September 21, 2013 - Siege of Paris menus

sandypossum · 09-21-2013, 05:37 AM

The "Siege of Paris" lasted from September 19, 1870 to January 28, 1871. No supplies of any kind were allowed to enter the city, and eventually there was no more meat or fresh vegetables in the city. Due to this shortage of food, Parisians were forced to slaughter whatever animals were at hand. Rats, dogs, cats, and horses were regular fare on restaurant menus. An example of a Latin Quarter menu from the time of the siege reads in part:

* Consommé de cheval au millet. (horse)
* Brochettes de foie de chien à la maître d'hôtel. (dog)
* Emincé de rable de chat. Sauce mayonnaise. (cat)
* Epaules et filets de chien braisés. Sauce aux tomates. (dog)
* Civet de chat aux champignons. (cat)
* Côtelettes de chien aux petits pois. (dog)
* Salamis de rats. Sauce Robert. (rats)
* Gigots de chien flanqués de ratons. Sauce poivrade. (dog, rats)
* Begonias au jus. (flowers)
* Plum-pudding au rhum et à la Moelle de Cheval. (horse)

And then Alexandre Étienne Choron, the celebrated chef de cuisine of the restaurant Voisin on the rue Saint Honoré, created his legendary midnight Christmas dinner (1870), principally composed of the best parts of zoo animals:

stuffed head of donkey
elephant consommé
roasted camel
kangaroo stew
bear shanks roasted in pepper sauce
wolf in deer sauce
cat with rat
antelope in truffle sauce

The menu's wines were Mouton-Rothschild 1846, Romanée-Conti 1858 and Château Palmer 1864.

There was no longer any food to give to the animals, so they were going to have to be killed anyway (if that makes you feel any better about this!)

The siege was lifted two weeks later.

lumberjim · 09-21-2013, 08:43 AM

Still... maybe dont have a menu. ... maybe close the restaurant. Or go vegetarian. Blergh, that's grim. [/Sundae]

Sundae · 09-21-2013, 08:58 AM

Camel roasted in the English style?

Then again, the upper class Edwardians would eat anything if it stood still long enough.
And probably shot it if it didn't.

Including the servants.

sandypossum · 09-21-2013, 09:18 AM

(Oh and hey, I did attach a pic of the menu, but... still dunno how to make it show)

Clodfobble · 09-21-2013, 10:18 AM

It's showing for me, sandy.

sandypossum · 09-21-2013, 10:23 AM

Showing in thread, but not on iotd page

Undertoad · 09-21-2013, 10:25 AM

This is fixed... attachments don't show on the IotD page until I move them around.

Gravdigr · 09-24-2013, 02:27 PM

Where the fuck did France get enough kangaroos in 1870 to serve in restaurants?

Same place they got the elephants, antelopes, and bears, I guess.

BigV · 10-01-2013, 04:58 PM

right, the zoo.

very limited menu.

CaliforniaMama · 10-02-2013, 02:02 PM

Where's the monkey?

And the snakes?

Sundae · 10-02-2013, 02:44 PM

They wouldn't have lasted long enough to make it to the menu.

SPUCK · 10-02-2013, 09:58 PM

Reminds me of today's Pearls Before Swine comic.

Goat to Pig: I'm off to see the Paris
sights.

Pig: That sounds horrid.

Goat: Why?!

Pig: Who wants to see parasites?

chrisinhouston · 10-03-2013, 07:22 AM

Well, there sure wasn't a shortage of good wine on the menu!

Gravdigr · 10-03-2013, 02:07 PM

I guess the grapes survived the siege?

09-21-2013, 05:37 AM	#1
sandypossum tri-continental dag hag Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 247	September 21, 2013 - Siege of Paris menus The "Siege of Paris" lasted from September 19, 1870 to January 28, 1871. No supplies of any kind were allowed to enter the city, and eventually there was no more meat or fresh vegetables in the city. Due to this shortage of food, Parisians were forced to slaughter whatever animals were at hand. Rats, dogs, cats, and horses were regular fare on restaurant menus. An example of a Latin Quarter menu from the time of the siege reads in part: * Consommé de cheval au millet. (horse) * Brochettes de foie de chien à la maître d'hôtel. (dog) * Emincé de rable de chat. Sauce mayonnaise. (cat) * Epaules et filets de chien braisés. Sauce aux tomates. (dog) * Civet de chat aux champignons. (cat) * Côtelettes de chien aux petits pois. (dog) * Salamis de rats. Sauce Robert. (rats) * Gigots de chien flanqués de ratons. Sauce poivrade. (dog, rats) * Begonias au jus. (flowers) * Plum-pudding au rhum et à la Moelle de Cheval. (horse) And then Alexandre Étienne Choron, the celebrated chef de cuisine of the restaurant Voisin on the rue Saint Honoré, created his legendary midnight Christmas dinner (1870), principally composed of the best parts of zoo animals: stuffed head of donkey elephant consommé roasted camel kangaroo stew bear shanks roasted in pepper sauce wolf in deer sauce cat with rat antelope in truffle sauce The menu's wines were Mouton-Rothschild 1846, Romanée-Conti 1858 and Château Palmer 1864. There was no longer any food to give to the animals, so they were going to have to be killed anyway (if that makes you feel any better about this!) The siege was lifted two weeks later. __________________ you're never too old to have a happy childhood

09-21-2013, 08:43 AM	#2
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	Still... maybe dont have a menu. ... maybe close the restaurant. Or go vegetarian. Blergh, that's grim. [/Sundae] __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

09-21-2013, 08:58 AM	#3
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Camel roasted in the English style? Then again, the upper class Edwardians would eat anything if it stood still long enough. And probably shot it if it didn't. Including the servants. __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

09-21-2013, 09:18 AM	#4
sandypossum tri-continental dag hag Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 247	(Oh and hey, I did attach a pic of the menu, but... still dunno how to make it show) __________________ you're never too old to have a happy childhood

09-21-2013, 10:18 AM	#5
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	It's showing for me, sandy. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

09-21-2013, 10:23 AM	#6
sandypossum tri-continental dag hag Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 247	Showing in thread, but not on iotd page __________________ you're never too old to have a happy childhood

09-21-2013, 10:25 AM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	This is fixed... attachments don't show on the IotD page until I move them around.

09-24-2013, 02:27 PM	#8
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	Where the fuck did France get enough kangaroos in 1870 to serve in restaurants? Same place they got the elephants, antelopes, and bears, I guess. __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

10-01-2013, 04:58 PM	#9
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	right, the zoo. very limited menu. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

10-02-2013, 02:02 PM	#10
CaliforniaMama I wonder . . . Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Left Coast, a pretty good place to be. Posts: 1,278	Where's the monkey? And the snakes? __________________ Take time for silence. You never know what you might hear.

10-02-2013, 02:44 PM	#11
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	They wouldn't have lasted long enough to make it to the menu. __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

10-02-2013, 09:58 PM	#12
SPUCK Professor Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,911	Reminds me of today's Pearls Before Swine comic. Goat to Pig: I'm off to see the Paris sights. Pig: That sounds horrid. Goat: Why?! Pig: Who wants to see parasites?

10-03-2013, 07:22 AM	#13
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	Well, there sure wasn't a shortage of good wine on the menu!

10-03-2013, 02:07 PM	#14
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	I guess the grapes survived the siege? __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

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