June 29

Luisa Tetrazzini's Birthday

Louisa Tetrazzini was one of the great opera stars of the twentieth century and the quintessential opera diva: self-indulgent, demanding, larger-than-life, talented, charming, and loveable. Born in Florence, she made her American debut in San Francisco in 1905 .When legal difficulties initially blocked her from performing, she held a press conference and declared, "I will sing in San Francisco if I have to sing there in the streets, for I know the streets of San Francisco are free." Louisa won her legal case, and on Christmas Eve in 1910,at the corner of Market and Kearney. Louisa climbed a stage platform surrounded by a throng of an estimated two-hundred thousand San Franciscans, and serenaded the city she loved. She truly left her heart in San Francisco.

Among her extravagances was a legendary collection of furs and jewels, as well as a menagerie of remarkable pets, including a parrot that was trained to sing E in alto. Louisa also had strong sexual passions, bordering on nymphomania, and discarded lovers and as frequently as she changed costumes.

Although short and squat, she apparently had no problem acquiring lovers. She was more concerned with her lovers' ability to satisfy her sexually than with their physical appearance. One of her lovers was exceptionally short and ugly which earned the couple the nickname of "the trill am the troll." Her last years were spent in near poverty and physical decline. She consoled herself with séances, at which she claimed to have communicated with the spirits of Adelina Patti and Enrico Caruso. She always remained upbeat and would often say, "I am old, I am fat, but I am still Tetrazzini."

The full-figured Louisa's intense passions also included food and she had a tendency to go on food binges after an exhausting performance on the stage or in bed. There is one famous story about Louisa going out for a big meal with Enrico Caruso before having to sing the lead in a opera opposite the tenor John Sullivan. Her stomach was so enlarged after the meal, she couldn't fit into her corset and had to have her costume altered at the last minute.

A San Francisco chef, who was also rumored to be one of her lovers, created the classic Chicken Tetrazinni. in her honor. The combination of chicken, spaghetti and mushrooms in a Parmesan and sherry cream sauce became extremely popular and spawned several variations including Turkey Tetrazzini, Lobster Tetrazzini, and Shrimp Tetrazzini.

Chicken Tetrazinni

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
10 TB butter
6 TB flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sherry
1/4 cup white glace de viande*
salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese
4 TB fresh dry breadcrumbs

Instructions

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water and set aside.
Sauté mushrooms in 2 TB butter for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Save skillet drippings in cup.
Melt 2 TB butter in skillet and brown breadcrumbs. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Mix cream, chicken stock, skillet drippings and glace de viande in a saucepan. Bring to simmer and set aside.
Melt 6 TB butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes. Slowly add stock am cream mixture, whisking sauce constantly. Add sherry and continue to whisk until thickened. Do not let sauce boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat .
Combine spaghetti, chicken, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Carefully blend with sauce. Turn into a buttered oven casserole. Top with browned breadcrumbs and bake for 25 minutes.

Serves 4

* See Appendix A