1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,359 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. And today's 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: topic came about because of our episode on pies. In 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: that episode, we talked about chef Alexei Soyer, who became 6 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: a very well known chef both in France and in England, 7 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: and the many recipes for pies that he included in 8 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: his cookbooks, and how he was always pretty happy to 9 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: embrace new methods for cooking if he thought they would 10 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: benefit his work. He was one of the first chefs 11 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: to be like, y'all pie tins, they're great. There was 12 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: also an incident in his life that I had seen 13 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: mentioned in one of the articles I used while I 14 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: was researching pie that made me certain I wanted to 15 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: learn more about him because it was a wild story, 16 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: hard to verify it, it it sure is told over and over. 17 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: So we're going to talk about it and some of 18 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: the things because his life is very fascinating, sometimes wild, 19 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: often innovative, and we're just going to talk about Alexei 20 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: say today. So Alexei ben was Saya's early life is 21 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: very cloudy. As we talk about it, keep in mind 22 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: that most of what we do know about his youth 23 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: is not from any records or even from Alexei's own recollections. 24 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: It's from several friends who published memoirs of Alexei Soyer 25 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: after his death, was based on notes from his life 26 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: and anecdotes that he had told them. So it's like 27 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: things they heard maybe from him. Yes, maybe His friend 28 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: and secretary friend Sis Voila, assembled most of this, although 29 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: they had a falling out before Souy's death, and today 30 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: historians recognize that this memoir includes a lot of tall tales, 31 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: a lot of inaccuracies. Some of these may have been 32 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: included out of spite by his friends over disagreements that 33 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: had come up among them during Sway's lifetime. I I 34 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: can't fault somebody for, you know, things that happen after 35 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: they die. But maybe don't have your freenemies right your memoir. Well, 36 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: I don't think he intended to, That's what I'm saying. Yeah, 37 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: he um. You know, he had secretaries that he employed 38 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: throughout his life, many of whom had been his friends, 39 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: and so you know he was They were keeping general 40 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: records of stuff but yeah, there's a definite shift that 41 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: happens in the larger part of the twentieth century. Any 42 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: accounts of his life are based on those memoirs, and 43 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: so there's a propagation of some of those falsehoods. And 44 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: then things start to shift when more biographers and historians 45 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: get better access to records and can cross check things. 46 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: But there's still some mysteries. So Alexei's birth certificate lists 47 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: his date of birth as February four, eighteen ten, although 48 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: that biography mentioned above states that it was October of 49 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: the preceding year. There is some theory that he may 50 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: not have known his own birthday, or he had just 51 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: picked a different day. He was born in Mombri and 52 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: his parents were Emery and Madeleine Soire, and the Swis 53 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: were quite poor. They had had a shop earlier in 54 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: their marriage, a little grocery that did okay for a while, 55 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: but it failed before Alexei was born, and Emory at 56 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: that point was earning money as a laborer. Alexei had 57 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 1: two older brothers, Philippe born in sevent and Louis born 58 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: in eighteen o one. Emery and Madeleine had had two 59 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: other children between Louis and Alexei, but those two babies 60 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: did not survive. According to the memoir, Emery and Madeleine 61 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: had a plan in mind for their youngest son's future, 62 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: and that was a life in the clergy. But he 63 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: was so ill behaved at his school that he got 64 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: kicked out. We do not know if that is true, 65 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: and there's also been speculation that the family may have 66 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: really been Protestant rather than Catholic, or possibly Jewish. That's 67 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: based on the rarity of the family name and the 68 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: fact that it matches only with that of Russian Jews 69 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: that have been identified by historians. The story of the 70 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: misbehaving choir boy being kicked out of the cathedral was 71 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,919 Speaker 1: one that Sway himself told people, so this may have 72 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: been truth, may have been an invention, right. This is 73 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: also a time we've talked about on the show before 74 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: when like France, heavily Catholic, like that was the societal norm, 75 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: so that may have been part of why he kind 76 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: of concocted this story. Alexei's older brother Philip had become 77 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: a cook in in eighty one. Alexei moved to Paris 78 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: to learn that trade from him, something neither brother was 79 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: particularly enthused about Alexei, who was a kid at this time, 80 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: wanted to be an actor, not a cook. Philipp had 81 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: no desire to babysit his roombunctious little brother, but they 82 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: did manage to work through their initial issue us and 83 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 1: when Alexei became an apprentice at the restaurant where Philippe 84 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: worked in TV near Versailles. Apparently, once Alexei actually got 85 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: into the kitchen and focus a little bit, he was 86 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: really good at cooking. Keep in mind though he was 87 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: still very much a kid. He was only eleven at 88 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 1: the time that he moved to Paris, if we were 89 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 1: going by that February eighteen ten birthdate. After a five 90 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: year apprenticeship, Alexei was hired to work in Paris eatery 91 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: was called Dui, and obviously he was still just a 92 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: teenager of sixteen. Soon he was moved up to the 93 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: position of second cook and then was running the kitchen. 