h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Les Treize: a Christmas dessert from Provence - A87729475
Author: Beatrice De'Ath - U190170

As part of the seasonal recipes, here's what I'm creating this year.

Hi, I am really curious about this, I feel it could stand a bit more explanation, or detail about the other varieties that may be included?

Is fruit used to make up the numbers, for instance?

I love the reference to the prettiest sheep, this sets the tone so well.

Have you experienced this meal in France? Perhaps you should mention the main course meal that precedes it.

I tried googling it, but there doesn't seem to be much. I found this site, which has a little more.

http://juliegilley.typepad.com/my_far_and_away_blog/2011/12/les-treize-deserts-de-noel-provence-style-christmas.html

This will fit in very well with the theme, so thanks for contributing

Are you sure it's traditionally eaten before going out to midnight mass? There's a whole big doctrinal shebang about taking nothing but water before taking the Eucharist, which made me wonder. These things vary from place to place though (catholicism being nowhere near as monolithic as it sometimes seems), so it could well be true.

Also for suggestions - if you can find something about when or how the tradition started it would be fascinating. (I've had a quick look around the web and there seems to be some interesting stuff available en francais but not in English. It was a bit of a slog for me, but would pose you no problems, Bea!)

You don't need to add that, though, if you want to make it primarily a recipe, but it would set it off well...

I hope you are still working on this! I wonder whether it could potentially be finished by Christmas?

At the moment it is a bit short and I'm not entirely sure whether Les Quatres Mendiats count as four of the 13 or one of the 13. (I was also puzzled by 'representing the four monastic orders'. There are more than 4 Monastic Orders, or are there only four present in Provence? I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one Cistercian Abbey there.) Does the light and dark fudge count as one or two?

(As this is a group of 13 desserts rather than one single dessert, should it be renamed 'Les Treize: Christmas Desserts from Provence' ? )

This article has left me wanting to know more! As recipes don’t normally appeal to me (I can't cook) this is an achievement and compliment. I love learning of local traditions and hope that this can get into Peer Review soon.

<BB<

Ha, I'd forgotten I started an entry on this! I did actually make this last Christmas, and took photographs an' everything.

And it was inspired by Ian, the Norn Irn chef off of The Archers, who served somehting similar at Grey Gables.

I shall blow the cobwebs off and see if there's the makings of an entry in here. Though December would be a good time for it to get some publicity!

You'll be surprised how quickly Christmas comes around. It always creeps up on me that way, at least.

I hope you do get back to this - it would tie in nicely with this month's create theme, and it's possibly that if you work on it now, it could possibly just* make it for the front page for Christmas.

<BB<

*The words 'Possibly Just' should not be taken to mean 'probably will', merely that in my own personal unofficial and largely meaningless view there's a fairly reasonable chance all things considered. This is depending, of course, on a successful and well-timed Peer Review process and approval from Scouts, subeditors etc - nothing is certain or guaranteed and I express no opinion concerning this other than my own.

I think it's worth a try, though.

I shall now be singing Bjork's "Possibly Maybe" for the rest of the day!

I'll see what I can do

Ok, I've made a few tweaks to the entry.

There isn't a defintive recipe, so there's a bit of variation from village to village and family to family. I'm not sure how the tradition started, and no I haven't experienced it in Provence.

I like this - I think you should take the plunge and put it in Peer Review.

<BB<

I agree, the time has come to move this over to PR. ( you have to remove it from here, back to your own space and then resubmit)


One little nitpick:

"" an extra space should be laid for ones ancestors ""

needs an apostrophe on [one's]

I could suggest a few other links?

Edible nuts: A87726469

Zen and the Art of Orange Peeling A579675 ( I love this Entry and it has more to do with oranges as fruit than the Entry entitled Orange - the colour)

There are quite a few Entries to do with Bread, but 2legs latest, ( see the Front page today) is quite wonderful.

Alors, bonne chance!

I shall do that! Many thanks for your encouraging words.

Wow, that's a real faff, moving from Edited Workshop to PR! Could we make that transition a bit easier?

I know! No wonder people get lost. It's like one of those trials they set people in fairy tales.

How to navigate round h2g2, and the many and various help pages we've inherited need to be addressed. Unfortunately there are very few volunteers who're available and just such a vast amount of things to do.