A Royal Awakening
By Cecelia Myers
Once upon a time, in a kitchen far, far away, a cook yawns her way into her kitchen after a 100-year rest to wake the appetite of her charges. The gardens have grown into jungle, and with an entire kingdom, a princess and a new prince to impress, Chef Marjoliane Reveille snaps into action. The mouths of the kingdom are thick with sleep, and although the prince chose to wake them in the spring, it’s still a hot day. She must use what she has – wild fields of herbs, beans and the fruit and nut trees that still bloom. Her sole piece of luck is that the kingdoms animals slumbered alongside the kingdom. She mutters to herself as she rushes around the kitchen…
Meadow Tea
“Mint is so invasive that we have full fields of it. I’ll have the stable boy pluck a bucket full and make a sweet, cool tea for the princess’s dry mouth”
10 cups of mint leaves – spearmint works well
1 gallon water
1 cup honey
Boil and remove from heat. Let steep for one hour. Strain through cheesecloth and stir in honey until dissolved. Freeze into ice cubes and dissolve one cube for ever two cups of water.
“Mint is so invasive that we have full fields of it. I’ll have the stable boy pluck a bucket full and make a sweet, cool tea for the princess’s dry mouth”
10 cups of mint leaves – spearmint works well
1 gallon water
1 cup honey
Boil and remove from heat. Let steep for one hour. Strain through cheesecloth and stir in honey until dissolved. Freeze into ice cubes and dissolve one cube for ever two cups of water.
Chilled Butterbean Soup
“The butterbeans are simple and a chilled soup shouldn’t upset bellies who haven’t seen food in a lifetime”
2 cups (about 2 pounds in the shell) shelled butter (lima) beans
2 ounces diced smoked bacon
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon diced celery
1 tablespoon diced green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (may substitute low-sodium broth)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (preferably from a Meyer lemon)
1 cup heavy cream
Olive oil, for garnish
Crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Have ready a large bowl of ice water.
Add the butter beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on their size. Drain the beans and plunge them into the ice water. Remove any loose shells from the beans and drain again thoroughly.
Meanwhile, in a heavy stockpot over low heat, add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon just begins to crisp. Add the shallots, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent (do not let them get brown), about 2 minutes. Add the butter beans and salt and pepper to taste. Add the stock and lemon juice. Increase the heat to medium-low and cook until bubbles just begin to break the surface, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. Before serving, add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.
Fennel and Orange Salad
“Fennel is perfect for warding off evil spirits – let us hope this predicament does not visit our kingdom again”
Dressing:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salad:
1 (10 ounce) bag mixed salad greens
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 orange, peeled and segmented
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Whisk together the sugar, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, basil, and olive oil in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set aside. Toss the salad greens, sliced fennel, orange, onion, almonds, and cranberries in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to serve.
1 tablespoon diced celery
1 tablespoon diced green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (may substitute low-sodium broth)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (preferably from a Meyer lemon)
1 cup heavy cream
Olive oil, for garnish
Crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Have ready a large bowl of ice water.
Add the butter beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on their size. Drain the beans and plunge them into the ice water. Remove any loose shells from the beans and drain again thoroughly.
Meanwhile, in a heavy stockpot over low heat, add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon just begins to crisp. Add the shallots, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent (do not let them get brown), about 2 minutes. Add the butter beans and salt and pepper to taste. Add the stock and lemon juice. Increase the heat to medium-low and cook until bubbles just begin to break the surface, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. Before serving, add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.
Fennel and Orange Salad
“Fennel is perfect for warding off evil spirits – let us hope this predicament does not visit our kingdom again”
Dressing:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salad:
1 (10 ounce) bag mixed salad greens
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 orange, peeled and segmented
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Whisk together the sugar, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, basil, and olive oil in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set aside. Toss the salad greens, sliced fennel, orange, onion, almonds, and cranberries in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to serve.
Minted Rack of Lamb
“The mint keeps it light but the lamb will fill their bellies”
1 medium shallot, peeled, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves (no stems)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 rack rib lamb chops
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, combine shallot, garlic, mustard, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and mint; season with salt and pepper. Pulse until a medium-textured paste forms, about 30 seconds; set aside.
Heat a cast-iron skillet large enough to accommodate the half-rack of ribs, over medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Season lamb with salt and pepper, and place in the skillet, fat side down. Sear meat on both sides until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, and transfer the lamb to a clean surface.
Spread the reserved mint paste on the meaty side of the lamb, and place the lamb in a shallow baking pan. Transfer to the oven, and roast until the lamb is medium rare, or until the internal temperature is 130 , 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place lamb on a cutting board; let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Slice between the bones, and serve.
