# Culinary Trivia?



## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Well since the Iron Chef Trivia took off so well I thought we could try some Culinary Trivia and see who can stump everyone else.

Here is a semi-tough question:

*What did Escoffier use to clarify his fish consomme with?*


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

Egg whites


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## layjo (Oct 12, 1999)

I belive he states to use caviar mashed, mixed with cold fish fumet, bring up to a boil and simmer gently for twenty minutes with the pot offset of the flame in order to clarifiy. and gently pour the consomme through cheesecloth.

-Here's one-
What is the Indian version of clarified butter, simular in preparation to Beurre Noisette, called?

opps! I forgot....did I get the first question right?

[This message has been edited by layjo (edited August 23, 2000).]


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## greg (Dec 8, 1999)

Ghee. Next question: Why did the French name brown sauce "espagnole"?


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## layjo (Oct 12, 1999)

From what i've heard....The sauce means Spanish Sauce and was named so because the ingredients that were used to make the sauce back then were the finest of those type of ingredients from Spain.


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Layjo you are right, Escoffier used caviar when clarifying consomme. I am not sure on the naming of espagnole sauce anyone know?


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Here is one for you all: How did the term "upper crust" of society come about? And another: Why is a Baker's dozen 13? Good luck.


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

I am not sure about the baker's dozen, does it have something to do with the disciples?


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## bayou (Jul 30, 2000)

Pete, about the "Baker's Dozen" question - I have heard that back in the 17th (or 18th) century, in Europe, there were very severe penalties for "short changing" (by weight)customers on grain items, such as rolls, buns, etc. So, the bakers started adding an extra item - just in case their scales were a little off. I've seen this explanation in more than one place - hope this helps.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

In southern Louisiana Lagniape is alittle extra.....does anyone know when the cajuns or Acadians started this?


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Ok we need a re-cap, will all of the people who posted a question make sure they answered it.

What was the answer to this question:

*What is the Indian version of clarified butter, simular in preparation to Beurre Noisette, called? *

And this one:

*Why did the French name brown sauce "espagnole"?*


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Bayou answered the one about "baker's dozen" pretty much correctly. In the Middle Ages (1300-1500) penalties were very stiff for bakers who overcharged or underweighed bread. To make sure that they would not be punished, in case their scales were off compared to the regulators, they would throw in an extra piece. Better to lose a little product than to spend a day or 2 in the pillory. Now can anyone answer the other question I posted.


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

sauce espagnole is one of the five mother sauces (the # is debated these days)but regardless what are the remaining 4 mother sauces


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

ok,, how about mangosteen
where is it from?
what is it?
and what is it used for?


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## layjo (Oct 12, 1999)

Sorry about that folks!....the answer to the question.
What is the Indian version of clarified butter, simular in preparation to Beurre Noisette,
ANSWER: Ghee, Greg answer is correct!


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## greg (Dec 8, 1999)

The French named brown sauce espagnole because the use of roux originated in Spain. Next question: Where did mayonnaise originate?


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Sauce Espagnole was so named because of its brown colour.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Four versions of the origin of mayonnaise

The first version, gives the credit to the Duc de Richelieu who captured Port Mahon on June 28 1756. He gave the name mayonnaise to the sauce he or his cook made for the fisrt time that night.

Other sources think that the mayonnaise originated in Bayonne where the mayonnaise was a speciality. The bayonnaise with time became the mayonnaise.

Carême has said that the mayonnaise is a derivation of the verb manier. At first it would have been known as magonnaise or magnionnaise.

Prosper Montagné belived the word was a deformation of moyeunaise which came from a old french word moyeu meaning egg yolks.


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## cookm (Aug 8, 2000)

How about this? Where did the Japanese get the idea for tempura from?


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## nick.shu (Jul 18, 2000)

the portugese catholic priests staying in japan after its dicovery. Im not sure of the exact portugese dish, but it was a way of cooking the priests the obligatory friday night seafood meal.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

The Spanish and Portuguese who established mission in southern Japan in the late XVI century used to make fried fish and seafood on friday night. The dish cought on with the Japanese. They soon added a dipping sauce with daikon mixed in.


