Frabjous Day Indeed
Don’t you feel we have lived through Lewis Carroll’s poem? Certainly more nightmarish, but the vocabulary comparisons feel eerily similar. The gibberish that has been flooding our screens would be almost comic if the circumstances had not been so dire.
Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought–
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One two! One two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Hoping for Callooh Callay
Our meals lately have been in front of my trusty computer screen, while we were transfixed with the elections in Hungary, the ongoing demonstrations in Albania, the incredible and unsung student led movement in Serbia, and ultimately the determination of organizing groups in the US such as Leaders We Deserve and Swing Left (the latter was one that I had worked with since 2016).
So rather than an Italian dinner with a primo and a secondo (not even an evening stroll for a gelato) we have been fixated on our computer screen and eating – not American or Italian but rather my variations on a French snack tradition. Let me introduce you to Croque Madame, a slightly adjusted sidekick of the French classic sandwich Croque Monsieur. It’s proved itself as the perfect quick TV dinner for these fractious times.
A clever and humorous bistrot owner in Paris, Michel Lunarca, is credited with inventing (or perhaps reinventing) Croque Monsieur, a comforting and quick stove top or in the oven sandwich that benefits from a glass of wine and maybe a touch of salad. The urban legend has it that a client asked him what kind of meat was in this delicious sandwich and he replied “The meat of a gentleman”. Hence the name loosely translated as Crunchy Mister. I am an occasional reader of Substack authors, and Jaimie Schler has the most engaging article with a thorough Croque history – and excellent instructions on the construction of this sandwich. You can enjoy it here.
Some Croque Hacks
Bechamel sauce is the glue that sticks the classic Monsieur together, and this sandwich is best done in the oven. But Croque Madame should be made in a frypan, and I prefer the versions without the Bechamel. It often makes the sandwich too gloppy, especially when circumstances require constant and anxious monitoring of the news. But I discovered Ms. Schler’s formula for a thick mayonnaise- like
bechamel is really the answer for a Croque Monsieur. I also grate cheese (sometimes a softer Pecorino or Montasio and then some Parmigiano ) instead of a slice of Gruyere.I prefer the really thin slices of cooked Italian ham (prosciutto cotto) rather than one thick slice. I pile on about 40 grams of them in a sloppy rosette style – sort of mimicking the fabulous sandwiches of Mortadella Lab, around the corner from me. I spread a thin layer of butter on the interior sides of each slice, giving the sandwich a more luxurious mouth feel. Then, of course fry the sandwich in more butter. Anxiety responds best to butter.
While Croque Monsieur is heavy on bechamel or its cheese-infused cousin, Mornay sauce, slathered on top, Croque Madame has a runny fried egg at its apex. Cook the eggs in another frying pan (with butter please) while you are frying your sandwiches. When Madame is ready, simply transfer the egg to the top of the sandwich. The result metaphorically resembles a woman’s hat (hence the Madame instead of Monsieur). For technique, the visuals on the Italian franchise of The Food Network are very clear, and you can auto-dub them into English. I prefer frying the eggs without a form – more American, less EU. I’m pretty sure the croque-heavy diet can’t claim much credit for the recent demise of so many Jabberwocks. But still, twas brillig.
Comments & Reviews