“The mint keeps it light but the lamb will fill their bellies”
1 medium shallot, peeled, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves (no stems)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 rack rib lamb chops
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, combine shallot, garlic, mustard, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and mint; season with salt and pepper. Pulse until a medium-textured paste forms, about 30 seconds; set aside.
Heat a cast-iron skillet large enough to accommodate the half-rack of ribs, over medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Season lamb with salt and pepper, and place in the skillet, fat side down. Sear meat on both sides until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, and transfer the lamb to a clean surface.
Spread the reserved mint paste on the meaty side of the lamb, and place the lamb in a shallow baking pan. Transfer to the oven, and roast until the lamb is medium rare, or until the internal temperature is 130 , 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place lamb on a cutting board; let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Slice between the bones, and serve.
Blackberry Ice with Honey Whipped Cream
“The rosewater in the recipe will please the princess”
Blackberry Ice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 pound blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon rosewater
Combine 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool. Pour into a blender. Add blackberries and remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard solids. Pour mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; cover and freeze 45 minutes. Stir blackberry mixture with a fork every 45 minutes until completely frozen and slushy (about 3 hours).
Remove blackberry mixture from freezer; scrape with a fork until fluffy.
Honey Whipped Cream
2 cups whipping cream
½ cup honey
Whip cream to form stiff peaks. Fold in honey until fully incorporated.
Special thanks to
“The rosewater in the recipe will please the princess”
Blackberry Ice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 pound blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon rosewater
Combine 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool. Pour into a blender. Add blackberries and remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard solids. Pour mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; cover and freeze 45 minutes. Stir blackberry mixture with a fork every 45 minutes until completely frozen and slushy (about 3 hours).
Remove blackberry mixture from freezer; scrape with a fork until fluffy.
Honey Whipped Cream
2 cups whipping cream
½ cup honey
Whip cream to form stiff peaks. Fold in honey until fully incorporated.
Special thanks to
Martha Stewart for the lamb
Cooking Light for the Blackberry Ice
The "Meadow Tea" and "Honey Cream" are the author’s own.
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8 comments:
I like this idea a lot. The kitchens are usually mentioned in the tale when everyone is falling asleep so my mind often returns there at the end of the story too. The menu sounds perfect for a wake up feast. (Of course, now I'm hungry... :)
What a lovely, interesting article. I enjoyed it a lot.
Ah, the practical side of fairy tales! I like how the recipes you chose fit so well with the story; I can see how this sort of article might be included as an addendum in a "Sleeping Beauty" book.
And I'm kinda hungry, too...
This is so clever and different! I love the idea, and the recipes sound delicious. I could easily imagine purchasing a book of recipes built around fairytales.
What a healthy diet. Chef Reveille was ahead of her times,low fat and plenty of anti-oxidants. Ms Myers has found the answer to Sleeping Beauty's good looks, shiny hair, slim figure and above all the ability to make it to 100 years.
Can she tell us what Rumplestill-
kin ate?
Ms Myers is a creative and inter-
esting writer.
What wonderful recipes! I think that I might try a couple of them.
The use of specific ingredients with descriptions of why they are used is a unique twist on this fairy tale. This is definitely a way that I have not considered for a fairy tale. Who would have thought that a Prince and Princess actually eat food? In reading the stories there seems to be talk of the act of eating, but, really never what they actually are eating.
I will have to agree with the anonymous blogger, this chef is definitely on top of the health issues of cooking. What a menu to wake up from a hundred year slumber for.
Stephanie L.
These recipes sound like something that may have been cooked a long time ago. They do not seem appetizing to me. As I'm reading them, they sound like something out of a fairy tale with those descriptions, because of the fact that everything was made from the kingdom's fields and was homemade. It does however seem to be a very healthy diet. But I know that I'd want some salty, fattening food after I woke up from a 100 year nap. Also, I'd need some sweets and chocolate of course.
MelissaW
I think this was a good story. If I was sleeping for one hundred years I would want a feast also and of course if I was trying to impress a new prince, there would have to be a great meal made up just for the two of us! I like how every recipe had a remedy for various situations in the princess’ life. I think the recipes were a good touch to give it a realistic feel with adding humor to the short story. Everyday people look through their cupboards to create meals by using what they have. The soup and salad sounds delicious. I would have loved to feast on this meal after I was sleeping for one hundred years. However, the chef seems a little upset because the feast is not for him and he is doing all of the work in preparing it.
MH
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