of sites attribute the statement "To find fault is easy; to do better may be difficult" to Plutarch. It is self-evident Plutarch did not speak English, so presumably the quote properly cited should be in Latin. What did he say, and where did he say it?

What did de Chardin say?

2004-08-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hi. Pierre Teilhard De Chardin, (1881-1955) is said to have said either
"The world belongs to those who give it greatest hope
or
The world belongs to those who bring to it the greatest hope
or
The world belongs to those who offer it hope
or
The world belongs to those who can offer it the greatest hope

but where he said any such thing and why he would have spoken same in English instead of French is totally obscure. What did he say?

Who said what

2004-08-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hi.

Does anyone know who really said:-

"Rise above principle and do what's right." (widely attributed to Joseph Heller and
Walter Heller)

We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men."or
Sometimes the first duty of intelligent men is the restatement of the obvious."
or
"the primary task of intelligent man at some times, is the restatement of the obvious." (attributed to HG Wells and George Orwell)

As you wander through this life
Whatever be your goal
Keep your eye upon the donut
And not upon the hole!
or
As you ramble on through life, brother, whatever be your goal: keep your eyes upon the donut, and not upon the hole.
or
As you wander through life brother, whatever be your goal, keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole (attributed to Murray Banks (Humorous psychologist, motivational speaker, and best-selling author of What To Do Until the Psychiatrist Comes), Ogden Nash, and even the promotion of a prominent donut chain!

Honesty's the best policy " or "honesty is the best policy."
(attributed to - Miguel de Cervantes Don Quixote de la Mancha [1605-1615], Book III, Chapter 33, p. 666 (Spanish doesn't usually abbreviate well, and oddly, no Spanish equivalent is ever quoted), Tubvill 's Vade Mecum (1599)or Richard Whately (1780-1863)

“Make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, make 'em wait,"
or
“Make 'em laugh; make 'em weep; make 'em wait.”
or
Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry, scare the shit out of ‘em, nd go home
or
"Make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, scare the Hell out of 'em, and go home."
or
"make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, scare the hell out of 'em and send 'em home"
or
"Welcome them, make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, give 'em your best, and then cut out!"

(variously attributed to
- the music hall
- Wilkie Collins
- Charles Reade 1814-1884,
- Charles Dickens.
- and in the more contemporary argot even one Dolly Parton!)
(cf karaoke – make ‘em weep, make ‘em dance)

(I Find) kind words and a gun more persuasive than kind words
or
You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can get with just a kind word.
Or
"You can get more with a gun and a smile than you can with just a smile."
or
“You can get more with a gun and a smile than a smile alone”
(attributed to Willie Sutton, Al Capone, Floyd R. Turbo (super-patriot on Johnny Carson Show introduced in 1977))

'Three things that never come back; the spent arrow, the spoken word and the lost opportunity.'
Or
“There are three things which once sent on their way, cannot be recalled – the shot arrow, the spoken word and the lost opportunity”
(attributed to one William Gregory Paige (?), or "Persian proverb")

“A woman is a woman but a good cigar is a smoke” (attributed to Rudyard Kipling about 1895, W.C. Fields and Winston Churchill)

Mysteries

2004-08-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Anyone have answers to what the following are or mean?

