Financier

I am currently enrolled in the Food Writing class at NYU in the continuing education program. My teacher Corinne Trang, who is the author of Noddles Every Day, Essentials of Asian Cuisine, Authentic Vietnamese Cooking, The Asian Grill plus more, assigned me to write an article about the financier and its origins. After exhausting hours and hours of research, Amanda Hesser and Dorie Greenspan giving me the best information, but still not enough, I decided that the best way to understand something is to not just look at the history of the cake, but to also look at the history of the culture it was created in.

My article evolved into a mini history of Paris and I had strayed too far away from the original assignment, of course (you should have been there in class for the hour long rewrite of my recipe I had submitted for homework when although I had tried to write it for the home cook, I had failed i.e. I called for 1 1/2 cups of egg whites instead of saying how many eggs ectera) and had to redo my homework. All was not lost though, because Corinne suggested to the class that we all start blogs, so I decided to use it as my first article, and that my blog will be about pastry history. So without further ado, here is my article. I hope you enjoy it and learn a little. There will be a pop quiz for all my interns. Please excuse any spelling errors or typos. My Mother did not proof read this.

1890s, Paris was the capital of the world. There was a synthesis of creative energy which pervaded all aspects of culture in Paris at the end of the nineteenth century. Impressionism was making its mark on the art world. Monet, Degas and Renoir were flourishing. Van Gogh painted the "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" in 1890. Impressionism was influencing music as well. Claude Debussy wrote "La Clair du Lune" as part of his Suite Bergamasque in 1890.

The 2nd Arondissement of Paris was the center of industry at the end of the nineteenth century. Home also to the Opera Comique, George Bizet's "Carmen" debuted there in 1875 and returned in 1883 to become one of the best loved operas. La Bibliotheque National de France built on Rue de Richelieu designed by Herni Labrouste in the Beaux Arts style of architecture in 1868, had become by 1896 the world's largest repository for the written word.

On the right bank of the River Seine, the 2nd Arondissement which housed La Bourse de Paris, the Paris stock exchange, was the smallest arondissement in Paris, yet had the largest concentration of commercial activity, and industry was booming as evidenced by the Industrial Exhibition opening in 1889. In a patisserie on Rue St. Denis in the 2nd Arondissement a baker named Lasne had created a delightful tea cake made of beurre noisette otherwise known as brown butter and almond flour. He christened the cake financier, pronounced (fee-nahn-see-AY), after his customers of the financial district. Lasne baked the small cakes in the shape of gold ignots which brought about the cake's celebrity.

Luckily for us, Pierre Lacam (1836-1902), pastry chef to Charles III, Prince of Monaco, who himself is credited with creating the Buche de Noel, documented culinary history in his 1890 publication of "La Memorial Historique et Geographic de la Patisserie" and gave us the origins of this lesser known cake.

One hundred and one years later, I a starving, poor college student found myself for one week in Paris on spring break from my theatre studies in London. My roommate and I spent our money on our lodgings in the fashionable 8th Arondissement off of Avenue Matignon. Thank goodness our hotel served us with croissants and hot chocolate for breakfast every morning as we could only afford crepes and hot dogs in a baguette on the Champs Elysse.

I recall one day I ventured alone. I wanted a walk along Rue du Fauborg Saint Honore to stop into the couture houses. I stopped in Lanvin and Christian Lacroix pretending to be a lady of fashion. I did a good job, because I did not get kicked out. Not to mention I studied French under Madame Viderman ex resistence, and 20 years ago I could actually speak it. I continued walking marveling in the beaux arts architecture all around, stopping in the Paris Opera House (I had just seen "The Phantom of the Opera" on stage in London) reveling in the granduer and opulence and continuing on until I reached the Pompideau Center. Along the way, I had come across a patisserie, possibly on Rue St. Denis, the name escapes me now, and in their display case was a humble little cake, compared to the fancy mousse cakes and petit gateau St. Honore, called a financier. It was dusted with powdered sugar on top and was 3 francs, affordable enough for me to enjoy. I could hold the little cake in my fingers as it had no icing. The taste was superb, light reminiscent of hazelnuts. It was the perfect afternoon pleasure as I am assured it had been a hundred years earlier.

I hope you enjoyed that little tid bit of information. I love financiers and as a matter of fact just served a raspberry financier for Easter as one of the dessert choices at The Water Club. Please come back and visit my blog again. I will try to write something new soon. My staff, Anthony in particular, tell me that I have got to write once a week. Well if you have any suggestions of what you would like me to research just let me know.

Sweets for the sweet.
Victoria