Food glossary
What is Melba?
Melba — The name given to various dishes dedicated to Dame Nellie Melba, the famous 19th-century Australian opera singer. The best known is Peach Melba, created by the famous chef Escoffier when he was chef at the Savoy in London to celebrate her visit to London. The original was an elaborate dish of a swan of ice with peaches on top of a bed of ice cream and topped with spun sugar. Today, the dessert…
The name given to various dishes dedicated to Dame Nellie Melba, the famous 19th-century Australian opera singer. The best known is Peach Melba, created by the famous chef Escoffier when he was chef at the Savoy in London to celebrate her visit to London. The original was an elaborate dish of a swan of ice with peaches on top of a bed of ice cream and topped with spun sugar. Today, the dessert consists of peach halves on a bed of vanilla ice cream topped with raspberry purée.
Melba toast is thinly sliced bread that has been toasted twice to dry it to a crisp. You can make it at home but there are lots of good ready-made ones available at supermarkets. Serve them with soft-textured foods that are good for dipping or spreading such as herb butter, pâté or soup.