94 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: There was a staff of twelve under him. He stayed 95 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: at DWI for three years, fine tuning his abilities. Biographer 96 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: Ruth Brandon makes a point in her book The People's 97 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: Chef that say found in the structure of a restaurant 98 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 1: a stage where he the chef, could fulfill his dreams 99 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: of performing. It was just on a different stage than 100 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: what he had envisioned as a boy. He does seem 101 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: to have been the perfect match for the still relatively 102 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: new restaurant scene of Paris. The city's first restaurant, Champ 103 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: DUIs Out, had opened in the seventeen sixties, and the 104 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: idea of Paris as the global epicenter of culinary excellence 105 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: had quickly been established. Yeah, he got to, you know, 106 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: perform in front of guests, essentially performed for his staff. 107 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: He sort of loved the whole thing, and while he 108 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: was at duty, Alexey was trusted with more and more duties, 109 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: including making catering deliveries. Because he was, by all accounts, 110 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: very handsome, incredibly charming, and also really outgoing, he would 111 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: often end up becoming part of whatever party the restaurant 112 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: had cooked for as he waited for the dishes to 113 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 1: be emptied throughout the event so that he could carry 114 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: them back to be washed. One such incident allegedly ended 115 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: with sway A passing out on the way home. He 116 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,239 Speaker 1: had had a lot to drink and waking up without 117 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: the restaurants serving tray and without his pants. This led 118 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: to the young chef being given a nickname in the 119 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: Paris papers, the Enfon Terrible of Montmartre. So it seems 120 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: to have had a really good time throughout the eighteen twenties. 121 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: He was a popular chef that clients loved to party with, 122 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: and he clearly enjoyed that life. There's a poem in 123 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: his memoirs which relays various images of Paris nightlife, and 124 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: that ends with the stanza, which is translated as quote, 125 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: but hark in the city of the morning, belt holes 126 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: and workmen grab coffee and hot buttered rolls. The hammer 127 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: and tongs have their work to pursue, But I hurried 128 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: to bed. There's sleeping to do. When Alexei was twenty, 129 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: he was hired away from Due by the kitchen of 130 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: the Prince de Polignac Jules Armand. Armand was an ultra royalist, 131 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: so his story get ready is pretty rocky. He was 132 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: exiled to England during the French Revolution and he was 133 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: imprisoned for nine years when he returned into France, those 134 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: years of imprisonment being eighteen o four to eighteen thirteen 135 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: for his participation in a plot to assassinate Napoleon. Once 136 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: Napoleon abdicated in eighteen fourteen and Louis the eighteenth was 137 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: restored to the throne, Jules Armand became a peer under 138 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: the re establishment of peerage in the Charter of eighteen fourteen, 139 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: and Jules Armand raised concerns at that time that the 140 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: constitutional oath that came with that peerage was disparaging the 141 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: Catholic Church and the papacy, and as a consequence, it 142 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: was the pope who granted him this title of prince. 143 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: When Louis the eighteenth died in eighteen twenty four, his 144 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: brother Charles the tenth took the throne of France, and 145 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: Charles the tenth loved Jules Armand. He had made an 146 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: ambassador to England for six years, and when the Prince 147 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,559 Speaker 1: returned to Paris in eighteen twenty nine, the king named 148 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: him Prime Minister and as head of the French Foreign Office. 149 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: For Soyer, being hired as assistant to the head chef 150 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,719 Speaker 1: for such an illustrious spigure must have seemed like a 151 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: really lucrative career move. Although it was no secret that 152 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: the Prince NAPOLEONAC was not popular with the people of France. 153 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: You can go ahead and prep you're sad trombone for 154 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: this one, although it is also kind of funny. Alexei 155 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: Sayer had been working for the Prime Minister for a 156 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: month when Jules Armand and Charles the Tenth made some 157 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: sweeping political moves that were incredibly unpopular. If you know 158 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: French history, you know what's coming. Remember, Jules Armand believed 159 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:34,239 Speaker 1: firmly in the absolute power of the monarchy, and tensions 160 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: had been steadily rising in the French political sphere since 161 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: his appointment. On July thirty, he issued four incredibly repressive 162 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: ordinances designed by himself and Charles the Tenth to stop 163 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,680 Speaker 1: the growth of what the two men felt were radical 164 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: elements in France's elected government. There had been no discussion 165 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,599 Speaker 1: about these ordinances with the Chamber of Deputies. Charles the 166 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: Tenth believed that he had the right to govern via 167 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: ordinances as a means to entirely do away with bipartisan bickering. 168 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: This is again a very quick and dirty version of 169 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: all of the nuances that were going down. He'll sometimes 170 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:16,319 Speaker 1: see these called the July Ordinances or the four Ordinances 171 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: of Saint clu because Jules Armand wrote them while at 172 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: Saint clu and then freedom of the press was revoked. 173 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: The elected legislature, which was the Chamber of Deputies was dissolved. 