Banquet for Louis XIV recreated at the Palace of Versailles

The Telegraph ^ | 1/21/2010 | Lee C Wallick

[HiTech RedNeck]

Are those wads of silver foil in the pictures? It looks like plain old Reynolds wrap to me.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I’d also be leery of silver. Gold is biologically inert as far as human digestion is concerned. Silver is another story.

[JRandomFreeper]

I'm betting it's regular old aluminum wrap, and not edible. I was just pointing out that edible precious metal foils were available during that era. Just not for lining pans. ;)

BTW, using those super-thin precious metal foils is a serious PITA. I generally use a damp artist brush to apply them, since they tear so easily.

/johnny

[HiTech RedNeck]

Gold is used for edible art today too. Today we know that silver foils are poisonous, regardless of whatever King Louis’ physicians might have believed. Aluminum (but not as thick as Reynolds wrap) would be an OK substitute.

[JRandomFreeper]

Food grade silver leaf is still sold today. I've used it on promotion cakes lots of times for 1st Lts, Capts, and Lt. Cols.

Maybe it's not so bad if you don't make a steady diet of it.

/johnny

[Nakota]

Back in the day aluminum was probably more valuable than gold (assuming it had even been discovered).

[MarkL]

I can’t imagine sitting at a table for 6 hours eating all of that.

Depending on how religious the hosts and guests are, and how many people there are, Passover Seders can run anywhere from 3 hours to 8 hours, well into the early morning hours. My family's generally ran about 5 to 6 hours when my grandfather was alive and running it, but after he passed away, they got shorter and shorter.

Mark

[Domestic Church]

“... the salad come after the meal and before the dessert”

That’s how my mother served it.

[NTHockey]

No mention of “doggy bags”. What’s up with that?