Elsa Triolet at the table

At Elsa Triolet's table, the Russian meal structure was transplanted to Paris: first, the zakouski (small savory and pickled hors d'oeuvres placed all together on the table, to be nibbled while drinking), then a substantial soup that serves as the main course, and finally—above all—tea from the samovar, served at all hours with jams and sweets. The meal has no clear end: it glides into conversation over a glass of boiling tea, a Slavic habit Elsa kept all her life, even in the heart of Montparnasse.

Thick sour cream (smetana) and fresh dill are the double signature of this Russian cuisine: they crown the blinis, they lighten the borscht, they perfume the pickles. This lactic acidity and herbal freshness immediately distinguish a Slavic table from a French one, and Elsa preserved them as a thread stretching back to the Moscow of her childhood.