174 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 1: New elections were announced and it's changed the rules of 175 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: how the elections worked. These decrees were exactly as popular 176 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: as he might expect, and starting the very next day, 177 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:41,560 Speaker 1: there were protests which led to the July Revolution. These 178 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: protests instantly impacted Alexei Soyer. His team in the kitchen 179 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: at the Prince de Polignac's home had been tasked with 180 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 1: cooking a massive banquet to celebrate Jules Armand and what 181 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: he expected was going to be the new era for France. 182 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: And while Soier and his team were prepared this feast, 183 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 1: a large group of enraged protesters had assembled outside of 184 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: Polignac's home and eventually they broke into the house, and 185 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: specifically they broke into the kitchen. Two of the kitchen 186 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: employees were shot. We've already mentioned the renowned charm that 187 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 1: Alexei was said to possess. This served him in this 188 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 1: tense situation. He started singing La Marcillas. According to Alexei's 189 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: recounting of the event. By the time this was over 190 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 1: the attackers were carrying him on their shoulders out into 191 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 1: the streets. Yeah, somehow he won them over, made it 192 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: out alive. His employer did not win over the people. 193 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:44,079 Speaker 1: Protests and riots continued for several days, and on August two, 194 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 1: Charles the Tenth abdicated. Jules Armand was arrested, and Louis Philippe, 195 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 1: the Duc de Chat was installed on the throne as 196 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: Louis Philippe the First Polignac was imprisoned for several years 197 00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 1: before being exiled, and Charles was exiled immediately. Both talk 198 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 1: about the transition and Swaye's life that this episode catalyzed. 199 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:16,079 Speaker 1: But first you'll take a quick sponsor break. Although Alexei 200 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,439 Speaker 1: Swaye seemed to come through the July Revolution still being 201 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: everybody's party pal, he also was smart enough to know 202 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: that he couldn't count on that good fortune forever. He had, 203 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: after all, taken a job with one of the most 204 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 1: hated men in France, so he took off for England. 205 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: His brother Philip had already moved there, working for one 206 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 1: of King George the third son, Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, 207 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: and just as had been the case when young Alexei 208 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: moved to Paris, Philippe got his baby brother a job 209 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:49,319 Speaker 1: working alongside him. That was before Alexei started bouncing around 210 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,560 Speaker 1: the finest houses of London as everyone clamored to hire 211 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: this fun, handsome French chef. In eighteen thirty seven, when 212 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: Alexey was twenty seven, he married an rtist from London 213 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: named Elizabeth Emma Jones, who went by Emma. She was 214 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 1: three years younger than Alexei, and although she was only 215 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: in her early twenties, she'd already really made a name 216 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 1: for herself. Emma's father had died when she was four. 217 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:17,439 Speaker 1: Her mother hired a variety of teachers to handle her education, 218 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 1: including Belgian artist franzism New, who started giving Emma art lessons. 219 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: Emma was good at just about everything she did, but 220 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: she was exceptionally talented and drawing. According to an obituary 221 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: written about her many years later, her artistic talent was 222 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,440 Speaker 1: so strong that her mother offered her teacher enough money 223 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 1: he would stop taking other pupils and focus exclusively on Emma. 224 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: She really flourished. Her art was exhibited at the Royal 225 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: Academy when she was still just a child. The two 226 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: meant when Alexei was looking for a portraitist. His inquiries 227 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: had led him to seek out friend Swiss Mineau, but 228 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: the Belgian said that his student could take the job instead. 229 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: He was kind of just pawning this guy off. Enter Emma, 230 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 1: and Alexei was pretty much instantly smitten with her. There 231 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: is a really quite darling story of their early relationship 232 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: in that Alexei had sent Emma tulips and received in return, 233 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,559 Speaker 1: and note that she said that he had been extremely 234 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: forward in doing so. She had not asked him to 235 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: send a gift, and that the box and the flowers 236 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: were going to be returned to him the following week. 237 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: And she did send that box back, but when Alexei 238 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: opened it, expecting to see dead flowers, what he actually 239 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 1: saw was that she had sent him a painting of 240 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: her tulips. I love that. It's the sweetest thing I've 241 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: ever heard. I love it so much. The same year 242 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: that Alexei and Emma were married, Alexei started a job 243 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: at the newly formed Reform Club of London. The Reform Club, 244 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: which still exists today, was founded as a private club 245 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: for whigs and radicals who supported the Great Reform Act 246 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: of eighteen thirty two. So that act, and just the 247 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: quickest explainer possible, nearly doubled the number of men who 248 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: were eligible to vote in Britain, and it attempted to 249 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: address some of the corruption in the way various voting 250 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: districts were structured. It didn't do a whole lot to 251 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: help the working class, though, and it had its own problems. 252 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: That's a different show, though. I think this came up recently, 253 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 1: maybe on the Gin episode where we're talking about like 254 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: class differences and reforms that affected some people but not others. 