Let Them Eat Art!

Some food controversies are never settled. One of the oldest and liveliest is: Should food look like something to eat, or should it look like a work of art?

Antonin Careme (1784-1833), one of the founding fathers of French cuisine and a chef of great genius and passion, was firmly on the art side of the dispute. He once wrote, “The fine arts are five in number: painting, sculpture, poetry, music and architecture--whose main branch is confectionery.” Architecture, to Careme, meant the arrangement of desserts. His influence is still seen in many restaurants.

I thought of Careme on two recent occasions when desserts were set before me. One was a plate of meringues and berries that were formed and arranged to look like giant toadstools in a garden. This may not exactly be architecture, but it must have taken some designing to shape the toadstools and get them to stand upright. The other dessert definitely was architectural: an arrangement of chocolate logs leaning on each other.

I found both of these desserts puzzling. I was not sure whether the pastry chef intended the art to be whimsical or serious.

On the other hand, many years ago I heard about an artistic dessert that I would have loved. Paul Prudhomme, one of many chefs at a large gala dinner in New York City, served 100 diners individual little houses made of chocolate and filled with wild strawberries.

When the chocolate houses had been placed before the guests, there was a trumpet fanfare and the waiters marched forth with great silver bowls of warm creme anglaise. They ladled the sauce over each little house, making it slowly melt. The guests were enchanted.

The Charlotte Russe recipe I’m giving is in memory of Careme, who invented this fine dish. It was very popular in this country during the 19th Century. It is made in a cylindrical mold lined with a thin layer of sponge cake and filled with Bavarian cream.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup whipping cream

Homemade or store-bought spongecake, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let soften 5 minutes. Mix sugar and milk in pan, add gelatin and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar and gelatin dissolve. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Chill until thick and syrupy, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then beat until fluffy. Whip cream to soft peaks and fold in gelatin mixture. Line 1 1/2-quart mold or 4 individual molds with slices of spongecake. Spoon in filling and chill until firm. Unmold before serving. Makes 4 servings.