Esther McManus - A Girl from Marrakech

 

 

Good evening. I am so proud to be here. [audience cheers and applause] 

 

And I thank you for being here. So, my story is, some 35 years ago, I was asked to open a restaurant called LeBus in the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia. It was called LeBus, because it started as a school bus. [audience laughter] We made things that at the time seemed and were really very unusual, and nobody made them. French baguette, crusty bread, brioche, even the tricky croissant. [audience laughter] We were so popular that we had to open a real bakery to be ready for the demand. So, my boss and I, David, went all over the world, France, Germany, New York, Seattle, begging bakers to teach us their trade. Soon, we had bread in almost every table in the restaurant of Philadelphia. [audience applause] 

 

We were a hit. Then, one day, out of the blue, in 1998, I received a call from a woman who was scouting to find bakers to be guests at The Julia Child TV show. She asked me to send my croissants to her to try them. I couldn't believe my ears. For me, you understand, it's a real dream. I was born in Marrakech, Morocco, in 1936. The 13th child of my family and the last one. My saint mother cooked and baked every day, except Shabbat. My father was a rabbi and a farmer. 

 

Every morning when I would wake up, I see my mother and her maid blowing on a small charcoal burner to make a fire in order to heat water to make the daily bread. We did not have electricity. I was mesmerized to look at my maid, stooped on a small, low table with this huge mass of dough, kneading it while her whole body is rocking to make it crackle and beautiful, while my mother encouraged her to do it a little longer, please, until this dough became silky and bubbly. 

 

Then, they made round loaves, left them to rise until they were ready to go to the public oven to be baked. It was my job as a little girl coming from school to bring the golden loaves home. They smelled so good. I felt that that was the time my passion for the magic of flour and water was planted in me and never left. And here I was, receiving a call from Julia Child. [audience laughter] I better be ready. 

 

So, every day I made batch after batch of croissants. Imagine how happy my neighbors were. [audience laughter] When the day came to send the croissants to Julia, I wrapped every one individually, froze it, packed it lovingly and wrote her a letter in French, “Cher Julia, partir, c'est mourir un peu,” which means to leave is to die a little. Same for my croissants, they left me, so they died a little. [audience laughter] But here is a way to revive them and bring them back to life. In a 300-degree oven, Fahrenheit, please, bake them for 10 minutes and enjoy. I then tied the bag into my bicycle and went to FedEx. They assured me the croissants will arrive the next morning to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Write your home. [audience applause]

 

Then, it all hit me. I just sent croissant to Julia Child. Me, this little girl, who sewed the most basic bread made in the most primitive way by women who did not know how to read and write. And now, I'm sending chic, elegant croissants to this divinity called Julia Child. [audience laughter] But I was worried. Will she like them? How many bakers sent her their croissants? I did not sleep that night, because I went through despair to hope. In the morning at 10:30, the phone rang. “Esther, I love your buttery croissant. [audience laughter] Would you be on my show?” [audience laughter] I lost my voice. I couldn't talk. I think I said, [foreign word], Julia. 

 

A month later, I went to Boston for the show. I carted a suitcase with croissants, fresh frozen pain au chocolat, almond croissants and those that were frozen in different stages of the making of a croissant, just in case I would need them in the show. When I arrived to Julia’s home, which was also the studio, I was in another world. Cameras everywhere. Screens. People running around. No one even noticed I was there. Then, Julia arrived. Bigger than life. She graciously introduced me to the guest audience, and then she became the student and I, the teacher. 

 

But the air conditioning did not work. [audience laughter] The heat was intense, humid. The dough was melting in my hands. I couldn't do anything. I was nervous, but determined. Thank, God, I had those doughs. I took one of them, filled it with the butter, wrapped it in the butter, gave the regular turns, the classical turns for puff pastry, and went through every step of every move that you make for the croissants. You have to understand, croissants are capricious, and they don't forgive much. [audience laughter] 

 

But when they went to the oven, a miracle happened. All those layers [foreign word] all rose harmoniously at the same time and produced the best croissants. [audience laughter] It was a triumph. [audience applause] 

 

Julia, in her face, with the biggest joy I ever saw her showing, she took a piece of hot croissant, a huge one in her mouth. And while chewing on it, she showed this beautiful inside of the croissant to the audience and said to me, “Even in France, they don't make croissants like these anymore.” Then she added, “Keep the tradition alive. Here's this little girl from Marrakech spending her life pursuing her passion for what flour magic can do in multitude ways.” Yes, Julia, I am keeping the tradition alive. Thank you.