THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

I was in the audience at Covent Garden the night when she first tackled Wagner.  Oh, she had wonderful moments to be sure.  If only we could have done something about the hours. The real show followed at the Savoy where Nellie threw a fabulous bash, which I agreed to cater.  Although, in typical prima donna fashion, it was she who tried to concoct the dessert: “I want great masses of vanilla ice cream shaped like the swan of Lohengrin,” she ordered, “and at the last minute, flaming peaches are to be plunked around the base.”

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The peaches were poached in vanilla syrup, cooled, then nested on mounds of vanilla ice-cream.  The whole was then glazed with strawberry jam – raspberry purée, which I prefer, came later.  Each such ensemble was then “plunked” between the wings of a great ice-sculptured swan, which in turn sat upon a nest of spun sugar.  Swan Peaches, I called it.  Nelie added “Melba”; Peach Melba.

Auguste Escoffier in Rackleff/Escoffier