Thursday 6 November 2008

Oh, What A Day!


Life Is A Bowl of Cherries Sweet!
Demel's Annatorte
Demel K. & K. Hofzuckerbäckerei
Demel Royal and Imperial Confectioners

How in heaven did I earn such a treat?
I elucubrated until the wee hours of the morning! *

You say that was not reason enough?
Well, I had lusted after that cake
for what must have been at least a hundred times,
and a hundred times over,
and it never was the right moment.
Until yesterday, 5pm,
when this little voice in me
finally softened, and whispered,
"Do so if thou lust!"


* In the cold light of the morning after,
I felt the need for penance, though,
and went to do some research about the origins
of that beautiful word "elucubrate".
Here's what I learned,
thanks to Google and Wikipedia,

"Elucubrate, to doe a thing by candlelight",
that is how the English lexicographer Henry Cockeram defined it in his 1623
"The English dictionarie, or an interpreter of hard English words".
His fellow countryman, the author Francis Quarles,
clothed burning the midnight oil twelve years later, in 1635,
in these beautiful words:
"Wee spend our mid-day sweat, or mid-night oyle;
Wee tyre the night in thought; the day in toyle.
"

*

Photographed at Demel's
Kohlmarkt 14
November 5, 2008




16 comments:

  1. Is that der Seltsame Vogel I see there? You should never read what is written under the wings of the Seltsame Vogel!

    That cake looks yummaceous!

    A little elucubration never did anyone any harm.

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  2. Wandering Star seems to have such a way with words!

    Yes that cake looks wicked!!!

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  3. p.s. I have just gone back and clicked on the cake to magnify it! I'm now dribbling!

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  4. I am unsure how you have not succumb to that cake until now. With darkness coming earlier these days, I am sure there will be a bit more elucubration, but I'd gladly give up some sleep for a piece of that cake.

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  5. You all:
    *smile*
    I forget to tell you that the chocolate nougat concoction on top tastes like Nutella would taste like, if it were manufactured by Demel's chocolate spread fairies, simply d e v i n e ! :-)
    The good thing about that cake is that, after having had a piece, it lingers in your memory for months to come. It may be a Proustian way of staying on a good diet, because the memory of such great chocolate makes you shudder at the thought of even touch anything of lesser quality and perfection.

    May you all have a wonderful day! :-)

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  6. P.S.:
    And may there be a fairy who keeps me from making so many mistakes, next time I publish a comment!
    (I don't know how I managed to do it, but I am unable to delete my own comments anymore. *g*).

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  7. Ummmm. Elucubrate at its best.
    I think I gained 5 pounds just looking at the picture.So happy you finally sucumbed to the cakely passion.
    Great post as usual.

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  8. Oh my is that a gateau? It looks so wonderful that I could just cram the whole thing in one bite...you make it look good enough to eat..
    hugs
    Sandi

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  9. And drool is so bad for my keyboard.

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  10. Oh that is a decadent piece of cake!!!!! Yum!!

    www.thequietone.net

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  11. Yes, the cake looks magical and amazing. I'm glad you treated yourself.

    And 'elucubration' is totally getting worked into my daily vocabulary! :-)

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  12. Thank you all for your comments.
    I feel guilty about not having found the time to answer them all. I hope to be able to come back and post and answer later in the day.
    Wishing you a wonderful day,
    Merisi

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  13. Oh Merisi... I must make it to Demel's in my lifetime!

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  14. I want to say something witty or intelligent or lovely about that cake, but I cannot because it has filled my brain with the taste of chocolate and I cannot think any coherent thoughts.

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  15. Thank you for your description of the Annatorte, both here and on Paris Breakfasts. It's incredibly creative and will now go on my list of lifetime To Do's.

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