Yesterday I asked What can you make with maple syrup? I was surprised by the number of suggestions. What I wasn’t surprised at was that several people mentioned Canadian roots. One of these suggested a recipe for Pouding chômeur. Which looks lovely, but it’s in French.
I don’t speak French, so I turned to Babelfish for a translation. If you’ve never seen it, you can give a piece of text or a web URL and they will translate it for you. However … it’s a machine translation. Which means it’s going to read like the directions you get with a new CD player.
Rather than finding this annoying, I’ve never failed to find the oddness absolutely hysterical. For instance, the Babelfish translation of that recipe calls it “Pouding unemployed”. But wait, there’s more.
For the second step, Babelfish instructs us:
In a bowl, to demolish butter in cream. To incorporate sugar until consistent consistency gradually.
I’ve melted butter, I’ve softened it, I’ve even beaten it. But I’ve never demolished it. This is starting to sound like an episode of Iron Chef. (And I ain’t talking about the American version.)
Nothing else interesting in the recipe, but then I come to the first comment:
MMMmmmmm! That to say moreover! It is a good dessert to sweeten the nozzle. Thank you.
Oh. My. God. And it’s got 713 comments on it. This is going to kill the rest of my night.
Want more like this? For more recipes like this, that you can hold right in your hands, and write on, take notes, tear pages out if you want (Gosh, you're tough on books, aren't you?) you might be interested in How To Cook Like Your Grandmother, 2nd edition, Illustrated. Or to learn your way around the kitchen, check out Starting From Scratch: The Owner's Manual for Your Kitchen.
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15 Comments
I've to say that yes I have in fact translated MANY recipes. Its where a lot of my 'fun' Italian vocabulary comes from. Have you ever been told to 'Whirl little eggs until showered and tepid'?
As an Oregonian in Italy, I've learned that its best to pull out the words that seem to be ingredients, input them into Google, and hope something pops up that looks or sounds the same but in the correct language.
Useful tip: Babelfish isn't the answer. Google Translate is a lot more accurate when it comes to American terminology. Just my opinion, though…
Heh, heh. You said, "Sweeten the nozzle." Heh.
And, should I demolish tepid eggs in the shower, or whirl to demolish tepid eggs? I'm a little hazy…
Yeah, don't use Babelfish for translations. Just translates word for word. Imagine translating English into another language– "beat" the eggs, (would that put someone in jail?) or — it's raining cats & dogs. Just try translating that into another language. Doesn't work.
When you need a french translation, let me know. Not only did I live in France, but I also worked for the Gov't of Quebec so I understand "both" languages and know both of their foods.
Kinda like we have American English & British English…same language but lots of different terms and lingo. And very different foods
I have! I have several, in fact, that were written down for me (in Italian, without her referencing any other source) when I spent Christmas and New Years up in Trento in…ummm…the last century. One is for a risotto, one for pannetone, and one for a sort of pesto. Oh, and vitello tonnato! Yum.
Grazie, Mapi (Maria Pia)! I still use them all these years later!
~ Peggasus
Hi! Me again, from the cold, barren lands of Quebec. If you need a translation of the recipe, just email me, my email's on my blogger profile.
I'd be more than happy to help you out!
Kate, I didn't know Google had one. I'll have to try that out. Thanks.
Jenni, is that the shower nozzle you're sweetening?
Dinneen, England and America: two countries divided by a common language.
Peggasus, you realize that for the rest of your life you'll be telling young people what things were like in the last century? (So will I, don't think I'm laughing at you.)
David, I think it would be more fun to try to work from the broken English. Actually, it's not much harder than reading the old recipes that talk about banking the coals, and cooking in a quick oven.
Demolish butter? Would that involve a bunch of beat up cars in a dirt oval smashing into each other. And I like the "old" Iron Chef. My oldest (almost 7) used to go around saying "Allez Cuisine!" It's even funnier with the bath towel around the shoulders.
Bon chance, cher ami !
Drew,
Word reference.com is also trés bien. If you need help, I too speak French and would love to help you out. My email is rachel.san @ gmail.com
LOL, using that kind of software to translate always gives hilarious results. I am always translating recipes between English and Spanish and it is really difficult. I am happy to know that machines aren't capable of taking over my job just yet
Stephanie, just don't let him try the backflip that the Chariman's son does on the new version.
Dedene, I just looked at your blog. Can you see the envy leaking through the internet? Do you know anyone over there who would like to learn how to cook old-fashioned American food? I'm available …
Rachel, I'll keep that offer in mind if I give this unemployed pudding a try.
Ben, the computer doesn't know how to stage the food, either. And auto white balance? Yeah, not quite yet.
well, defaire is "break apart"…so I guess demolish fits in there….I'm FC too, and I've eating Chomeur a lot…yummy! Thanks for reminding me of it…must cook it again…reading the directions in French and doing the translation in my head….
can u imagain how it sounds in hebrew?
ogusta from israel
In Denmark as Exchange Student in 1968: Rod Grodt med Fluther pa but I cannot even write it correctly on computer. this is red soup (cold, fruit, currants & raspberries in June) with cream upon it.
For my maiden name, my initials were BH (now they are BJ, that is worse in America, in English)… in Denmark the girls were just dying because I would have this lady make BH label cloth tapes to sew into my clothes when going to college. BH meant Breast Holder (bra) and was consider very inappropriate to see written anywhere, almost pornographic, apparently. Well, I could not help it.
Bonnie, I think I’m going to start using BH.
And this summer, when the berries are in season, I’d love to see an example of that Rod Grodt med Fluther pa.