I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 197 Gourmet Dictionary and Hugo Caught in the Act

Parisian-style anchovies:
Slice the salted anchovies and set aside. Finely chop the half-cooked eggs, parsley, and cilantro together. Arrange the anchovy slices in several diamond shapes on a large plate, leaving some space between each diamond. Sprinkle the chopped egg yolks, egg whites, and cilantro into the gaps and along the rim of the plate, making sure to use different colors to avoid mixing them up.

Mix refined olive oil with acid fruit juice, coarse pepper powder, and a few drops of Chinese soy sauce to make a dressing. Add this dressing to the bottom of the plate and mix it evenly with the other ingredients.

—Dumas's Dictionary of Gourmet Food

Regarding the outcome of the contest between Mikhail and Dumas at the dinner table, Turgenev could only say that, ignoring the empty plates and the astonished looks of many around them, he only saw two men who admired each other.

So much so that when it came time to part, Alexandre Dumas held Mikhail's hand tightly, saying with great reluctance, "Incredible, incredible! Russia has such a true gourmet! My dear Mikhail, you must come visit me sometime. I'll cook for you myself, and you can eat as much as you like!"

And wow, you have such a good appetite! You're a real man! Hahaha, eating with you is the happiest thing that happened to me all day!

The reason for this scene was that Mikhail clearly remembered the entire contents of Alexandre Dumas's "Gourmet Dictionary" in his mind. If he had read it before, he would have been craving it but didn't have any specific concept of it.

Now that he had the opportunity to put it into practice, Mikhail naturally combined theory with practice, resulting in the following scenarios:

"Come on! Try this dish," said Alexandre Dumas enthusiastically. "It's one of their best dishes. What do you think? Is it good? Can you taste anything?"

Mikhail, who had indeed tasted some of the flavor, simply smiled and then said directly, "I tasted a bit of sour fruit juice, and then pepper, and..."
Dumas, looking at Mikhail with such familiarity, exclaimed: "!"

"And what about this dish?"

"This dish, I'd guess, has a little anise in it, and some white wine too."

"What about this one? And this one too!"

"This one"

After hearing these words, Alexandre Dumas exclaimed: "!!!"

While it's not entirely without errors, most of the content is correct, so this is a true connoisseur! A connoisseur from Russia!
Regarding the French people's view on food, there is no doubt that they regard French cuisine as the pride and treasure of France. As early as 1825, Jean Anthelm Buria-Savarin, a French gourmet who participated in the French Revolution and went into exile in the United States, had already introduced a series of food preparation methods and culinary concepts, which had even risen to the level of theory.

He also wrote many food-related proverbs, one of the more famous of which is: "Tell me what you eat, and I will know what kind of person you are."

Of course, this statement doesn't apply to Mikhail; his tastes are incredibly diverse.
When it comes to French cuisine, the most well-known dish is probably French snails. In fact, snails were originally just a staple food for ordinary people. However, in 1814, when Napoleon's foreign minister was hosting Tsar Alexander I of Russia in Burgundy, there was a shortage of ingredients. The famous chef Antonin Karem came up with a brilliant idea and roasted snails from his garden with garlic, butter, and parsley.

Although this was merely a reluctant measure to appease Alexander I, Alexander I exclaimed after tasting it, "It's authentic! It tastes just like mom's cooking!"
Thus, the "Burgundy escargot" became famous and quickly became popular in French high society, becoming a high-end and exquisite appetizer.

In short, a love of fine food is indeed a symbol of nobility in the eyes of the French. Dumas and Mikhail had already been having a pleasant conversation, and after the meal, they felt as if they had known each other for a long time and wished they could become close friends.

Mikhail did indeed share a similar feeling, after all, Alexandre Dumas was a true gourmand with a huge appetite, and with him around, he would probably be able to sample several more dishes.

As for Turgenev, who was watching the two men appreciate each other, his mind became slightly confused again.

What? This Mr. Dumas actually eats more than Mikhail?
Also, when did Mikhail become a gourmet? I didn't know that. Didn't he eat everything before?

For a moment, Turgenev really wanted to grab Mikhail and shake him to see how much more he could possibly lose.

When Turgenev actually asked Mikhail this question, Mikhail simply smiled and replied, "Ivan, actually, I do enjoy eating delicious food, but there's no need to deliberately pursue it. However, if we were in Paris, then obviously, showing insightful knowledge about food would make things go more smoothly."

While Mikhail and Alexandre Dumas were discussing food in a French restaurant and bidding each other a reluctant farewell after their meal, there were certainly many other guests present. At first, they were closely watching Dumas, a celebrity in Parisian society, but as time went on, more and more people began to focus on the young man who ate a lot but ate with exceptional elegance.

I couldn't help but observe his every move, and I was also inevitably immersed in his taste and insights into French cuisine.

After the somewhat exotic young man left, some people present discussed when a new face had appeared in Parisian social circles, while others were contributing articles to a Parisian newspaper, which turned out to be a young man named Le Goff.

Strictly speaking, Legov's luck has been really bad lately. His writings have been mostly unsuccessful, but his expenses have remained the same. As a result, after some time, Legov's wallet is rapidly emptying.

He was in a bit of a financial predicament, and his friends weren't much better off. However, since one of them was going to have a big day, they decided to grit their teeth and go to a rather expensive restaurant to broaden their horizons.

However, when Legov's friends were carefully eating half of the food, they noticed that Legov seemed to be staring at something with fascination. He not only stopped eating, but also went to a pretty good spot to wait and listen more carefully.

