Truman Capote's Recipes

The Cote Basque Menu

La Côte Basque’s Dacquoise

It is always a perfect spring day in this spacious, half-timbered dining room, with its striped awnings and brightly painted murals of the pretty harbor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and a verdant woods that couldn't be better for a déjeuner sur l'herbe. La Côte Basque, a holdover from a time when a trip to one of the city's top French restaurants was almost as good as a trip to France, seems more inviting than ever.

On a recent night, the maître d' shepherded two patrons from the reservations booth through a crowded dining room to a banquette with the imperturbable smoothness of someone for whom doing this sort of thing is not a job but a calling. One look at the grizzled waiter told you that the acting profession, for this man, has never held the slightest allure. From les potages to les desserts, the dishes on the menu registered like warm, old friends, even to a diner with schoolboy French: bisque de homard, assiette de charcuterie maison, escargots méridionaux, casserole de Saint Jacques au safran, ris de veau sauté forestier, tarte tatin et sorbet au Calvados, crème brûlée à la Cassonade.

On that particular night, a seafood risotto with asparagus, and several quenelles in a lobster sauce, went down like food for extremely lucky babies. A crisp roast duckling in a perfectly balanced honey-and-Grand Marnier cherry sauce, and venison medallions in a sleek red-wine sauce, cast a baronial glow. A mixed-berry tart and a chocolate cake with a truffle center and white-chocolate sorbet brought a luxurious sense of completion. "Finished?" the waiter inquired when the spoons were put down. The only response, as he cleared the dishes away, was to smile and order a very good Armagnac, for old time's sake. (Open Mondays through Saturdays for lunch and dinner, Sundays for dinner only. Prix fixe $68.)

Published in the print edition of the November 19, 2001, issue.

The filming locations of Feud.

Hot stuff coming through!

Gin and regret. Fold into the tears of an aging elder queen.

Sugared almonds and other Thanksgiving treats

Tortes de fruit.

Mon Dieu! I’m dieting! How can vous do this to moi at such a time?

The Dreaded Plaza Chicken Hash

Recipe For Plaza Chicken Hash

4 Cups finely diced cooked chicken (white meat only)

1 1/2 C heavy cream

1 C cream sauce (bechamel)

2 tsps salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/4 C dry Sherry

1/2 C Hollandaise Sauce

Mix chicken, cream, Cream Sauce, and seasonings in a heavy skillet. Cook over moderate heat, stirring often for about 10 minutes. When moisture is slightly reduced, place skillet in a moderate oven 350 and bake 30 minutes. Stir in Sherry and return to oven for 10 minutes. Lightly fold in Hollandaise Sauce and serve at once. Makes 4-5 servings.

Did he have a recipe for Pancakes Barbara?

Not gonna lie. This is my favorite DL thread of all time.

No wonder he got so fat if he was always chowing down on fettucine and Soufflé Furstenberg. Good lord.

My Favorite Supper For Two By Truman Capote: This always makes a success and leads to interesting things.

4 baking potatoes 1 pound fresh caviar

1 pint dairy sour cream 2 bottles Champagne

Bake the spuds, split them, and mash them about a bit with gobs of sour cream. Stuff the whole mess with masses of caviar, and devour between gulps of freezing Champagne.

Here ya go.

MOAR

Wtf? I need that recipe for green olive jambalaya

I think I prefer Mrs. Truman's Famous Fruit Punch.

James Baldwin's Cod Cheeks in Green Sauce

That soufflé sounds delicious -and easy to make!

I've no doubt I'm a far better cook than the Southern Pansy was.

My Almond Torte is to die for!

The Valentine Dinner for two at R14 sounds great.

No self respecting swan would eat that shit.

No self respecting swan would eat.

R3, MARY!

Whenever I hear some referring to food is “like old friends”, I know the person is fat and has an eating disorder.

Swan Cutlets

Blecchhhh

The weirdest part of "La Cote Basque, 1965" is that Lady Ina Coolbirth (the character based on Slim Keith) orders soufflé Furstenberg (which is not even on the menu) for her and PB Jones (the character based on capote) to eat while she gives him all the gossip.

Would they even have ever served this as La Cote Basque, given that it's not in the style of the food they regularly served? And how likely is it that a social x-ray would eat something so fattening in public in front of all her friends? It is true that by the time the story was written Slim Keith was no longer slim, but I would have bet she did not eat fattening rich foods often in public.

Names of dishes were changed to protect the innocent R29

The food you are about to eat is true.