The National Gallery of Art will open another amazing exhibit in the East Building tomorrow, Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909–1929: When Art Danced with Music, with a complementary-themed menu at the Garden Cafe. There will be Russian-inspired and French-influenced “dishes as modern as Diaghilev,” as their creator, Chef Michel Richard, describes them.
Salmon, Strawberries, Cafe Menu (and Coffee, of Course!)
I enjoyed the buffet at the press breakfast and the exhibit. The salmon Coulibiac was delicious, if not historically correct. (The recipe in my 1961 edition of Larousse, which quotes a 19th century source, has only fish and hard-boiled eggs in common with Chef Michel’s version. That said, the recipe provided on the card, and which will be available at the cafe, was just as complicated as the old one.)
Strawberries Romanoff Came With a Recipe Card
Other dishes on the buffet included Russian black bread and strawberries Romanoff. I met Chef Pierre Cummings, Executive Chef with Restaurant Associates, who trained with Chef Michel to produce the dishes for the Cafe. He was understandably proud of his role in this wonderful cultural experience.
Chef Pierre
The exhibit is full of wonderful costumes and screens showing excerpts of the ballets in which they were worn. Also: set designs, paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, and posters. Both Afternoon of a Faun and The Rite of Spring, the two best-known works of the Ballets Russes, are included.
Afternoon of a Faun Costumes and Clip
Other, more obscure productions are also represented. The seahorse costume is from a production of Sadko: In the Underwater Kingdom, and the costumes with architectural elements painted on them (dancing about architecture!) are from Le Bal.
The Rite of Spring Costumes - Displayed and Danced
Seahorse
The exhibit will be on view through September 2. This is its only U.S. venue. How lucky are we, to live only a Metro ride away?
Dancing About Architecture
More information: www.nga.gov.