255 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: The Reform Clubs permanent headquarters that one oh four Pall 256 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: Mall were still under renovation when Alexei was hired to 257 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: be the chef, so he gave a lot of input 258 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: to architect Charles Berry to design the kitchen to really 259 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: best suit his needs. And that kitchen is still famous 260 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: and it was toured almost from the moment of completion 261 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: by other chefs who wished to copy it. It had 262 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: a layout that, instead of just kind of being a 263 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 1: cramped area, enabled the entire staff to move about in 264 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: their duties without constantly knocking into each other. And it 265 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: essentially had every gadget any chef might want, because when 266 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: Soyer couldn't find something that would suit his needs, he 267 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: would just invent it. He was incredibly clever, and if 268 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: you have ever cooked on a gas stove, you can 269 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: thank Alexei Sayer. The building where the Reform Club was 270 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 1: housed had gas lines that have been used for gas 271 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: lighting for a number of years, and gas had already 272 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 1: been used by this point in history for roasting ovens, 273 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: but Sway had the gas lines run to the cook 274 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: top because he thought it would be beneficial to have 275 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: greater control over what he was cooking. He also ushered 276 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: in the transition from just cooking in an oven until 277 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: whatever you were working on was done to actually having 278 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: temperature gauges on stoves so that you could set up 279 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: a more precise food prep and know exactly how long 280 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: your food was going to take to cook. I think 281 00:16:55,440 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 1: we can also thank the gas industry for thanking king 282 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: on gas stoves, because they have been a big proponent 283 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: of doing that. We should also mention we're not talking 284 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:09,159 Speaker 1: about one kitchen. We're talking about kitchens plural, because the 285 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: seller of the building where the kitchen we've been describing 286 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: was didn't only have food prep areas that also had 287 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: a seller wine, storage rooms for the various staff, rooms 288 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: for things could be roasted. That kept the staff from 289 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: having to stand in just a broiling kitchen. It was 290 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 1: really a marvel. When Queen Victoria had her coronation on 291 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:34,439 Speaker 1: June eight, Alexei's brand new kitchen turned out breakfast for 292 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:38,880 Speaker 1: two thousand club members in advance of the festivities. Yeah, 293 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: that's often pointed to is having been possible because he 294 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: had set up all of this like very structured, very 295 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 1: organized kitchen where he could go, no, it's gonna take 296 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: me ten minutes to make that, twenty minutes to make that, 297 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: and he could balance the whole thing perfectly. Although Alexei 298 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 1: was really having a banner time at this point in 299 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: his life, he had this new job that was great, 300 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 1: He had a kitchen of his dreams. He and Emma 301 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 1: were deeply in love. There were some tragedies ahead. His 302 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,919 Speaker 1: brother Philip Sway died of consumption in eighteen forty and 303 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: two years later his beloved Emma died suddenly. She was 304 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 1: pregnant at the time, and the baby was also lost. 305 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: The story of this is a little uncertain. The lore 306 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:24,160 Speaker 1: is that there was a particularly intense thunderstorm the night 307 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: of September one, eighteen forty two, and it had frightened 308 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 1: her to the point that she went into early labor 309 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,679 Speaker 1: and that something went wrong. We don't actually know what 310 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: caused her death. There are certainly a lot of late 311 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: term complications. She was almost at her due date, but 312 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: we don't know. Alexei, to make matters worse, was away 313 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: at the time in Brussels. He thought he had time 314 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 1: to make this trip and get back before the baby came, 315 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,360 Speaker 1: and he has described as having gone into shock when 316 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: he heard the news. Alexei chose to honor his wife's 317 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: memory through charity. Several years after her death, he staged 318 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: an exhibition called Says phil and Oropic Gallery. This was 319 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: filled with Emma's work. Soyer had made a habit of 320 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,679 Speaker 1: purchasing any of Emma's works when they went up for sale, 321 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 1: so he would show them to people and talk about 322 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: her and her talent at every opportunity. The philanthropy of 323 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 1: the project was how the gallery profits were to be spent, 324 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 1: which was setting up a soup kitchen for the poor 325 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: of London. The project didn't make enough money to actually 326 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: get that off the ground, though no, but he did 327 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: really innovate in that area, and we'll talk about that 328 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: in just a moment. After Emma, though, Alexei did find 329 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: love again. Francesco Serrito, known more commonly by the name 330 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: Fanny Serrito, was an Italian ballerina who had trained with 331 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,680 Speaker 1: Savatore Talioni and was the principal ballerina at Lascala from 332 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: eighteen thirty eight to eighteen forty. From eighteen forty to 333 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: eighteen forty eight, she was contracted to dance at Her 334 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:57,240 Speaker 1: Majesty's Theater in London. In eighteen forty four she met 335 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 1: Alexei Soyer. The two of them were quite taken with 336 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: one another, although Alexei was not the only man who 337 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:07,959 Speaker 1: was vying for Fanny's affections. And though Sway is famous 338 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: for his cookbooks, his first published work was a ballet 339 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: scene titled Laffie de Laurente, and that was very obviously 340 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: about Fanny. He also created a rather famous dessert for 341 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 1: her with a little mini version of his love dancing 342 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: a topic in confection. Alexei's major rival when it came 343 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: to