You were waiting for this, right? Authors and food equals Proust and madeleines. It’s arguably the most recognizable culinary pairing in literature, and definitely the one I’m asked about the most. (This site was almost named “Proust’s Madeleine,” or something equally pretentious, until the idea was greeted by faux barfing noises from my focus group/boyfriend.) So why hasn’t Marcel appeared here yet?
The thing is: There’s not a lot of evidence to suggest that Proust really ate madeleines. Although his vivid memories of the delicate cookies from In Search of Lost Time have become iconic, early versions of the novel actually don’t include madeleines at all. Instead, we see Marcel biting into a humble biscotte – a piece of dry toast. And as Edmund Levin’s meticulous experiments in tea-dunking and crumb-making reveal, Proust’s description of the famous treats doesn’t seem to match up with any known recipe. It’s likely that the madeleines of our imagination were just that: a figment of Proust’s culinary mind.
So what was Proust really eating? He’d be so glad you asked. Before asthma reduced his appetite (and even for an unhealthily long time after), Proust was a notorious glutton, stuffing himself so full that he sometimes resorted to wearing a corset. He blissfully described one of his meals, which included “two tournedos steaks—I ate every scrap—a dish—of chips (about twenty times as much as Félicie used to make), some cream cheese, some gruyère, two croissants, a bottle of Pousset beer.” He summed it up more succinctly in a letter to his mother: “Lunch is my favorite moment.”
But as his illness worsened, his need to write began to subsume his desire to eat, and breakfast became Proust’s meal of choice. Instead of the madeleines and tea we know from his fiction, the real Marcel demanded croissants and cafe au lait, brought to him in bed while he read the paper and began his work. He would dunk his croissant in the coffee (just as his fictional self would mimic with a cup of tea) and ate little else for the rest of the day.
Céleste Albaret, Proust’s trusted servant, later marveled at the writer’s ability to live on so little, after years of hedonistic eating. “The most extraordinary thing was how he could survive and work, ill as he was, … by living on the shadows of foods he’d known and loved in the past.” In the absence of beef and beer, Proust’s writing (and those morning croissants) was all that remained, evoking those tantalizing sense memories of meals gone by—his own personal madeleine moments.
The croissant-serving routine was a delicate art in the Proust household. When Albaret was hired, she learned the intricate breakfast choreography: Bring Marcel croissant #1 with his coffee, but be sure to have croissant #2 on hand in case supplementary pastry was required (it often was). Any delay in its delivery was a high offense, Albaret writes. “Put the saucer with the croissant down on the tray and go,” she was told. “Whatever you do, don’t say anything.”
I often want croissants that quickly, but without Céleste at my beck and call, I’d have to go around the corner to get them myself, which sometimes just won’t do. When you’d rather have a Proustian morning, lounging about in your pajamas and reading the paper in bed, this is the recipe to have on hand. It’s embarrassingly simple, requiring only a box of puff pastry and half an hour from prep to plate. Dunk them in your coffee, or glaze them with a little espresso for breakfast à la Marcel, all in one bite.
(Adapted from Joy the Baker)
1 package (14 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed in the fridge 2 to 3 hours
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons espresso or strong coffee
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Unwrap thawed puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out pastry to 1/8-inch thickness.
2. Orient the pastry sheet horizontally, then make 3 vertical cuts, resulting in 4 strips of dough. Cut each strip in half horizontally, making 8 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half diagonally, making 16 triangles. Roll the wide end of each triangle toward the point. Curl the ends of the cylinder toward each other slightly.
3. Place croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
4. Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk espresso and powdered sugar together until smooth. Brush over warm croissants and serve immediately, preferably in pajamas.
Paper and Salt 
and the memories?
Fellow coffee aficionado here! Enjoyed your post. For another coffee treat, check out http://68anda6pack.com/2013/07/30/christmas-coffee-healthy-teas-ing-and-managing-the-munchies/ . =)
Of all the blogs I read, yours is my favorite. Love the famous authors and their food.