Because they understood Legov's profession, they didn't interfere too much. When Legov returned excitedly with his hastily jotted-down notes, he spoke directly to his friends:
"Just you wait and see! My articles will be in all the major newspapers in Paris! I'm going to write many articles about what I've noted down today and send them to them one by one!"

Because previous press releases were often criticized by newspapers as uninteresting and unengaging, deemed utter garbage, this time, the young man named Legov tried his best to grab attention by basing his work on certain facts.

And it must be said, he was indeed quite lucky. After all, people were already quite curious about the writer who lived in Russia but could write in French; the mere news that he had arrived in Paris was worth a fortune. So, not long after, Parisians soon saw similar news in the newspapers:
The author of "Around the World in Eighty Days" has officially arrived in Paris! The first thing he did upon arrival was...

Monsieur Dumas told him, "Besides you and me, there are no other writers in Paris!"

Why is a Russian writer from humble beginnings so knowledgeable about French cuisine? The answer will be revealed here!

Amazing youth! Amazing looks! Amazing appetite!

A writer who was on par with Alexandre Dumas!

The people of Paris: "?"

Anyone who can resist watching this must be a saint!

If we were to name the top figures in French literature these days, Alexandre Dumas would undoubtedly be one. In fact, due to his writing style, prolific output, and flamboyant personality, his reputation among ordinary readers is unparalleled.

To some extent, when Alexandre Dumas walked alongside Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac, and a host of other writers, the first name that came to mind for the public was undoubtedly Dumas.

Meanwhile, Alexandre Dumas is undoubtedly the target of much envy and even resentment in the literary world, especially after the huge success of his historical novels. His silver tongue, lavish lifestyle, boasting, medals, and flashy vests have been constantly provoking people. Moreover, Dumas simply doesn't care about the conventions and clichés of the literary world.

In short, news related to Alexandre Dumas is certainly of great interest to the people of Paris, and if Dumas is also associated with another sensational figure, then this news is destined to be a huge sensation.

Therefore, when this news appeared in the newspapers, it was almost instantaneous that an atmosphere of shock and jubilation spread throughout Paris:
"Huh? Mr. Dumas has such a high opinion of a Russian writer? I read in the newspapers that this Russian writer's level is quite average, and he's just caught up with some kind of trend."

"Apart from those two, there are no other writers in Paris? That's outrageous!"

"That's how it is in the newspapers; it can't all be true. How could Mr. Dumas possibly say something so offensive?"

"So that Russian writer has really come to Paris? I wonder where I can run into him!"

"According to the newspaper description, this Russian writer is a handsome man? They even said he looks like a college student, or even that he just graduated from university. My God! Can someone so young really achieve so much?"

"Why does he know so much about French cuisine? Could he really be of French descent? But how can a young man with such a large appetite be considered handsome?!"

Discussions like this seem to be happening all over Paris. In an era where entertainment options are scarce, gossiping about the anecdotes of some big shots is a pleasure that ordinary Parisians have to experience.

Before Dumas and this Russian, the most sensational news in the Parisian newspapers was undoubtedly a scandal involving the great writer Victor Hugo.

In short, in the early morning of June 5, 1845, the sheriff of Vendôme, at the request of Auguste Biarte, demanded entry into a secluded room in Saint-Roche Lane in the name of the law. As a result, Hugo and his mistress were caught off guard and caught in the act of adultery.

It is worth mentioning that although France had an unspoken culture of extramarital affairs during this period, it depended on whether the parties involved took it seriously. If they did, both parties involved in adultery would be severely punished.

Unfortunately, despite Hugo's attempt to tell Biarte, "I've discovered you're a very serious person," Biarte remained ruthless, arresting his wife on the spot and imprisoning her in Saint-Lazare prison.

Hugo was left with no other choice but to immediately declare that he was a member of the House of Peers and had immunity from arrest. The sheriff hesitated for a moment but then released him.

The very next day, the newspapers *La Vadot*, *La Nation*, and *La Diocese* reported on this regrettable scandal in cautious terms. The matter was so serious that the king had to intervene personally. He summoned the painter Biart in Saint-Cloth and persuaded him to withdraw his accusations. It is said that a batch of murals commissioned for Versailles Palace eventually made him forget his wife's infidelity.

It can only be said that this victim is a career-oriented person.
Another point worth mentioning is that although the female protagonist in the story was imprisoned, she maintained a positive attitude and even joked with Bial: "Friend, only monarchs and tortoises have the right to pardon. Why don't you take a more optimistic view of this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Bial burst into laughter and quickly halted his prosecution.

Although the matter wasn't too serious, Hugo's friends and enemies alike ridiculed it. His enemies laughed openly and wrote satirical articles, while his friends secretly rejoiced. Even Mikhail, when flipping through old Parisian newspapers and seeing the news, couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

As the saying goes, "Everyone has their limits when it comes to life."
When Mikhail saw news related to himself and Alexandre Dumas, he couldn't hold back any longer. One can only say that the person who wrote these news articles was a genius. Some of these news articles even made him, the person involved, want to keep an eye on them!

Of course, from another perspective, this is indeed a good thing. Although many parts are filled with the author's own imagination and fabrication, it does not denigrate Mikhail in general. In this way, it is still very beneficial for Mikhail to gain fame in Paris.

Amidst this noisy atmosphere, Mikhail overheard some somewhat unsettling discussions about himself on the street, while continuing to walk forward. His next destination was, naturally, the place where his dream in Paris began.

This refers to Building 6 on Place des Vosges in Paris, the home of the French literary giant Victor Hugo.

(End of this chapter)