Fanny's heart was Arthur san Leon, a dancer who 344 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: was her leading man. She chose the dancer when it 345 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: came to marriage. Although their relationship was rocky and they separated, 346 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: it appears that Fanny and Alexei may have rekindled their 347 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 1: relationship and it might have continued off and on for 348 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: the rest of his life. There are some pretty good 349 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: hints in there. There are various doings where they're in 350 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: the same places and whatnot, but we don't have anything 351 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: concrete to prove it. So while he was serving some 352 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 1: of the wealthiest people in Britain at the Reform Club, 353 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,440 Speaker 1: Sway had also developed a very keen sense of duty 354 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 1: for feeding the needy, both in London and elsewhere. We 355 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:08,399 Speaker 1: have talked on the show before about the Great Hunger 356 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:12,199 Speaker 1: the Irish potato famine. While Alexei Swayer may not have 357 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 1: been aware of all the politics that had contributed to 358 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 1: the severity of the situation, he saw hungry people and 359 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: he felt compelled to help. After gaining attention by writing 360 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: letters to various news outlets about this issue, British Prime 361 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,880 Speaker 1: Minister John Russell sent Sway to Ireland with an invitation 362 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, John Ponsonby, fourth Earl 363 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: of Besborough. Once he got to Ireland and assessed the situation. 364 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,479 Speaker 1: Thanks to a leave of absence from his job at 365 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: the Reform Club, Soyer decided to set up a soup 366 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: kitchen and to help get some nutrition to Ireland's starving population. 367 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: This is often described as the first proper soup kitchen, 368 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: not just a place where people gave away leftover food, 369 00:21:55,400 --> 00:22:00,119 Speaker 1: but an actual functioning kitchen where fresh food was prepared, 370 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: specifically for feeding the poor. He had concocted recipes for 371 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: the soup kitchen before he left London, and he had 372 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: tested his recipes on his wealthy and high placed friends 373 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: of England, making it clear that he thought everyone should 374 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 1: have food that please the palate, no matter their situation. 375 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 1: One of his recipes for famine soup includes drippings and 376 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: a pound of cubed beef sauteed with two sliced onions, 377 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,439 Speaker 1: and then turnips, cell relieves and leaks are added, and 378 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: that's all sauteed a bit together, and then he adds flour, 379 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 1: pearl barley, salt and a little brown sugar and water 380 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 1: and he lets the whole thing simmer for several hours. 381 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: He carefully worked out the cost of making this soup 382 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,400 Speaker 1: to ensure that he could in fact feed as many 383 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 1: people as possible, as healthily as he possibly could, for 384 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 1: as little money as possible. His goal had been to 385 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 1: feed five thousand people a day from this food counter, 386 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: but the actual reported number was closer to eight thousand, 387 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 1: seven hundred fifty. On the busy days, he set up 388 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: additional kitchens around Ireland, and once he had everything up 389 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: and running, he handed off the management of those soup 390 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: kitchens to local charity workers and returned to his job 391 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,479 Speaker 1: in London in eighteen forty nine. That recipe sounds a 392 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,159 Speaker 1: lot tastier than a lot of the recipes that we 393 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: talked about in our episode on home economics, and like 394 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: the the brochures and things that the government was putting 395 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 1: out in the US during the Great Depression to like 396 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: encourage people to eat cheaper foods. Yeah, this actually sounds 397 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: pretty tasty. And that when those sounded more like boil 398 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: some cabbage a lot of the times, eat your boiled cabbage. 399 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 1: If you like boiled cabbage, that's fine. The boiled cabbage 400 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,880 Speaker 1: people are coming for you tube, they are so. Seeing 401 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 1: that additional fundings was needed for such projects, Alexei used 402 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 1: his fame as a chef to drum up some of 403 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 1: that funding. While he was still in Ireland, he wrote 404 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,479 Speaker 1: and published a charity cook book that was titled Simply 405 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,359 Speaker 1: Charitable Cookery. It was written entirely so that all proceeds 406 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,680 Speaker 1: went to groups that aided the poor. The book's first 407 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,880 Speaker 1: printing of ten thousand sold out so quickly that another 408 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand were printed. Those were all sold within 409 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: four months. After that, new editions were printed as needed 410 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: for the next twenty years. I have in my head 411 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: this vision that the rich patrons of the Reform Club 412 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: were a lot of the people buying these books, and 413 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: they probably never cooked from them, but it doesn't matter 414 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,119 Speaker 1: because the money went to good places. We are going 415 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,879 Speaker 1: to talk about another transition in Alexei Sway's life in 416 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 1: just a moment, but first you will hear from the 417 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,679 Speaker 1: sponsors that keep stuff you missed in history class going. 