After the downfall of Napoleon, Europeans had grown tired of war and struggle and were ready to sit back and enjoy life and nothing more typified the new, lighter mood of the people than the operas of Gioacchino Antonio Rossini.

Born in Pesaro, Italy in 1792, Rossini travelled extensively and at various times he made his home in Bologna, Florence and Paris. Once, in a letter to a friend, he wrote that "I travel not so much for the sake of my music as for that of my stomach". As much as he loved the opera, Rossini was even more devoted to good food. As a young man, before he became financially successful, he was often in debt from "having been unable to resist this restaurant or that, this bottle of wine or that".

By the time he was 18 he had written his first opera and by the time he was 30 he claimed to have "made the acquaintance of every important chef on the continent". So devoted was Rossini to good dining that after the Parisian successes of The Barber of Seville and William Tell he retired, at the age of thirty seven. From then on he enjoyed the remaining forty years of his life composing hardly at all and living for the companionship of his friends, witty conversation and excellent dining.

By the time of his retirement he was quite wealthy and had be- come a well known figure in such restaurants as the Tour d'Argent, Bonfinger, the Cafe des Anglais, Maison Doree, Lucas and Marguery where he would meet with his friends and mistresses. It was his habit on entering to shake the hands of the maitre d'hotel, the wine steward and each of the waiters. He would then go to the kitchen to greet the chef and only then would he ceremoniously take his place and order dinner. In each of these restaurants he had a table that was reserved for his exclusive use.

Both of the following world-famous recipes were dedicated to Rossini by the Casimir Moisson, the greatest chef at Masion Doree.

Tournedos a la Rossini

6 Tbsp. butter
4 slices foie gras
4 slices white bread, without crusts and trimmed to the size of the tournedos
4 tournedos salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
about 1/2 cup Madeira sauce (see instructions in following recipe)
2 truffles, sliced (optional)

In a small skillet melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter and in this gently saute the foie gras slices.

In a separate small skillet melt 2 Tbsp. of butter and in this fry the white bread slices until nicely browned on both sides.

Season the tournedos with salt and pepper. In a skillet heat together 2 Tbsp. of the butuer and the olive oil and in this saute the garlic just until it beings to brown. With a slotted spoon remove and discard the garlic. Place the tournedos in the skillet and cook over a high flame so that the meat is nicely browned on the exterior and pink on the inside. Place each tournedo on a toasted bread crouton.

In the skillet in which the meat was fried, briefly saute the truffles. On each tournedo lay a slice of the foie gras and over these distribute the truffles. Heat the pan juices and then add the brown sauce, stirring together well. Pour a small amount of the sauce over the meat and serve immediately. Serve the remaining sauce separately. (Serves 4).

Eggs Rossini

For the Brown Sauce:

11/2 Tbsp. Madeira wine
3/4 Tbsp. cornflour
11/4 cups veal stock
salt and pepper to taste

For the Eggs:

1/4 cup butter
250 gr foie gras (goose liver), sliced
3 - 4 tinned truffles, drained and sliced
8 eggs
salt and pepper

Make the brown sauce:

In a small bowl mix the Madeira and cornflour to make a paste. Bring the stock to a boil and gradually whisk the paste into the hot stock. Return to the boil, whisking constantly, and then simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then strain through a fine strained.

Yields about 11/4 cups.

Prepare the Dish:

In a skillet melt 3 Tbsp. of the butter and in this saute the foie gras. In a separate skillet, melt the remaining butter and in this toss the truffles. Poach the eggs and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place each egg on a slice of the foie gras, top with truffle slices and cover with the brown sauce. Serve at once.

(Serves 4 or 8).

© Daniel Rogov