Oh Jamie, this is delightful and I don’t care if not a single word from either Melba or Escoffier are outright lies!
And for me, personally there is another, very obscure connection, one that connects the name Melba and France.
I grew up being very close to a girl and then woman named Cheryl Frink. I was born a mere week earlier and when I was about two weeks old my parents took me to the Frink home, so Cheryl was my first date. 😊
Cheryl and I had the enormous privilege, from grades 5 through 8, of being taught French by the amazing Madame Anne Forman, a Parisienne who, I am relatively certain, had married an American GI after World War II. Since Neither my first name, nor Cheryl’s translate easily into French (much less are easily pronounceable by the French!) we were both called by our middle names in French class. Mine was Robert, hers was Jeanne.
Cheryl’s mother was called Jean but her full name was Melba Jean Frink, née Zehr. Hence Cheryl was called Jeanne! And I was Robert, both with the correct Parisien accent of course.
I have never known how Cheryl’s mother came to be named Melba Jean, but now I am determined to find out. Sadly Cheryl died in January of 2023, succumbing to cancer. I still miss her deeply. In any event I will inquire of Melba Jean (she goes by Jean) or her second daughter, Deborah. (I believe Jean is still living.)
But … there’s more - the REAL connection(s)!
By the time we had both graduated from high school, I was nearly fluent in French; all I needed perhaps was to spend several months to a year immersed in French. However, I went on to study biology in university.
Cheryl majored in French in university, including a year of study in Grenoble. Subsequently she achieved a Master’s degree, including at least one semester at the Sorbonne. She became a high school French teacher and travelled back to Paris almost every year during Summer break, as well as Grenoble to visit a close friend she had met in Grenboble.
After many years of going our separate ways and after a bad breakup with a girlfriend, Cheryl and I connected again. It was a balm I sorely needed. She had occasionally urged me to go to Paris and that planted the seed for my first trip. When my newly minted PhD in linguistcs son took his first job at École Normal Superieur in Paris, I took the opportunity to go. It was the shortest week of my life! But I was hooked.
On my last full day we went to l’Orangerie where I saw the Monet lily panels, which caused me to nearly faint with wonder and pleasure. Then we took the #69 bus to the 7th to visit la tour Eiffel. On the bus we were chatted up by a lovely vielle dame. Af the final stop, she too got of the bus and INSISTED we come to her ground floor apartment where we had a pleasant visit, then she walked us to the Champs de Mars.
After we inquired her name, she asked mine. She asked mine. OF COURSE she couldn’t pronounce “Earl”, so I told her my middle name was “Robert”, to which she replied “Oh, BOB!” And nearly shouted, “Non, JAMAIS Bob!”
After ENS my son went on to teach at Paris Cité for a few years, and is now a professor at University of Toronto, along with his fiancée, who is from Francophone New Brunswick, also a PhD professor at U of T.
My daughter, who did her last year at university in Nantes, went on to be an elementary level teacher at a French immersion school in Toronto.
So there you have it and I swear every word is true … how a post World War II love affair in Paris changed the lives of not only two people, but my children, my Francophone grandchildren, my lovely Cheryl and the thousands of pupils she graced with her remarkable life.
Now I’m off to find out how Cheryl’s mother was named Melba Jean, as I anxiously await peach season so I can make Pêche Melba, which will forever bring back these wonderful memories.
My dad was stationed in France in the early 1950s (brother born there). After returning to America, we had Peach Melba (no secret almonds) and maybe a little too common (just ice cream) on fresh orange peaches with raspberries. The taste of summer!
I now live in Japan, where they have lovely white peaches, which are delicious as Peach Melba. But I still prefer the slightly stronger flavor of the orange peaches. I will also try boiling in the the sugar syrup to get closer to the namesake.
I love the "he said/she said" aspect. A very enjoyable read. I must say I have never had Peche Melba. Considering I live in a peach orchard valley I am going to have to make amends. Is it allowable to use other peaches than white? Thank you for your writing!
Oh definitely use whatever peaches you have! I think more people use yellow peaches, maybe because they’re more common? The white are more delicate but once poached the full flavor comes out.
Such a delightful story, and reporting on your part. It is one of my husband's favorite desserts. I have not made it in a long time and certainly need to make amends....especially to him! thank you.
Thank you, Nancy! I'm so happy you enjoyed the story! That means a lot to me! And enjoy the pêche Melba... I've never made it before and I now understand why Nellie Melba loved it so much and why it has become a classic!
My grandmother used to make this for me. She got the recipe from her mother in law who was French. To this day I love this dessert but don’t make it for myself. I’m going to give it a try though. She also made a fabulous île flottante.
You know your opinion means everything to me and I am so thrilled you loved this one so much. It was so hard to write, to order, to piece together. I drove me nuts for 2 weeks. So I am so happy you love it. Thank you xo
Right? The more I read, the more interviews I read, the funnier I thought it. I knew it had to be the focus of the post! And thank you! I so happy you enjoyed it!
It’s terrible that I have to make them to test the recipe then for the photos because I had to eat a whole one before the ice cream melted. It’s the occupational hazard of a food writer… hahahaha
Oh Jamie, this is delightful and I don’t care if not a single word from either Melba or Escoffier are outright lies!
And for me, personally there is another, very obscure connection, one that connects the name Melba and France.