418 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: In eighteen fifty, there was a shake up at the 419 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: Reform Club. The decision was made by leadership that not 420 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 1: members could access the coffee room, and Alexei Swayer was incensed, 421 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: so incensed that he quit. This was not the first 422 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: time that he quit, but the head of the club, 423 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: Lord Marcus Hill had never accepted his resignation before this time. 424 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 1: The resignation was accepted, So if Alexei had been bluffing 425 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: to try to get his way get backfired. But that 426 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 1: is only one version of this story. The coffee room 427 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,239 Speaker 1: was opened, it was really the dining room, and the 428 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 1: decision had been made that two days a week at lunch, 429 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: the public could come in for a meal. This may 430 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: well have affronted Sway his very posh private dining experience 431 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: was being turned into basically just a restaurant. But the 432 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: truth was he had been at the Reform Club for 433 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:52,239 Speaker 1: thirteen years. During that time he'd had a variety of 434 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 1: clashes and reconciliations with leadership, and really it seems like 435 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: after his trip to Ireland he realized he wanted something 436 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 1: different than an his whole job. By all accounts, he 437 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: remained on great terms with Lord Marcus Hill and the 438 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: other members of the club's leadership committee. Yeah, there were 439 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 1: various problems. Some patrons didn't like that he acted like 440 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: they're equal and not like help, and there were complaints 441 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: about that he really did not care for social structure 442 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: very much at all, but also like he just didn't 443 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:24,640 Speaker 1: put up with people being jerks, and he would tell 444 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: them off and didn't care how powerful are rich they were, 445 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: so uh, you know, not everyone can stay in service forever. 446 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: By this point, though, his notoriety is a chef and 447 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: his charitable works, his kitchen design, and his inventions had 448 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 1: given Alexei Soyer the leverage of pretty broad name recognition. 449 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: So he signed a deal with the Cross and Blackwealth 450 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:50,640 Speaker 1: Food Company to produce a Soy, a branded line of products. 451 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 1: These were things like sauces and relishes, and the business 452 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: deal really benefited the food company more than Soyer, But 453 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,439 Speaker 1: that doesn't seem to have been a particularly big issue 454 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,440 Speaker 1: for the chef. He had done quite well for himself financially. 455 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,679 Speaker 1: He got paid very well in the thirteen years that 456 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 1: he worked at the Reform Club. He didn't really ever 457 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,119 Speaker 1: seem to worry about finances once he had become established 458 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 1: as a chef. He wasn't especially preoccupied with money unless 459 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: it was figuring out ways to finance food programs for 460 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,159 Speaker 1: public assistance. And we should point out that's because he 461 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 1: was sitting in a place of privilege, where like he 462 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: he wasn't worried about where money was coming from. Sway 463 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: also capitalized on the London Exhibition of eighteen fifty one 464 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 1: by opening a restaurant across from Hyde Park called Sway's 465 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:39,160 Speaker 1: Universal Symposium to All Nations. This is where he once 466 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,400 Speaker 1: again invented something we probably think of as a twentieth 467 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,440 Speaker 1: century novelty, and that's a restaurant where every room has 468 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: a different theme. The themes were all based on categories 469 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 1: from the expo, and Alexei developed a menu with dishes 470 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: that almost anyone could afford, as well as pricier fair 471 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:58,920 Speaker 1: for the more well to do diners. This all sounds 472 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: kind of amazing, but it was a flop. The restaurant 473 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:05,439 Speaker 1: had been really expensive to build, decorate, and staff, and 474 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 1: then after three months he had to close the doors 475 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 1: for good. Yeah, he really thought people were going to 476 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: come out of the expo, be all excited about things 477 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: and then want to eat food related to the stuff 478 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: they had just seen, which I one hundred percent am 479 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: his customer base, But apparently not everyone was, and although 480 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: the restaurant closed its books with an estimated debt of 481 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: seven thousand pounds. This is the very roughest of conversions. 482 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 1: But after looking at several different ones, I came up 483 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 1: with that being roughly equivalent to about seven dred and 484 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 1: fifty thousand dollars today, But Sway still had income. His 485 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: books and his branded foods had kept money coming in, 486 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 1: and he also started working as a consultant during this 487 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: time for events where large scale banquets were needed. He 488 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: only took jobs like that if the organizers of such 489 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 1: events agreed that all leftover food should be given to 490 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: the poor rather than go to waste. In eighteen fifty one, 491 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: alex He discovered that he had family he had not 492 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: known about, in the form of a son. Jean Alexey 493 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: Lama wrote to Soyer and told him that he was 494 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: the child of a woman named Adelaide Lamin, who Alexey 495 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: had a romance with before leaving France for England. So 496 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 1: I did not question this young man's word and accepted 497 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 1: him as his son. He visited Paris two years later 498 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 1: and gave Jean Alexey all of the legal rights of 499 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 1: an heir. La Man changed his last name to Soyer. 500 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 1: There's some evidence that Soyer had always known that he 501 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: had a son. The timing of his exit from Paris 502 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: suggests that Jean Alexey would have been born before the 503 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: chef left for London. Yeah, that's one of those. It 504 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: seems sort of mysterious, But then people are always like 505 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: he never once was like, I don't think I have 506 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: a son. Are you sure? He was like, oh, yeah, 507 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: that sounds true. So it seems like he might have known. 