I have heard that the name tempura comes from the Portuguese word for temple day, temple dia.


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## cookm (Aug 8, 2000)

Correct. I only found out cause my pal was serving tempura in her Spanish restaurant. I asked, she told me about the Portugese, so naturally it came to Spain. Try tempura green onions with Romesco sauce. Oh my God, it kills...


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## live_to_cook (Aug 23, 2000)

Mangosteen is a Thai fruit, seen it once in a NYC joint, supposed to be kind of like a custardy strawberry if you can imagine. Comes in sections like a pale tangerine. Suppose it would make a terrific sorbet but have never seen it used. Course I've never been to Thailand either.

[This message has been edited by Live_to_cook (edited August 27, 2000).]


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Yeah Pete, what does the term *"Upper Crust"* come from?

Ok I have a very cool question;

*Where does pumernickle bread get its name?*


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

During the depression, when people were making pies they stopped putting a uppercrust because it would make the pie too expensive. Only th rich were able to affford a upper crust on their pies...

Sisi


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Two stories exist about the origin of pumpernickel. 

In 1450, food was scare and people were heading for starvation. The people of Osnabruck baked, for the poor, a bonum panicum (a good bread). That bread was so popular that people continued to make it. The name evolved to bumponickel and to pumpernickel.

Secondly, it is believe that pumper would be a onomatopeia for the yeast rising the bread. Nickel is a abreviation of the name Nikolaus. The name Nickolaus is often use to describe a simple-minded person. The word pumpernickel was used to describe a big simple bread. 


Sisi


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## chefjohnpaul (Mar 9, 2000)

Man, this is like a food fight, it's confusing because all these questions and answers a firing all over the place!

I believe espagnol came from the brown color and Spaniards had brown eyes.

Mayonnaise I understood came from the island of Mahon off the coast of France and Spain.

Here's one for you: Does searing meat seal in juices?


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## nick.shu (Jul 18, 2000)

sealing the meat properly will assist in holding the juices, however the properties of protein dictate that the contraction during heating will try to squeeze out the juices - so my opinion would be that sealing and resting the meat will retain SOME of the juices.


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## nick.shu (Jul 18, 2000)

Also with the naming of french sauces in cookery, apparently the naming is based on visual and geography (i.e.) sauce indienne - indian people or landscape are percieved as being red therefore the sauce is red, or based on the specialty of a regional area (i.e) lyonnaise, the specialty of the area being onions and bacon.


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## lobster (Aug 11, 2000)

Arguably, the five mother sauces:
Espagnole - (brown, based on meat)
Bechamel - (white, based on milk)
Hollandaise - (yellow, based on eggs)
Tomato - (red, self explanatory)
Veloute - (ivory, based on cream)


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Good try Sisi, but the term upper crust goes back much further than that. In the 1300's, they did not usually use plates or platters to eat on. They were reserved for serving. People would eat on slices of large round bread (called Trenchers sp?). Well you can imagine how soggy and messy these things became after numerous courses, leaking all over the table and the guests. The nobility were always offered the first (or top slice) since it was covered in crust making for a less messy edible plate.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Pete,


To be honest I made up the story about the upper crust. I couldn't find any reference to it and no one else was posting a answer, so I made up a little story.


Sisi


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Ok this topic is getting out of control a bit so how about from now on we put each question in *bold* type. After one question has been answered we move on to the next one. When you answer a question be sure you mention which question you are answering. If you are not sure how to put something into bold type, click on this link: http://www.cheftalkcafe.com/ubb/ubbcode.html

*Answer to the question: Where does Pumpernickle get it's name? (originally posted by me)*

The story goes, that Napoleon's horse was named Nicole and that the horse was fed a dark bread (what we now know as pumpernickle) each morning. When the bakers would bring the bread in the morning they would shout in French "Pain Pour Nicole" which eventually developed into Pumpernickle.

Next question?????


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## judy (Jul 6, 1999)

I thought napoleans horse was called Marengo and a chicken dish was named after him. Maybe he had a lot of horses and the chefs, to cull favour, named their dishes after him.Here is one for you.
what is the term above the salt indicate?


