Heather King discusses Joseph Wechsberg’s book, “Blue Trout and Black Truffles: The Peregrinations of an Epicure,” in a reflection published on Apr. 17. King explores the forgotten era of fine dining described by Wechsberg, a Jewish Czech writer who fled Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939.
King highlights the discipline and devotion found in both great chefs and Catholic literature, referencing Sister Madeleva Wolff’s idea that “Catholic literature is any literature that is treated as a Catholic would treat it…in which there is discipline, the discipline of the mind and the will, the discipline of the supernatural life.”
Wechsberg’s memoir covers his journey from Ostrava to Vienna, where he developed an appreciation for food such as venison with cranberries and Wiener Schnitzel. In Budapest, he visited Charles Gundel’s renowned restaurant. Gundel lamented changing times: “People are too busy in these times to care about good food. We used to spend months working over a bonne-femme sauce, trying to determine just the right proportions of paprika and fresh forest mushrooms to use.”
The book recalls Prague’s sausage shops before World War II changed European society. It also features stories about famous restaurants like Meissl & Schadn in Vienna—known for its boiled beef—and memorable figures such as maître d’hôtel Heinrich.
Wechsberg tells anecdotes about traditional rituals around food service and discerning guests like Hofrat von B., who famously rejected an overcooked dish with dignity. King concludes that Wechsberg’s approach makes his work “Catholic in the best sense of the word,” emphasizing love for life and attention to craft.
The article ends with another quote from Sister Madeleva: “Let us first be … profound lovers of Christ, ardent disciples of the Holy Spirit. Expression will follow. If we will become a generation of saints, I promise that we shall be laurel crowned.”