I’d read something about this business of dry toast before it is an interesting experiment. Perhaps Proust was taking poetic license as Madeline and lime tea sounds a bit nicer than tea and toast. No wonder he moved on to coffee. Here is my take on the Proust theme (I hope you don’t mind the link?) http://geofoodie.org/2013/04/09/fortune-cookie-home/
“Cécile Albaret, Proust’s trusted servant…” Her name was Celeste, as you correctly named her later on in your post. And Proust’s “morning” usually took place around 4pm.
Yikes, thank you – fixed now! And yes, in *Monsieur Proust *she notes his “late to bed/late to rise philosophy” … “morning” is a relative term, especially for writers as I’m discovering!
On Fri, Aug 2, 2013 at 8:42 AM, Paper and Salt
Pingback: The Proustian Diet | The Penn Ave Post
He was pretty particular about his coffee too:
http://mleddy.blogspot.com/2009/06/prousts-coffee.html
This is so neat! I had found her note about him being adamant about drip coffee particularly (hipsters everywhere applaud) but this is wonderful. I’m sharing on the P&S Facebook page, if you don’t mind!
I just discovered your blog and I love it!
Thanks, Connie – so glad you found me!
Love this!
Thanks for reading, Nancy! Your blog looks fascinating – you’re writing a memoir?
Ah these urban legends! I’d heard about the Proust/madeleines connection. These croissants sound wonderful!
I know – I feel like my whole life is a lie!
Pingback: Food Links, 21.08.2013 | Tangerine and Cinnamon
Pingback: INTERVIEW: Nicole Villeneuve | Paper Tape
So what was Proust really eating? He’d be so glad you asked. Before asthma reduced his appetite (and even for an unhealthily long time after), Proust was a notorious glutton, stuffing himself so full that he sometimes website design
But as his illness worsened, his need to write began to subsume his desire to eat, and breakfast became Proust’s meal of choice.safe and untraceable receptacle for leaked information which was then published in its primary form. accounting software singapore
The thing is: There’s not a lot of evidence to suggest that Proust really ate madeleines.Finnistera’s bogus statement may have raised the hopes of Bhopal survivors HCG drops
Céleste Albaret, Proust’s trusted servant, later marveled at the writer’s ability to live on so little, after years of hedonistic eating.itnesses in the Pussy Riot case claimed to have suffered spiritual harm from the band’s forty second “punk prayer” in a major cathedral. eyeglasses portland or
Céleste Albaret, Proust’s trusted servant, later marveled at the writer’s ability to live on so little, after years of hedonistic eating.The stunt was meant to highlight ANZ’s “dirty loan” for a project which he believes will unduly harm the environment. forskolin for weight loss
Céleste Albaret, Proust’s trusted servant, later marveled at the writer’s ability to live on so little, after years of hedonistic eating.Certainlyspartagen XT
Céleste Albaret, Proust’s trusted servant, later marveled at the writer’s ability to live on so little, after years of hedonistic eating.CertainlyHay Day Hack Tool APK – Diamonds
Céleste Albaret, Proust’s trusted servant, later marveled at the writer’s ability to live on so little, after years of hedonistic eating.Many of the Yes Men pranksweight loss products
willing to get some msp hack free starcoins and diamonds for games of moviestarplanet here.
Your post was good and the information that you giving in your post, that was really cool. I like it very much. Thanks for posting this great information with us. Please share more information and I will bookmark to my blog. Certificate Translation Abu Dhabi
Wonderful website, stick with it to wearing hijab from Embankment Stair Indonesia beauty and make your dream come true.
Just baked these pretty croissants for the 1st time and it tastes so nice! I even add some chocolate and peanut butter as the fillings and it taste even better ! Thank you so much for the good recipe!
i love how you make everything look easy and less intimidating! Thank you so much, by any chance, can you make a video showing us how to make puff pastry??
Just baked these pretty croissants for the 1st time and it tastes so nice! I even add some chocolate and peanut butter as the fillings and it taste even better ! Thank you so much for the