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I think Marengo was the site of a battle fought by Napolean, and the dish is named in its honor. (Julia Child agrees-- See The Way to Cook).

[This message has been edited by Mezzaluna (edited September 01, 2000).]


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

live_to_cook, you are right on the money with your answer on mangosteen,


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## augiewren (Aug 27, 2000)

Above the salt indicated your position at the table. The salt cellar was placed on the table strategically to indicate who was who. If you sat "below the salt", you were lower class than the others at the table. Thomas Costain wrote a book called "Below The Salt" years ago.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Augiewren, I read that book, too! Since we're talking about archaic topics, what is marchpane?


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## chefjohnpaul (Mar 9, 2000)

> Originally posted by jeff_macrae:
> *As for searing it does not hold in the juices in fact it causes the meat to release more juices, (if you don't believe me check out Harold Mcgee's "On Food and Cooking")
> 
> That is correct! No juices are sealed in, in fact Harold McGee mentioned that 50% of the chefs he spoke with still believe that searing seals. I guess we can't let go of Escoffier, eh?*


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## chefjohnpaul (Mar 9, 2000)

Crecy refers to carrots.

[This message has been edited by chefjohnpaul (edited September 04, 2000).]


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## chefjohnpaul (Mar 9, 2000)

Now I heard that Espagnol sauce was actually brought to France via a Spanish Queen who married a French King, I think. Can anyone varify this?


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## chefjohnpaul (Mar 9, 2000)

Now I heard that Espagnol sauce was actually brought to France via a Spanish Queen who married a French King, I think. Can anyone varify this?


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## greg (Dec 8, 1999)

I can't verify the details, but the stocks and sauces chef-instructor at J&W Charleston said that sauce Espagnol (and the use of roux) originated in Spain. He didn't say where he got his information.


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## layjo (Oct 12, 1999)

Who is the French Economist and agronomist(1737-1817)who wrote numerous works on food and was responsible for the popularization of "potatoes" in French Cooking? Before his time they were scorned as unfit for human consumption. His last name is used to describe a particular style of Classic French Cookery. (Wurzer,1981)


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## chef mark hayes (Aug 21, 2000)

Parmentier.


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## chef mark hayes (Aug 21, 2000)

Parmentier.


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## layjo (Oct 12, 1999)

Chef Mark Hayes you are correct...Antoine Auguste Parmentier! "In Cuisine, the word Parmentier means that potatoes will be included in the dish in one form or another, but the potatoes being a prime feature in the dish" (Wurzer, 1981)


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## nutcakes (Sep 5, 2000)

RE: Espagnole, from The Oxford Companion to food (Davidson, 1999)

"The name has nothing to do with Spain, any more than the counterpart term allemande (see veloute) has anything to do with Germany. It is generally believed that the terms were chosen because in French eyes Germans are blond and Spaniards are brown."

Now, where does cream of tartar come from?


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## chef david simpson (Sep 25, 2000)

Creme of tarter is the acid scraped form the sides of wine barrels after fermentation. 
Tartaric Acid

Who wrote the first cook book?????


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## layjo (Oct 12, 1999)

Apicius-"Romanae Artis Coquinariae Leber" (The Roman Cookery Book)..... "the first comprehensive book on cookery"..."a compilation of the many recipes and bits of information about food by this merchant collected during his travels." (Chesser 1992)


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## chef david simpson (Sep 25, 2000)

nice work!


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## chef david simpson (Sep 25, 2000)

What was the name of the first women chef. and how did she get the job?


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## chef david simpson (Sep 25, 2000)

does anyone know??


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## layjo (Oct 12, 1999)

I've been trying to find out the answer but so far no luck! Guess I'm not trying hard enough! I'll keep on looking.


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## chef david simpson (Sep 25, 2000)

O.K. last chance!


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

You are correct, Maryeo. To those of you with culinary encyclopedae, does it derive from "pain" (bread)? I always wondered. I'd love to learn the derivation of marchpane/marzipan.


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