Their Last Suppers: Legends of History and Their Final Meals (11 page)

• In a bowl, rub the butter into the flour. In another bowl add the milk.
  
• In a saucepan over low heat, gently heat the sugar and honey until well mixed. Then stir in the baking powder. Alternatively, add the honey mixture, the eggs, and the milk to the flour, mixing the ingredients very well. Add a pinch of salt and put the resulting dough on a floured board; roll it very lightly to about ½ inch.
  
• Cut out about 24 rounds. Place the rounds on a buttered baking tray in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until they are brown. Remove the cakes to a rack. Put the rack of cakes in a 250°F oven for no longer than 5 minutes to set. The cakes can be served either hot or cold.
  

• Preheat the oven to 480 to 540°F.
  
• Cut the fish into pieces. Grease the frying pan with fat.
  
• Spread sour cream over the fish and sprinkle with cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake the fish until it is ready.
  
• Serve with vegetables and greens.
  

• Cut fish into 2-inch pieces; add milk and cream. Simmer gently, without boiling, until the fish is tender. Season and serve with toasted bread.
  

• Blanch vegetables for 5 minutes and cool them in cold water. Drain and put in a sterilized jar and then pour in the marinade.
  
• Allow to cool and then refrigerate.
  

• Cover the beans with water and allow them to soak overnight, then cook them until tender and drain before setting aside. Place the beef, bacon, and water in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Skim any fat from the surface. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, parsley, carrot, celery, onion, and salt. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about 1 to 1½ hours.
  
• Scrub the large beets for the soup and cook them in boiling water until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and discard water and let them cool. Peel and cut each beet into eighths. Scrub the small beets, grate them, and cover with cold water to soak.
  
• Remove the meat from the soup and set aside. Strain the soup into another pot and add the cooked beets, cabbage, leeks, potatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, beef, and bacon. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.
  
• Cut kielbasa into chunks and add along with the navy beans to the soup. Simmer 20 minutes.
  
• Mix flour and butter together to form a paste. Stir into soup to thicken it slightly. Strain the raw beets, saving the liquid and discarding the beets. Add the beet liquid to soup.
  
• Additional sugar or vinegar may be added for sweeter or sourer flavor. Slice the meats and arrange in individual soup bowls. Pour the hot soup with vegetables over the meat. Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
  

• Place the eggplant slices in a colander and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant well under cold running water and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
  
• In a small bowl, combine the garlic and vinegar and let stand while you cook the eggplant.
  
• Divide the oil between 2 large skillets and heat until it sizzles. Add eggplant slices to both skillets, without overcrowding, and fry until a deep golden on both sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat with any remaining slices.
  
• Transfer the fried slices to a large bowl, without draining. Let cool.
  
• Place the cooled eggplant slices in a serving dish in layers, sprinkling each layer with vinegar and garlic mixture, pepper, salt if needed, and cilantro.
  
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
  

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
  
• Place the whitefish in a baking dish just large enough to hold the fillets, then spread the onions over the top and set aside.
  
• Combine the mustard, coriander, garlic, wine, vinegar, water, dill, salt, and pepper in a small pan. Place over high heat, quickly bring to a boil, and pour over the whitefish fillets.
  
• Cover the baking dish and place in the oven for 5 minutes.
  
• Remove from the oven, let cool to room temperature, and place in the refrigerator.
  
• Serve chilled.
  

• Dissolve yeast and Sucanat in about ½ cup water and set aside until the yeast is foamy.
  
• Combine rye flour, whole wheat flour, salt, oat bran, carob or cocoa, and caraway and fennel seeds.
  
• In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, molasses, oil, and onion.
  
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend well.
  
• Add yeast and mix well. If the dough is too stiff or dry, add more water. If too sticky, add more flour.
  
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, flatten it out, and shape it into a round, shallow loaf. Place the loaf onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, brush dough with oil, and let it rise in a warm spot until the dough holds an imprint when gently touched, about 30 minutes.
  
• Bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes and let cool on a wire rack. Lightly brush the top with flavored oil.
  

CLEOPATRA

Cleopatra VII was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 69
B.C.
In the next forty years until her death, she would seduce two rulers of the mighty Roman Empire and have their children, before finally going down in the pages of history as the last Pharaoh of Egypt.

Cleopatra’s ancestor was Ptolemy I. He had been a general of the fabled Alexander the Great and became ruler of Egypt on Alexander’s death in 323
B.C.
The Ptolemy pharaohs were proud of their Macedonian and Greek heritage, and when Cleopatra finally ascended the throne at the age of 17, one of the things her subjects most admired about her was that she was the first pharaoh in nearly 300 years to actually speak Egyptian.

Ancient coins, and what few drawings remain of her, show a masculine-looking woman with a long hooked nose. Daily baths in milk did nothing to improve her features, but diligent study made
her fluent in nine languages and a very shrewd politician. She had an extremely musical voice and exuded a sexuality that she was always prepared to use to further her ambitions.

In keeping with Egyptian and Ptolemaic tradition, Cleopatra married her brother Ptolemy XIII when he was about 12. For 3 years he was forced to remain in the background, but eventually, goaded by jealous palace eunuchs, he tried to seize the throne from her in 48
B.C.
, and she was forced to flee to Syria for help.

Fate came to her aid. Julius Caesar had just defeated Pompey the Great for total control of the Roman Empire at the Battle of Pharsalos in Greece. The defeated Pompey had fled to Alexandria, hotly pursued by Caesar, to ask for Ptolemy XIII’s protection. Seeking to curry favor with the oncoming Caesar, Ptolemy killed Pompey and proudly presented his head in a wine jug. Although they were opposing generals, Pompey had once been Caesar’s good friend, and he was appalled at his brutal treatment. Caesar took control of the city and ordered both Ptolemy and Cleopatra to meet him so he could decide who would eventually rule Egypt.

Knowing Ptolemy would try to have her murdered before she could address Caesar, Cleopatra had herself smuggled in front of him rolled up in an oriental rug. Impressed by her ingenuity and bewitched by her charm, Julius Caesar became her lover that night. Within 6 months a defeated Ptolemy was found drowned in the Nile, and the undisputed reign of Egypt’s last pharaoh was under way.

Giving birth to Caesar’s son, named Caesarion or “little Caesar,” Cleopatra was now at the height of her powers. Although her lover returned to Rome to reorganize the Senate there, he left three of his veteran legions to protect her throne, and a year later he brought her to Rome to celebrate his war triumphs. One of the spoils of the war was Cleopatra’s sister Arsinoë, who in the true Ptolemaic tradition was constantly trying to usurp Cleopatra.

An indication of Cleopatra’s ruthlessness is that although Caesar eventually spared Arsinoë’s life, Cleopatra later made Mark Antony kill her.