Another great evening to be sure. 31 of us met at the Daily Bread in Rusthall High Street and ate a meal that emulated that of the film in all but the substitution of alternatives for endangered species. The menu was 1. Mushroom & Truffle Oil soup (as turtles are out of season)
2. Roe & sour cream blinis served with Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label champagne 3. Quail and foie gras represented by Chicken "en Sarcophage" (or a vegetarian alternative if advance notice given) 4. Endive Salad 5. Savarin au Rhum served with Champagne 6. Assorted cheeses and fruits with choice of wine 7. Coffee with Truffles & Macarons
The wines that accompanied the meal were Clos Salomon Montagny Le Clou (white) Ch Cardinal Villemaurine St Emillon (red) To burn off those calories we marched over to the cinema and watched a delightful film - no short films preceded it this time. Our audience consisted of 20 members and 34 day ticket holders.
Eugene.
On the face of it it is a simple story; the dichotomy between the austerity of personal non-gratification and the liberty of artistic expression. However, on another level it is about making life changing decisions that are irreversible. The army officer chose to leave the pastor's daughter and make a name for himself in society, and the sister with a talent for singing chose not to become an operatic star in Paris. Yet they both had regrets and held dear the memories of their one-time possibilities. Babette, herself, a renowned Parisian chef previously, wanted to express her artistry just once more, although she was content to remain forever in that cold northern countryside far from the exotic and luxurious. The discussion group of about a dozen people were unified in their admiration for this beautiful, painterly film. We all agreed it is exquisite in all aspects of its production. This evening of entertainment will not be forgotten.
Sonia