Doña
María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox-Portocarrero de Guzmán y
Kirkpatrick'(Eugénie Cipriano)
was Louis Napoleon' s third choice for a wife. The
future Napoleon III had already proposed to Princess Vasa of Sweden, but her
father rejected the match and married her to Prince Albert of Saxony. Louis
then approached Princess Adelaide, Queen Victoria's niece, whose father also
rejected the proposal, probably because of Louis' reputation as a horndog. However, Louis Napoleon fell in love at first sight
with
Eugénie
and further thoughts of a political marriage were abandoned.
Eugénie
was sexually frigid, extraordinarily beautiful, and a tease, a
combination that was irresistible to many men. She had rejected
numerous
offers of marriage, including one from the French writer Stendahl who, at
the height of his career, fell in love with
Eugénie
when she was only
twelve. With her history of leaving a trail of broken hearts,
Eugénie's
engagement to Louis Napoleon resulted in the rumor mills of the palace
working overtime There were stories that she was a bastard, stories that were well enforced
by her somewhat eccentric mother's flamboyant lifestyle. There were
also rumors of Eugenie s attempted suicide after her sister's engagement
to the only man
Eugénie
had ever loved. The suicide attempt was
ingenious. Eugenie
broke off the heads of phosphorous matches and dissolved then in the milk
she drank. The wedding had to be postponed and this affair was the roost
likely cause of
Eugénie's frigidity.
These
stories and Louis Napoleon's overwhelming sexual attraction for
Eugénie created
national scandals and stories of his passion for
Eugénie were the fodder of countless jokes
including one from the French writer Prosper
Mérimée (whom, ironically, was
Eugénie's mother's lover and
best known for his novella Carmen, which became the
basis of Bizet's opera Carmen) who commented that while Louis Napoleon had become Emperor by election,
Eugénie has
become Empress by
erection.
Eugénie
brought style and taste to the Second Empire and was a fashion icon, She
introduced many fashion trends, and was especially noted for featjered hats which she
often changed several times a day,
Eugénie
also introduced spicy Spanish tomato dishes into French cuisine. The great chef,
Georges Escoffier,
created several dishes in her honor, including
Peche
Eugénie
(peaches poached in Marsala, filled with strawberries, and covered with a
zabaglione sauce). So this is the perfect recipe to celebrate her birthday,
and we suggest pairing it with The Diving
Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
in which Emma de Caunes plays her during a fantasy sequence.
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- Combine 2 quarts. of water and 2 TB lemon
juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Drop in peaches for 1 minute,
turning them a few times with a spoon. Remove peaches with a slotted
spoon. Allow to cool. Take a small knife and gently peal off skin.
- Combine Marsala, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 TB
lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil far 5 minutes or
until sugar is dissolved. Reduce to medium heat and poach peaches for 20
minutes, turning them often. Remove saucepan fran heat am allow peaches to
cool in liquid. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours in liquid. When ready to
use, cut peaches in half, removing stone.
- Combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water
in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
Increase to high heat and boil syrup until it registers 240º F on a candy
thermometer (soft-ball stage). Remove pan from heat.
- Beat egg whites until they are stiff. Pour
cooled syrup in a slew stream over egg whites while continuing to beat
them. Set aside.
- Beat egg yolks and 3 TB of Marsala peach
liquid in a bowl. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Beat
egg yolks for 5 - 6 minutes or until mixture is pale and thickened. Remove
bowl from pan and fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture.
Refrigerate sauce for 2 hours.
- Place a peach half in a chilled glass
dessert dish. Fill cavity with sliced strawberries and spoon on zabaglione sauce. Serve.
Serves 6
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