I grew up being very close to a girl and then woman named Cheryl Frink. I was born a mere week earlier and when I was about two weeks old my parents took me to the Frink home, so Cheryl was my first date. 😊
Cheryl and I had the enormous privilege, from grades 5 through 8, of being taught French by the amazing Madame Anne Forman, a Parisienne who, I am relatively certain, had married an American GI after World War II. Since Neither my first name, nor Cheryl’s translate easily into French (much less are easily pronounceable by the French!) we were both called by our middle names in French class. Mine was Robert, hers was Jeanne.
Cheryl’s mother was called Jean but her full name was Melba Jean Frink, née Zehr. Hence Cheryl was called Jeanne! And I was Robert, both with the correct Parisien accent of course.
I have never known how Cheryl’s mother came to be named Melba Jean, but now I am determined to find out. Sadly Cheryl died in January of 2023, succumbing to cancer. I still miss her deeply. In any event I will inquire of Melba Jean (she goes by Jean) or her second daughter, Deborah. (I believe Jean is still living.)
But … there’s more - the REAL connection(s)!
By the time we had both graduated from high school, I was nearly fluent in French; all I needed perhaps was to spend several months to a year immersed in French. However, I went on to study biology in university.
Cheryl majored in French in university, including a year of study in Grenoble. Subsequently she achieved a Master’s degree, including at least one semester at the Sorbonne. She became a high school French teacher and travelled back to Paris almost every year during Summer break, as well as Grenoble to visit a close friend she had met in Grenboble.
After many years of going our separate ways and after a bad breakup with a girlfriend, Cheryl and I connected again. It was a balm I sorely needed. She had occasionally urged me to go to Paris and that planted the seed for my first trip. When my newly minted PhD in linguistcs son took his first job at École Normal Superieur in Paris, I took the opportunity to go. It was the shortest week of my life! But I was hooked.
On my last full day we went to l’Orangerie where I saw the Monet lily panels, which caused me to nearly faint with wonder and pleasure. Then we took the #69 bus to the 7th to visit la tour Eiffel. On the bus we were chatted up by a lovely vielle dame. Af the final stop, she too got of the bus and INSISTED we come to her ground floor apartment where we had a pleasant visit, then she walked us to the Champs de Mars.
After we inquired her name, she asked mine. She asked mine. OF COURSE she couldn’t pronounce “Earl”, so I told her my middle name was “Robert”, to which she replied “Oh, BOB!” And nearly shouted, “Non, JAMAIS Bob!”
After ENS my son went on to teach at Paris Cité for a few years, and is now a professor at University of Toronto, along with his fiancée, who is from Francophone New Brunswick, also a PhD professor at U of T.
My daughter, who did her last year at university in Nantes, went on to be an elementary level teacher at a French immersion school in Toronto.
So there you have it and I swear every word is true … how a post World War II love affair in Paris changed the lives of not only two people, but my children, my Francophone grandchildren, my lovely Cheryl and the thousands of pupils she graced with her remarkable life.
Now I’m off to find out how Cheryl’s mother was named Melba Jean, as I anxiously await peach season so I can make Pêche Melba, which will forever bring back these wonderful memories.
Merci, Madame Foreman
What a lovely, lovely story, my friend. Thank you so much for sharing it xo
My dad was stationed in France in the early 1950s (brother born there). After returning to America, we had Peach Melba (no secret almonds) and maybe a little too common (just ice cream) on fresh orange peaches with raspberries. The taste of summer!
I now live in Japan, where they have lovely white peaches, which are delicious as Peach Melba. But I still prefer the slightly stronger flavor of the orange peaches. I will also try boiling in the the sugar syrup to get closer to the namesake.
Thank you for a fun read, Jamie.
I love the "he said/she said" aspect. A very enjoyable read. I must say I have never had Peche Melba. Considering I live in a peach orchard valley I am going to have to make amends. Is it allowable to use other peaches than white? Thank you for your writing!
Oh definitely use whatever peaches you have! I think more people use yellow peaches, maybe because they’re more common? The white are more delicate but once poached the full flavor comes out.
Such a delightful story, and reporting on your part. It is one of my husband's favorite desserts. I have not made it in a long time and certainly need to make amends....especially to him! thank you.
Thank you, Nancy! I'm so happy you enjoyed the story! That means a lot to me! And enjoy the pêche Melba... I've never made it before and I now understand why Nellie Melba loved it so much and why it has become a classic!
My grandmother used to make this for me. She got the recipe from her mother in law who was French. To this day I love this dessert but don’t make it for myself. I’m going to give it a try though. She also made a fabulous île flottante.
I need to gather up the courage to make île flottante! How lucky to have grown up with these divine treats!
This is entirely delightful to read. I love reading Escoffier's own descriptions and words..
What a beautiful story and recipe.
You know your opinion means everything to me and I am so thrilled you loved this one so much. It was so hard to write, to order, to piece together. I drove me nuts for 2 weeks. So I am so happy you love it. Thank you xo
Delicious! I’m going to add the sweetened whipped cream. The story is fascinating and amusing. I can imagine Escoffier bamboozling the journalists!
Right? The more I read, the more interviews I read, the funnier I thought it. I knew it had to be the focus of the post! And thank you! I so happy you enjoyed it!
That’s a keeper for sure. I promise to keep the almonds a secret.
It’s terrible that I have to make them to test the recipe then for the photos because I had to eat a whole one before the ice cream melted. It’s the occupational hazard of a food writer… hahahaha
I have four peaches just staring at me from my fruit bowl. I know what I'll be making tomorrow.
Now do Melba Toast!
I already started researching Melba toast! 😂