LIFE IS MEALS

This first excerpt is from "Life Is Meals" by James & Kay Salter.  The book is not for sale on my storefront, but it continually entertains me with their stories.

The Sun King:  Louis XIV, known as the Sun King whose long reign in France lasted for seventy-two years (1643-1715), was a great patron of the arts, cordial to Moliere, Racine and La Fontaine, among others.  Under him, the immense palace at Versailles was built, and the court inhabiting it, 'the' court of Europe, became ceremonial and introverted.

The king's long list of mistresses included Mlle de La Valliere, Mme de Montespan and Mme de Maintenon, whom he eventually married.  He was fond of  food as well, and cooking was spectacular at the court.  One observer noted that she had frequently seen the king consume at a sitting four different plates of soup, an entire pheasant, a partridge, a large salad, mutton, and two large pieces of ham, followed by a plateful of cakes, fruits and jams.

He ate in two ways, au grand couvert, which was by himself but in public, or least in courtiers' view and at the petit couvert, private and intimate, where he and the ladies sometimes threw little balls of bread at each other.

What and appetite for so many things!  With that said, I have to tell you about a woman I met the other day.  About 50 years old, maybe weighs 110 pounds-maybe.  Asking me if I knew where she could find an all you can eat prime rib buffet-because she typically will eat 6-8 pieces.  I can barely eat one 10 ounce piece of prime rib, but 60-80 ounces.  Bravo!

With that said, I will lead with a recipe that is found on my Amazon storefront "One of a Kind Cookbooks",  "In the Kitchen With Rosie" by Rosie Daley and this sells for $3.99.  For those of us who are a little more weight conscious.

MANGO FRUIT PARFAIT

3 cups cubed mango (2 mangoes)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

24 strawberries, hulled

1 cup peeled and sliced kiwi (4 kiwis)

12 red raspberries

Put the mangoes and orange juice in a blender and puree until smooth.  Slice 20 of the strawberries, leaving 4 whole.  Line the bottom of 4 balloon wineglasses with the sliced strawberries.  Pour a thin layer of the mango puree  over each to cover.  Reserving 4 kiwi slices, layer the rest on top of the puree.  Top each with a slice of kiwi, surrounded by raspberries.  make a slit in each of the whole strawberries and position 1 on the rim of each glass.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Serves 4

Fat per serving=0.8 gram, Calories per serving=139

I am on a layover tonight in Jackson, Ms.  I am off now to explore the town and it's surroundings.

Happy Cooking!