Joyeux Anniversaire mon Fils
((((((BIG HUGS))))))
I will make you either a Gateau Dianne
or my Swedish Almond ‘Prince Cake’
whichever you prefer, on my return.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
For those not in the know a Gateau Dian(n)e is a confection constructed from layers of coffee/ground hazelnut meringue, layered with fresh whipped cream and thick caramel, chocolate sauce, all home made. A nice twist is to add some Bailey’s liqueur into the cream if the recipient likes it. A Princess or Prince Cake, at least my version, is sponge based with toasted almonds, fresh cream with Amaretto Liqueur, and marzipan, and is supposed to be feather light.
He will not want his personal story told here, suffice it to say that he had a tough start to life and has become a wonderful man of whom we are fantastically proud. He, and later, his family have brought untold joy to our lives and are the centre around which we revolve.
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Back here in Paris, a slow, rather sad start to the day. Thinking of the family back home.
Sitting in bed with my laptop, a cup of tea, Bach playing on the windows media player, my French Grammar to hand, on which I am about to work.
The music is JS Bach Cantatas BWV 82 and 199, sung by Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson.
They are out of this world performances and although heart-breakingly sad in that she knew she had cancer when she recorded ‘Ich habe genug’ (I have had enough), they are the most beautiful renderings I have ever heard. Strangely they also give you a great feeling of peace as well.
I enclose a review from http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Hunt-Lorraine.htm
“In the early 2000’s Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson also gave a series of shattering performances of two Bach cantatas for solo voice and orchestra, semi-staged by the director Peter Sellars, with the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music conducted by Craig Smith. These concerts were performed in Lincoln Center’s New Visions series, in Paris, Berkeley, and at the Barbican in London. In Cantata BWV 82, Ich Habe Genug (“I Have Enough”), she was wearing a flimsy hospital gown and thick woolen socks, her face contorted with pain and yearning, portrayed a terminally ill patient who, no longer able to endure treatments, wants to let go and be comforted by Jesus. During one consoling aria, Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen (“Slumber now, weary eyes”), she yanked tubes from her arms and sang the spiralling melody with an uncanny blend of ennobling grace and unbearable sadness (See discussions at: Craig Smith & Emmanuel Music w/ Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (Mezzo-soprano) – Cantatas BWV 82 & BWV 199 and article at: Sellars Staging [Uri Golomb]):
For the last 18 months of her life Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson had sung only sporadically, cancelling most performances, citing lingering problems from an injury to her lower back as the cause. Yet she had had a public bout with breast cancer some years ago, which caused her to withdraw from, among other major performances, the premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s opera L’Amour de Loin at the Salzburg Festival in 2000. Her last professional activity had been touring with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in March 2006, singing music by her husband, Peter Lieberson.
Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson died of cancer on July 3, 2006 at her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the height of her musical and expressive powers, aged only 52.”
My friends have left for the Netherlands. It will be B.’s last visit to Europe to see his son and grandchildren: he and grandson will celebrate their birthdays together this weekend. (But they will visit the US to see B in the future). I hope it is less wet and windy over there for them.
my mother used to make gateau diane, or at least her version of it. Haven’t tasted one in years
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It was she who taught it to me!!! Et puis, c’est comme ca, ca roule.
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Great, just great! My gallbladder is acting up and you post that! Just great! 🙂
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I will go back to my bag of cru de te now!
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Oh, clever:)
My father always to pun, and I do so when excessively tired. Seems not to come when awake and sensible!
Sorry about the gallbladder: you are far too young for that. Hope things clear up soon.
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Thanks! The gallbladder issues are my final parting prizes of my horrid pregnancies. 🙂
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Gosh, you really went through the mill to get your two gorgeous girls. I hope this clears up soon and proves to be the end of the matter.
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if going onto a new all singing, all dancing regime for my type II diabetes (to be discussed with gp next week) means that i can eat gateau dianne then bring it on. i love everything in it.
but please note for future cyberspace gastronomic delectation, i do not like marzipan…………
liz xx
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Good luck at the doc’s.
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A very, very happy birthday to him!!
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Thank you!
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Now I am starving again! Thanks my dear friend!! (Who sounds like a cross between Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet) 🙂
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Says he who could seduce the world with his voice!
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