King of the 19th century musical scene, Rossini was also a famous food lover.

He was born in the beautiful Adriatic town of Pesaro and went to school in Bologna- a city known for great cuisine. He was known as “Signor Crescendo” and his comic operas bring us great delight. He studied in Paris and is buried in the Basillica Santa Croce in Florence.

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His modest upbringing caused him to really appreciate the pleasures of fine food. He particularly loved truffles and foie gras. Recipes are still being attributed to him today, and he inspired many others during the course of his career.

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• Beef fillet
• ⅜ oz butter
• 1 slice fole gras fresh
• 2 slices black truffle
• 1 slice of bread
• 1 tablespoon Madeira wine

Preparation

25 minutes preparation + 10 minutes cooking

Tie up the fillet slices with string so that they retain their round shape while cooking: Brown in butter until medium-rare, then remove the string.

Fry in oil and butter the slices of bread; arrange a tournedos on each bread slice, put the foie gras slice on top and garnish with the truffle shavings previously sautéed in butter.

Pour the Madera wine into the meat cooking juices and reduce; drizzle this reduction over the tournedos when ready to serve.

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Recipe and Biography Courtesy of The Gastronomic Library