“A party without a cake is just a meeting.” – Julia Child
It’s our birthday!! Today, The Land of Desire kicks off its fifth year and what better way to celebrate than with a little cake? This week, I’m focusing on the history of one of my favorite French treats: the humble, beloved madeleine! “One could almost call the madeleine France’s national cookie” wrote Patricia Wells in the New York Times back in 1983. She didn’t know about the endless macaron obsession that was still to come, but I think she has a point. This week, pull up a chair, pour a cup of tea, and definitely make sure to sign up for the newsletter (hint: I’m sharing my favorite recipe!!!) while we celebrate the life and times of the French madeleine.
Episode 60: “Madeleines”
Madeleine miscellany:
This podcast host’s own recent batch of madeleines, steaming hot out of the oven, paired with French tea, pour faire goûter.
A scallop shell on display at Santiago de Compostela’s Museo de las Peregrinaciones (Pilgrimages Museum), dating to prior to 1120.
Signpost on the Camino de Santiago de Campostela, with the iconic seashell engraving indicating that pilgrims were on the right path.
Traditional oval box of Madeleines de Commercy, in a fir box from the nearby Vosges forests.
Women of Commercy selling their traditional local madeleines to a new kind of pilgrim: railroad passengers.
Further Reading:
Sigh. Sometimes you finish putting your finishing touches on an episode…and discover an entire treasure trove of rich information about your subject that you somehow failed to uncover after weeks of research. This would be a different episode if I’d come across the following (brilliant) essay earlier: How Marcel Proust killed the Commercy madeleine
Cake: A History by Nicola Humble is FASCINATING. She made me re-think the entire idea of what it means for something to be a cake. Super recommended, discovering this book was one of the highlights of researching this episode.
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