Book of Days Tales

Today is the birthday (1915) of Édith Piaf, famed French singer who became a national icon in France, and still has an ardent following worldwide (myself included).  Piaf was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in Belleville, Paris. Legend has it that she was born on the pavement of Rue de Belleville 72, but her birth certificate cites the Hôpital Tenon as her birthplace, the hospital for the 20th arrondissement, of which Belleville is part. Her father Louis-Alphonse Gassion (1881–1944), was a street acrobat performer from Normandy with a past in the theatre. He was the son of Victor Alphonse Gassion (1850–1928) and Léontine Louise Descamps (1860–1937), known as Maman Tine, who ran a brothel in Normandy. 

In 1935 Piaf, when she was singing on the streets in the Pigalle area, was noticed by nightclub owner Louis Leplée, whose club Le Gerny off the Champs-Élysées was frequented by the upper and lower classes alike. He persuaded her to sing there despite her extreme nervousness, which, combined with her height of only 142 cm (4 ft 8 in), inspired him to give her the nickname that would stay with her for the rest of her life and serve as her stage name, La Môme Piaf (Paris slang meaning “The Waif Sparrow”).

To honor Piaf I have chosen a well known French dish, quail with white grapes. Quail are not as small as sparrows, but they are certainly diminutive in the poultry world.  This recipe is taken from Robert Carrier’s Great Dishes of the World, 1963 edition (year of Piaf’s death).  It was my first cookbook and my constant kitchen companion for decades. Carrier’s recipes are a bit terse by contemporary standards, but you’ll get the gist. I’ve kept the exact wording, just altered the format a little.

QUAIL WITH WHITE GRAPES

4 quail
salt and white pepper
2 Tbsps flour
4 Tbsps butter
¼ pint dry white wine
2 Tbsps lemon juice
3 oz seedless grapes
2 Tbsps blanched almonds, sliced

Clean quail, rub with a mixture of salt, pepper and flour.

Melt the butter in a thick-bottomed casserole and sauté the birds in it until they are golden on all sides.

Add wine and lemon juice; cover and cook over a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add seedless grapes and sliced blanched almonds and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the birds are tender.

Serves 4