甜點系列：皇后名媛們和她們的甜點

01-29

我相信您一定對甜品鍾愛有加，一如過往的很多名媛夫人！有沒有想過，縱然如高高在上的皇后或者有權有勢的女強人，也會跟您一樣，對甜點失去抵抗力。比如，眾所周知，可可香奈兒小姐身形苗條，嚴格控制體重，卻一直對法式千層酥欲罷不能。是的，您可以是一位傑出的女性，也可偶爾享受甜點帶來的令人又愛又恨的美味。今天我們一起聊聊7位傑出女性和她們鍾愛的甜點的故事。看看您跟哪位夫人最像？

I have no doubt you appreciate desserts, as did many famous women before you! Have you ever asked yourself if Queens or powerful women could, like you, have had a small weakness for particular sweets, gourmandise? Yes, Coco Chanel was a very strict weight-watcher known for her slim shape, but she would always had a weak spot for millefeuilles, her favourite dessert. Yes, you can be a great woman and have your own moments of guilty pleasure… Together we will discover the small secrets of 7of these great women and their favourite desserts. Who do you resemble the most?

可可·香奈兒與法式千層酥

Coco Chanel and the Millefeuilles

Gabrielle Chanel

加布里埃爾「可可」夏奈爾是20世紀最偉大的時裝設計師之一。她的風格是整潔、優雅、精緻，一如她的身材：她引導潮流，使得女性追求極其苗條的身材以及纖細的小蠻腰。加布里埃爾本身就嚴格控制飲食保持身材，讓她的客戶不自覺地被吸引，並以她作為標杆，努力做到「香奈兒苗條」。

Gabrielle 「Coco」 Chanel was one of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th century. Her style was uncluttered, elegant, with delicacy. So too was her body shape: she launched the trend for women to be extremely slim and have a narrow waist. Gabrielle was extremely strict with her diet, which drew the admiration of her clients who afterwards strove to be 「slim like Chanel」.

然而，在巨大的工作壓力之外，她也有自己的放鬆時刻。可可·香奈兒喜歡去其所住的麗茲酒店附近的名叫「安吉麗娜」的茶室。在那裡，她常常會點她最愛吃的甜點——法式千層酥：好多層的千層餅之間塗抹著奶油。您也許也會同意，為這一美味而破例忘掉節食吧，Quel délice！

However, apart from this immense pressure, she had her own moment of relaxation. Coco Chanel enjoyed going to the tea salon 「Angelina,」 nearby the Ritz Hotel where she lived. There, she would often order her favourite dessert, the millefeuilles: several layers of puff-pastries with cream in between. You would agree with me, it is worth breaking a diet for this delicacy. Quel délice!

黛安娜和法國吐司

Lady Diana and French Toast

英國的「麵包和黃油布丁（Bread and butter pudding）」、美國的「法國吐司（「French toast）」，不同的叫法，實際是同一道菜：版本之一就是麵包在打好的雞蛋或牛奶中浸泡，然後油炸，可能附加一些焦糖和黃油。法文叫「pain perdu（浪費的麵包）」——一個來源於中世紀早期的配方——那個時候丟棄麵包，哪怕麵包已經不能食用，都被認為是巨大的浪費，在宗教信仰上也不能令人接受（麵包是一個強大的基督教符號）。

「Bread and butter pudding」 in England, 「French toast」 in America, these names refer to the same dish: a version of bread soaked in beaten eggs or milk and then fried, with potentially some added caramel and butter. The French name is 「pain perdu」 (lost bread) a recipe which comes from the early Middle Ages when throwing away bread, even if inedible, was considered a huge waste and religiously unacceptable (bread was a strong Christian symbol).

在溫莎城堡的大廚坦言道，儘管黛安娜遵循嚴格的飲食，卻總能為法式吐司破例。儘管如此，在這一貪食的「罪惡」時刻，她也不忘要求使用低脂肪的黃油和牛奶製成法式吐司！

The chef at Windsor castle confessed that, although Lady Diana was following a strict diet, she could make exceptions for a piece of French toast. But still, even at this moment of guilt she asked to have it made from low-fat butter and milk!

瑪麗-安托瓦內特和馬卡龍

Marie-Antoinette and the Macarons

Queen Marie-Antoinette

關於馬卡龍的起源並沒有很明確。有記載的是：791年法國村莊科爾默里，14世紀的義大利（蛋白杏仁餅乾），15世紀的敘利亞（作為送給奧斯曼蘇丹禮物）以及其他等等。但是，我們能肯定的是，自1533年起，馬卡龍受到法國皇廷的青睞，不管是亨利二世、路易十四、路易十五等，每個君主都會品嘗。

The origins of macarons are quite unknown. The following are credited with their conception: the French village of Cormery in 791, Italy in the 14th century (the maccherone), Syria in the 15th century (a gift to the ottoman sultan), and several others. What we are sure of, however, is that in the French Royal court macarons have been appreciated since 1533: Henri II, Louis XIV, Louis XV… every monarch has tasted them.

事實上，皇后瑪麗·安托瓦內特自己也特別鍾情於馬卡龍的味道。每天早晨，伴著一杯香草熱巧克力，她品嘗一兩片馬卡龍。下午，在特里亞農小屋與侍女們喝茶時，瑪麗-安托瓦內特也經常囑咐僕人們為整個隨行人員準備足夠的馬卡龍。

Indeed, Queen Marie-Antoinette herself had a special taste for macarons. Every morning she enjoyed a couple with her cup of vanilla-enriched hot chocolate. In the afternoon, when having tea at Trianon Cottage with her ladies-in-waiting, Marie-Antoinette often asked her servants to prepare enough macarons for the whole entourage.

