Louisa
Tetrazzini
was one of the great opera stars of the twentieth century and the
quintessential opera
diva: self-indulgent, demanding, larger-than-life, talented, charming,
and loveable.
Born in Florence, she made her American
debut in San Francisco in 1905 .When legal difficulties initially blocked
her from performing, she held a press conference and declared, "I will sing
in San Francisco if I have to sing there in the streets, for I know the
streets of San Francisco are free." Louisa won her legal case, and on
Christmas Eve in 1910,at the corner of Market and Kearney. Louisa climbed a stage platform surrounded by a throng of an estimated
two-hundred thousand San Franciscans, and serenaded the city she loved.
She truly left her heart in San Francisco.
Among her
extravagances was a legendary
collection
of furs and jewels, as well as a menagerie of remarkable
pets, including a parrot that was trained to sing E in alto. Louisa
also had strong sexual passions, bordering on nymphomania, and
discarded
lovers and as frequently as she changed costumes.
Although short and
squat, she apparently had no problem acquiring lovers. She was more concerned
with her lovers' ability to satisfy her sexually than with their
physical appearance. One of her lovers was exceptionally short and ugly which earned the couple the nickname of "the trill am
the troll."
Her last years were spent in
near poverty and physical decline.
She consoled herself with séances, at which she claimed to have
communicated with the spirits of Adelina Patti and Enrico Caruso.
She always remained upbeat and
would often say, "I am old, I am fat, but I am still Tetrazzini."
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The full-figured Louisa's
intense passions also included food and she had a tendency to go on
food binges after an exhausting performance on the stage or in bed.
There is one famous
story about Louisa going out for a big meal with Enrico Caruso before having
to sing the lead in a opera opposite the tenor John Sullivan. Her
stomach was so enlarged after the meal, she couldn't fit into her corset and
had to have her costume altered at the last minute.
A San Francisco chef, who was also rumored to be one of her lovers,
created the classic
Chicken Tetrazinni. in her
honor. The combination of chicken, spaghetti
and mushrooms in a Parmesan and sherry cream sauce became extremely popular
and spawned several variations including Turkey
Tetrazzini,
Lobster
Tetrazzini,
and Shrimp Tetrazzini.
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3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
10 TB butter
6 TB flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1
cup sour cream
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1/2 cup sherry
1/4 cup white glace de viande*
salt and freshly
ground
white pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese
4 TB fresh dry breadcrumbs
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-
Cook spaghetti according to package
directions. Drain and rinse in cold water and set aside.
-
Sauté mushrooms in 2 TB butter for 5 to 6 minutes.
Remove mushrooms and
set aside. Save skillet drippings in cup.
- Melt 2 TB butter in skillet and
brown breadcrumbs. Set aside.
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Preheat oven to 350º F.
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Mix cream, chicken stock, skillet drippings and
glace de viande
in a saucepan. Bring to simmer and set aside.
- Melt 6 TB butter in
another saucepan over
medium heat. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes. Slowly add stock am cream
mixture, whisking sauce constantly. Add sherry and continue to whisk until
thickened. Do not let sauce boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat
.
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Combine spaghetti, chicken, and mushrooms in a large
bowl. Carefully
blend
with sauce. Turn into a buttered oven casserole. Top with browned
breadcrumbs and bake for 25 minutes.
Serves 4
* See Appendix A |
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