May 27
Mary Victoria Leiter's Birthday 

 
   


In the Edith Wharton world of the late nineteenth century, the goal of those in moneyed society, especially the
nouveau riche, was to have their young daughters marry into Europe's aristocracy, often providing huge dowries to attract the more impoverished. aristocrats.  Levi Z. Leiter, a multi-millionaire dry goods merchant of Chicago and an early partner in Marshall Field & Co, was anxious to have his daughter Mary become a member of English society. So the Leiters moved to Washington DC and soon became well connected socially and politically. Levi then persuaded the US Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, Thomas F. Bayard, to introduce Mary to London Society in 1894 where she met a young George Curzon, a 35-year-old Conservative Member of Parliament, later to be made Lord Kedleston. Leiter married Curzon the following year after Levi offered a massive dowry.

George Curzon was named viceroy to India 1898 at age 39. George and Mary were received with great enthusiasm in Bombay, in part, because of Mary's  good looks. She instantly made an impression of beauty t that soon spread all over India. Mary took a great interest in Indian culture and fabrics and was instrumental in making them fashionable in Calcutta and other Indian cities and in London, Paris, and the capitals of Europe. She was also a champion of women's healthcare  and was instrumental in supplying women doctors and hospitals for women. There is a Lady Curzon Hospital in Bangalore.  Concerned about the dwindling numbers of rhinos, Mary asked her husband to take necessary action to save the rhinoceros, which he did by creating the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest which was later developed into the Kaziranga National Park.

Lady of the House,' gained her greatest fame, however, for an innovation in turtle soup. In 1905, she learned that a guest dignitary for whom she held an elaborate dinner was a teetotaler and frowned upon those who drank alcohol. Unfortunately, most of her other British guests were fairly heavy drinkers. So as a compromise, she asked her chef to add some sherry to the turtle soup. It was an immediate success and became a classic first course in British society for many years.

The original soup was made with sea turtle which is now an endangered species, and turtle soup is often difficult to find in stores except in Philadelphia and some parts of Louisiana. The best canned turtle soup is made by Bookbinders (Snapper Soup) and can be ordered on amazon.com. 

So here is the soup to celebrate a very special lady's birthday.
 
 
 

Lady Curzon Soup
 

 
Ingredients
 
 

4 cups canned turtle soup
2
egg yolks
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
 

juice from 1/4 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/3 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped (as a garnish)

 

 
Instructions
 
1. Remove the turtle meat from the cans of soup and chop it into small pieces. Pour the soup into a pan
    and heat.
2. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, cream, lemon juice, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and salt,
3. Gradually add a cup of soup broth into the egg yolk mixture to temper it.
4, Add tempered egg mixture into soup.
5. Add the sherry, then reheat at a very low temperature until light and creamy.
6. Pour the hot soup into cups and top with a dollop of whipped cream.
 
 
Serves 6  
 
© 2011 Gordon Nary and Tyler Stokes