508 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: The Crimean War began in eighteen fifty three, and that 509 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: was of course a conflict with the Russian Empire on 510 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: one side, and the United Forces of Britain, France, Sardinia 511 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: and the Ottoman Empire on the other. This is another 512 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: one that's hard to parse quickly in a small paragraph 513 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 1: about someone's life, but there were multiple causes, including religion, 514 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: Russian expansion, and the occupation of Ottoman territories as that 515 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: dynasty declined. All of the combatants had their own various 516 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: reasons and motivations for participating. This is a huge topic 517 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 1: well outside the scope of this episode. What is Germane 518 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: to Alexei say a story is that thousands of British 519 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 1: troops had been sent to the Black Seat to fight, 520 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: and thousands of them landed in hospitals that were understaffed 521 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 1: and had woefully inadequate supplies. The British hospital at Scutari 522 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: had been the location where Florence Nightingale and her cadro 523 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: of nurses had gone at the end of eighteen fifty 524 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:53,520 Speaker 1: four to try to improve conditions and medical treatment there. 525 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 1: But the situation they found was horrifying and dire. There 526 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: were rodent and insect infestations, and patients were sometimes sitting 527 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 1: on stretchers for days with no one to look after them. 528 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: As news of these horrific conditions were reported in the papers, 529 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: Alexei Sway read about the problems of the hospital and 530 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 1: he had the same desire that had led to his 531 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 1: time in Ireland. In early February eight fifty five, he 532 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: wrote a letter to The Times offering his services. It 533 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: read quote to the Editor of the Times, Sir, after 534 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: carefully perusing the letter of your correspondent, dated Scutari in 535 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 1: your impression of Wednesday last, I perceived that although the 536 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: kitchen under the superintendence of Miss Nightingale affords so much relief, 537 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 1: the system of management at the large one in the 538 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: Barrack hospital is far from being perfect. I propose offering 539 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:52,360 Speaker 1: my services gratuitously and proceeding directly to Scutari at my 540 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:56,720 Speaker 1: own personal expense to regulate that important department. If the 541 00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: government will honor me with their confidence and grant me 542 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: the full power of acting according to my knowledge and 543 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: experience in such matters, I have the honor to remain, Sir, 544 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: your obedient servant. A si A, February second, eighteen fifty five. 545 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: And soon, with the help of influential and wealthy friends, 546 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: Alexei had gained permission and authority to do as he 547 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,680 Speaker 1: asked to travel to Crimea and do whatever he felt 548 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: necessary to improve the hospital kitchens and the nutritional care 549 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 1: of British and French troops. When he arrived, it was 550 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:32,280 Speaker 1: apparent to him almost instantly that they could cut back 551 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: on illness simply by having good food that was properly prepared, 552 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 1: because some of the soldiers were falling ill without ever 553 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: having been in combat, just due to malnutrition. Reports of 554 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 1: Sway's efforts in Crimea describe him in a number of 555 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 1: fascinating ways. One ambassador's wife wrote to Queen Victoria that 556 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 1: the chef quote has done much good in the kitchens. 557 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: He is a most ridiculous man, but quite perfect in 558 00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: his way. He was well liked by the people. He 559 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 1: were twin Crimea, and he and Florence Mattingale collaborated as 560 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 1: they traveled from hospital to hospital, assessing each one and 561 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:12,280 Speaker 1: improving things and whatever way they could manage. Swayer was 562 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 1: we should mention, and we kind of referenced this earlier 563 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 1: an inventor, and that was part of what made him 564 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: able to set up kitchens in places that began essentially 565 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: with nothing. Throughout his work, he had done things like 566 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: cook on a little mini stove that was powered by gas. 567 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 1: It was something he called a magic stove, and he 568 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: had been working on an apparatus that would come to 569 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 1: be known as the sway A Field stove, which existed 570 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 1: for a very long time. This was a portable stove 571 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: that was comprised of what looks like a large metal 572 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 1: drum that sat atop a burner, and on top of 573 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: it you could place a large cauldron to cook food 574 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 1: in mass quantities. This stove was incredibly durable. You could 575 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 1: use it indoors or out and it would work even 576 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,640 Speaker 1: an inclement weather. So I had intended to bring some 577 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:00,160 Speaker 1: of his stoves with him, and he did bring some, 578 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 1: but only ten. That was far short of the four 579 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: hundred he had hoped would be ready when he left London, 580 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: but he may do in some locations. He had to 581 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:12,960 Speaker 1: design and build structures that could house cooking spaces and 582 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 1: keep the supplies safe from the elements. He arranged that 583 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 1: each regiment had a trained cook, not one of the 584 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,520 Speaker 1: men on cooking duty, but someone whose sole responsibility was 585 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,760 Speaker 1: beating everyone. He also invented two different types of field 586 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: rations that could keep for longer than standard rations and 587 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:34,400 Speaker 1: were more nutritionally balanced than what the soldiers had been getting. 588 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,799 Speaker 1: Blood was a dried and seasoned vegetable cake, and the 589 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:41,239 Speaker 1: other was a biscuit made using pea flour that he 590 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 1: said could be quote soaked in tea, coffee or soup. And, 591 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:49,320 Speaker 1: according to some accounts, including those of famous figure Mary Sekel, 592 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 1: the British Jamaican proprietor of the so called British Hotel 593 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: of the Crimean War, Alexei Sowayer retained that part of 594 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,280 Speaker 1: himself that had always been the convivial life of the party. 