安格拉·默克爾和乳酪

Angela Merkel and Cheese

Chancellor Angela Merkel

默克爾出席的正式晚宴上的廚師們都知道她不喜歡蛋糕或甜點。但別以為這個德國總理是沒有偏愛，事實上，比起甜品，她坦誠更喜愛乳酪！

At official dinners attended by Angela Merkel, the chefs know she is not a great fan of cakes or sweet desserts. But do not for a second believe that the German Chancellor is flawless and without her indulgences! Indeed, she has confessed to enjoying cheeses much more than desserts!

乳酪經由奶牛、山羊或綿羊的凝乳製成，風味、口感和形式廣泛。在法國就有1600餘種乳酪。我相信必有一款適合您。我個人對草莓醬山羊乳酪鍾愛有加，c』est délicieux！

Cheeses are produced from the coagulation of milk of cows, goats, or sheep, and in a wide range of flavours, textures, and forms. In France there are over 1600 types of cheese. I am sure you can find one you like. My personal weakness? A smooth goat cheese with some strawberry jam on top, c』est délicieux !

約瑟芬皇后和華夫餅

Empress Joséphine and Waffles

Empress Joséphine

約瑟芬·德·博阿爾內是拿破崙皇帝的第一任妻子，也是他縱貫一生最愛的女人。皇后喜歡各色各樣的美食，卻無法好好享用！為什麼呢？因為丈夫拿破崙並不是美食家，在餐桌上坐不住，待不了10分鐘，就算公務接待最多也只就待20分鐘。此外，他將最愛吃的甜點華夫餅強加於人，包括來賓和妻子。強加自己。拿破崙特別喜歡吃那種包裹的，有奶油填充的華夫餅。

Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon, and the woman he loved the most throughout his entire life. The Empress appreciated various types of food, but she never had enough time to fully enjoy them! Do you know the reason? Napoleon was no gourmet, and couldn』t bear staying more than 10 minutes at the dining table, with a maximum of 20 minutes for official reception. Moreover, he often imposed his own favourite dessert upon all the guests, including his wife: waffles. Napoleon particularly liked them wrapped, filled with cream.

華夫餅是在兩個盤子間做出來的一種發酵麵糊或麵糰，有圖案和特定的尺寸，在比利時和法國北部非常流行。如果你漫步在西歐城市的街頭，你很容易就能找到。如果添加各種果醬、熱巧克力或者槭糖漿，那就更美味了。當然，別忘了尚蒂伊奶油！

A waffle is a leavened batter or dough cooked between two plates, patterned to give a characteristic size. It is very popular in Belgium and Northern France, and if you walk down streets in western European cities you can easily find some. It is particularly delicious if you add various jams, warm chocolate, or maple syrup toppings. And of course, the most obvious: some Chantilly cream!

蒙泰斯龐夫人和尚蒂伊奶油

Mme de Montespan and the Chantilly

Mme de Montespan

蒙泰斯龐夫人（1640年-1707年）真的是擁有了一個女人可以擁有的一切：她出生高貴（她的家族，羅什舒阿爾家族是法國第二古老的家族），有著驚人的美貌（根據朝臣敘述「美到讓使臣們一睹芳容」），有十分聰慧過人，是法國國王路易十四高度掌權時期的情婦。但是，她也有一個弱點，那就是甜品！她吃得太多，尤其在年近四旬時，不可避免地發胖了。她最喜歡尚蒂伊奶油了。這是在尚蒂伊城堡工作的瓦岱勒廚師發明的。很輕的奶油，和香草是絕配，也可以與很多甜點完美搭配。

Madame de Montespan (1640-1707) embodied all the blessings a woman could dream of: she was high born (her family, the Rochechouart, is the 2nd oldest family in France), she had an astonishing beauty (「beautiful to be shown to ambassadors」, according to a courtier), was extremely intelligent, and was the mistress of French King Louis XIV at the height of his power. But, she had a terrible weakness: desserts! She ate so many of them and so often that by her late 30s she was 「undesirably fat.」 One of her favourites was the crème Chantilly, a whipped cream created by chef Vatel who was working at the castle of Chantilly. Quite light for a cream, and absolutely delicious with vanilla, it can go perfectly with many desserts.

夏洛特皇家蛋糕

Princess Charlotte and the Royal Charlotte Cake

自中世紀以來，類似夏洛特蛋糕的甜點在英國就一直存在。但是，19世紀初的法國大廚安東尼·卡萊拇決定改良這個重口味的配方，採用長餅乾和巴伐利亞奶油製成的輕味版本。因而夏洛特皇家蛋糕，或叫夏洛特露絲就此誕生了。改良這份配方的用意可能是向英國夏洛特女王（喬治三世的妻子）或是夏洛特女王的孫女致敬。她的孫女是威爾士公主，英國國王喬治四世的女兒，僱用安東尼·卡萊拇為大廚。據說這個公主很愛吃蛋糕。所以，這位美食家公主最有可能促成了夏洛特蛋糕的出現。

The equivalent of the Charlotte cake has existed in England since the Middle Ages. But Antonin Carême, a French chef in the early 19th century, decided to transform this recipe which people considered too heavy into a lighter version made from a long biscuit and Bavarian cream. Thus the Royal Charlotte cake, or Charlotte Russe, was born. This recipe was likely created in honour of the British Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, or in honour of the grand-daughter of Queen Charlotte. Her grand-daughter, the Princess of Wales, daughter of British King George IV, had Antonin Carême as chef, and she was reported having a certain taste for cakes. So, this gourmand princess is most probably at the origins of the Charlotte cake.