Acuna Natada (?) (Sp. For no worries?)
Ade of Magdalen
shaped like Agamemnon’s sword (ORWELL)
metal d'Alger (Poe)
An Alison Bellamy ‘Gee Whiz’ lecture
Alliance pears
(ad for) Amen Pills (?sleeping pills)
The humble anacvina (? the class to which Mary and Joseph belonged?)
aprivation
articularis mortis (analysis of cause of death)
ladies in art serge
the play of forces in a Spassky bauerstrom
Bedaux belt (Orwell was against these)
Bedthane (sister)
a birchwood calendar
bjopti
Damon Runyon’s Black Uncle Jack
(the scarred buttocks of the men who had been) bogged with bamboos (ORWELL)
the Brechtian Axiom
Brûlé-parfum
Camerado (perh. Walt Whitman used it to mean colleague or friend?)
Cana ora (?) (?thank god?)
The casogram (?)
Catweazel
C’est eaux! Mais ce sont des âmes
Ce n’est que le premier pas qui crûte
Chosa de
cootikens (Robbie Burns wore them with blue stockings)
Com’e carina (It.)
Cromwell Clock
Dalile (hairstyle ?plait)
Tom. Decler (?)
Jules Regis Delvay’s model of small guerilla foci that catalyse social upheaval and bring down an empire)
Die Wahrheit sind drussen
dilectissimae imagines
dinkus
Dollice
Dongi-sadhus (donkey-sadhus)
Drage furniture
Elle se respecte, vois-tu
Sorbet Elsinore (from the degustation in the Greek restaurant in Caleb Carr's "The Alienist")
Eularies (various gramineous grasses?)
euse
EXQUISARIA
(Grow grapes for the) farango? Farandina?
Farfegnugen!
Felscher (USSR barefoot doctors)
Fessaria – not for the ears polite
an agonized shriek of "Je fissel" (Orwell)
the flibber
“Squeekie” Floyd
Foil mask (?) (photography)
Goboon (?Spittoon, ?wad)
(Habakkuk il est) Habacuc était capable de tout, Voltaire is reported to have said
The historical practice of humming in the C17th, which caused universities to be called “hum et hissimi auditores”
Hubbed and spoked (? Frazier)
Hugaboo (?pet-name?)
penning impenuous verses for circulation among his friends
Julia Child of the Spirits
lâchete des gens du monde (Proust)
lall
Lettres Perses-type novel
Limose
St Luke's peculation
Mackery
"Die Morität von Mackie Messer" what is a Morität?
mask of Menischus
medher of dark ale Cyclops (Ulysses ch12) part 2 He said and then lifted he in his rude great brawny strengthy hands the medher of dark strong foamy ale
Madame Mirabelle puppet (?)
Manohra (? Southern Thai gamelan?)
Mettimi ?(? Aegean storm?)
midaray – ?entertainment tarmac of a fair or exposition
What was Mira Ward’s husband Norman’s surname in Marilyn French’s “The Women’s Room” (ie Mira's married name)
Molisha (?) (enlightenment) of the Sanyasin in clear air and magnificent silences
Momurdotes
muche blanche
Who was negative nell/negative nellie/negative nelly?
neminem prandisse
What did Ogden Nash study during his year at Harvard?
Osobists (of the counter-intelligence)
Osteosynchrondroitrician ("Is There an Osteosynchrondroitrician in the House?") PERELMAN New Yorker 15 May 1937
par qué pagar mãs
Parustication (? Solecism for Haruspex?)
Parwe (?set of jewels, eg for coronation)
PERIPHES, (?Violent brigand) PERIPHETAEN
Pèterin (John Best)
Peut-on si bien prêcher qu’elle ne dorme au sermon? (not one of the reverend orators could utter the reproach)
Philocomoedian
Phippy
Pieves (something to do with Corsica?)
sit on a pyol
a huge piretto (piretti) of wine
Plazzetta eg famous Plazzetta S Mareo dalla Laguna, Venezia, Italy
polo polo (a Croatian Dish)
Princeton soliloquies
pull rank (what's the etymology of this?)
“put-and-rake” game with top/teetotum
Quando souvviem mi di contanta sperae
Ragmeat
Story of Ratha (Giant?) in the Book of Samuel (?)
Rindfleischsuppenmusik (“beef broth music”)
(Robbie Burns) “sold his crops in a roup” What's a roup?
roussin (perhaps a detective, police ?)
Gilt rout chairs
Sarcotilomaniac
Where Sathanas monopolise the prettiest airs
Sawzie
schalmoles (or schamoles) as in "We used to use clams, then scheckles, but now its schalmoles" (like the Pope, holding in his hand the) golden keys of Schenck (?)
scrupper
Serrouelles
Siffeuse
silagenoid (?a garfish?)
silver spadella (through their black tresses)
skebe flyer
sors ista tyrannis Convenit
Who was Spacy Tracy?
sprankle
stengah-shifter, unbuttoned at the neck
Latvian born Lina Stern
Swissrama
Teresan sword
Tosazu (vinegar) jelly
every trick in the book/oldest trick in the book. What book?
Utile-doux
winnet-covered
Zingari blazer

The (fictional) meeting between Vautrin and Lucien de Rubempré at the coach house in Balzac’s Illusions perdues

‘Veuillez le dire donc selon
Que vous estes benigne et doulche,
Car ce doulx mot n’est pas si long
Qu’il vous face mal en la bouche.’ (ORWELL)

Quam breve tempus abit quod amando degitur! Instar
Momenti fugiens vix superat

Le Roy Francois legond

2004-08-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hi
We have a print of a renaissance-style drawing of child in soft hat with “Le Roy Francois legond” written above. On back is written "Cloriet Francais (Délla/Hilla) Jehamet Re Francesco of Famcuillo" or similar.
Does anyone know of the work?

Ella Galiga, supposedly longest literary work in existence

2004-08-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hi,

The Makassans or Makasserese (from Sulawesi) are said to have an epic called the Ella Galiga, supposedly longest literary work in existence.
Is this true?

Queenstown Otago New Zealand 1982

2004-08-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hi
It's a while, so I wonder whatever happened to
Anita Graff
Alister McAlister
Mrs Christian Forde at Nightcaps
Sarah Garvie (Remarera)
Michael Grigg
Bilson Hemopo the kamikaze skier and general lovable rogue
Toni Kemp
Kipper’s Band
Dr Len Kitson
Jude (March), the drummer
Robyn Molloy
Peter and Chrissie Norris and sons Leon and Scott
Toni Okkersee, Endeavour Films, Auckland
John Perrin editor of “Mountain Scene”
Dr Langtree - Christchurch
Dr Des Prendergast & Denise (Invercargill)
Marg, Don, Nancy and Diana Prentice (16 Cedar Rd, Epsom)Auckland
Beau Radley
Basil & Ngaire Reid, Christopher Reid (Auckland)
Paul Reid (12 Kelsey Crescent, Hillsborough)
Frazer Skinner
Maire Tidy from Glenorchy and her friend Kit
Imre Toth
Bruce & Enid Todd
Neil Harrap
Dr Erich Geiringer
Dennis Pizarro

Malcolm Waddle