595 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 1: Though se Coel was associated in the writings of Florence 596 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 1: Nightingale with kindness as well as quote drunkenness and improper conduct, 597 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:12,280 Speaker 1: her business, which Sequel described as quote a mess table 598 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers. Was kind 599 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,040 Speaker 1: of the perfect place for Swaye to find some respite 600 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: in what was surely a stressful and harrowing trip. Sequel 601 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:26,920 Speaker 1: called Alexei Quote the Great High Priest in the Mysteries 602 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: of Cookery, and described him as good natured and always 603 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: a source of fun. I think if you're gonna think 604 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: about Florence Nightingale's writing about anyone who was not white, 605 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: you're gonna get you need to take into consideration that 606 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: she had some racist views. Swaye came down with a 607 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: bacterial infection, which was debilitating. During this he spent weeks 608 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:53,560 Speaker 1: in bed. He never fully recovered, but he did return 609 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 1: to the various camps where his stoves had been delivered 610 00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: to make sure the cooks knew how to set them 611 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: up and use them. He almost certainly pushed himself too hard, 612 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 1: including serving dinner parties where he could. When the war 613 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:09,640 Speaker 1: ended in eighteen fifty six, he of course wanted to 614 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 1: serve up a huge party After a stopping Constantinople, Swaye 615 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,880 Speaker 1: finally returned to London in the late spring of eighteen 616 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 1: fifty seven, but though he tried to basically go back 617 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 1: to his usual lifestyle. After returning home, Saya was clearly 618 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,719 Speaker 1: weakened by his illness, and he continued to decline. He 619 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: just never got better. He died on August five, eighteen 620 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,360 Speaker 1: fifty eight, and he was buried next to his wife. 621 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 1: He left the artwork of Emma's that he had collected 622 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:39,360 Speaker 1: over the years to the National Gallery, and a portrait 623 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:41,799 Speaker 1: that she made of him is still on display at 624 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:46,520 Speaker 1: the Reform Club. I'm glad you did this one, me too, 625 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 1: not somebody I knew about at all. Do you have 626 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:52,240 Speaker 1: a listener mail? I do, and since we were talking 627 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 1: about someone who made his living making food, I thought 628 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:59,880 Speaker 1: we would have a food related listener mail. This is 629 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 1: our listener, Rob, who says I was tempted to write 630 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: in based on the pie episode, but I didn't think 631 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:07,560 Speaker 1: my comments were pie related enough, but the minnisode put 632 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,319 Speaker 1: me over the top. I have a signature dessert that 633 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:13,200 Speaker 1: is less a pie than a pumpkin pie inspired dump cake. 634 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,240 Speaker 1: I learned it as something called the Great Pie Dessert. 635 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:19,359 Speaker 1: I started calling it upside down pumpkin pie, and after 636 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:21,840 Speaker 1: I started sharing with some friends on Broadway, it was 637 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 1: renamed pumpkin crack. The name is how it has been 638 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:27,360 Speaker 1: known by at least four different shows as people have 639 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:31,200 Speaker 1: moved from production to production before the shutdown. One show 640 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,840 Speaker 1: almost had a standing order for it. Sadly, COVID protocols 641 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:37,200 Speaker 1: means that they cannot accept homemade goods at the stage 642 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:40,440 Speaker 1: door or shows that do require they be individually wrapped. 643 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 1: That is beyond my talent level anyway. Attached as the 644 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,520 Speaker 1: recipe with my modifications, and also a picture I got 645 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,400 Speaker 1: with Tracy when I recognized her at the off Broadway 646 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:51,320 Speaker 1: production of Puffs while you were both in town for 647 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:57,920 Speaker 1: New York Comic um. Also, he writes, oh, two Christmases ago, 648 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,399 Speaker 1: my sister and I updated our only cookbook. Next time 649 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:03,720 Speaker 1: I go visit, I will grab two to send you, folks. 650 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,400 Speaker 1: It is clearly my family's cookbook, as our chapters do 651 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:10,120 Speaker 1: not follow the progressions of a meal like many do. Instead, 652 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:14,480 Speaker 1: we start with the important recipes and have chapters for cakes, cookies, puddings, 653 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:18,759 Speaker 1: in candy and pies. Rob this is amazing um for 654 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:21,959 Speaker 1: our listeners. I will also, just as I did back 655 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 1: when we got the amazing meat loaf recipe, I will 656 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:28,160 Speaker 1: ask if he's okay with us sharing this on like 657 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:34,279 Speaker 1: our social channels, Um, because I'm making it, haven't made 658 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:37,080 Speaker 1: it yet, but um, this is going to be perhaps 659 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:40,239 Speaker 1: my downfall. I don't know, We'll see it. Sounds amazing 660 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:42,840 Speaker 1: and I can see why people want it all the time. 661 00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:46,200 Speaker 1: So thank you for answering my call of people to 662 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:49,440 Speaker 1: send us recipes for deligious things. And it seemed like 663 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:52,720 Speaker 1: exactly the right thing to discuss while we were discussing 664 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:56,600 Speaker 1: Alexei Saye, who loved sharing food with people. If you 665 00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 1: would like to write to us, you could do so 666 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:01,000 Speaker 1: in History Podcast and I heart radio dot com, and 667 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: you can find us on social media, where, hopefully, with 668 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:07,319 Speaker 1: Rob's permission, we will share that recipe. And if you 669 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: have not yet subscribed to the show, you can do 670 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 1: that on the I heart Radio app or wherever you 671 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:19,640 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite podcasts. Stuff you missed in History 672 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:22,399 Speaker 1: Class is a production of I Heart Radio. For more 673 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:25,520 Speaker 1: podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, 674 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:28,800 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.