LP No.9 for Ladies Penhaligon's 1998

Contrary to the belief that Sauce Bearnaise originates from Bern - no, it comes from Bearn, a region in France. I learned classical French cuisine. My mentor always had Escoffier at hand. This is the Guide Culinaire, standard literature for chefs - it contains everything you need to know about cooking. August Escoffier wrote this masterpiece - as a little boy, he always watched his grandmother cook, then learned to be a chef, was drafted as a soldier .......... and eventually became the head chef at the Ritz Carlton. Ho Chi Minh is said to have even been a kitchen assistant under his leadership.

Sauce Bearnaise, simply put, is Hollandaise sauce with tarragon, often served with meat and fish. Personally, I think it goes particularly well with lukewarm roast beef or Chateaubriand. You make a reduction, let it cool, and then whisk it with egg yolks over a water bath; just before completion, you add the melted butter. Finally, the finely sliced tarragon is added - done.

I love tarragon in food, the feeling when you pull the leaves from the stem and your fingers smell of it. But I also love it in perfume. LP starts right away with this wonderful note, combined with the harsh rose geranium and citrus, a challenge for the nose. I also perceive a slight metallic note, which fades over time. In the heart, I smell rose, clove, and jasmine. I notice cinnamon less, vanilla a bit more. The cedar also gives the fragrance a slight anise note in the base, which is similar to tarragon, and I think the amber adds sweetness to the scent.

For me, there are two great tarragon fragrances. This one and Memoir Man by Amouage - I particularly like the tarragon in that one.

And one more thing I want to say about Auguste Escoffier, the master chef. He revolutionized haute cuisine, divided chefs into positions like saucier, poissonier, patissier ............. simplified recipes, tried to make cooking easier, and wrote about it. He founded a committee to better support the families of chefs who were drafted into the war financially. For me, he was one of the greats.