The painter, the restaurant owners and the opera singer

Here are three examples that you can easily find on the menus of certain restaurants.

Carpaccio

Normally a dish of raw beef, sliced very, very thinly, seasoned, covered with a light film of olive oil, and often served "on the plate".

It comes from: From the name of Vittore Carpaccio, a Venetian Renaissance painter famous for the reds and browns of his paintings, red as beef. Some even claim that he was inspired by his painting "The Triumph of St. George".

And often it's: Anything thinly sliced, such as: scallop carpaccio, pineapple carpaccio, and so on.

Tatin

Normally it 's: A delicious tart with caramelized apples baked upside down (the pastry is on top) and turned upside down when serving.

It comes from: From the name of the Tatin sisters, restaurateurs in La Motte-Beuvron, France, who invented this dessert in the early 20th century.

And often it's: Anything with pastry on top (or bottom) that vaguely resembles an upside-down tart, such as: tomato tatin, chicken dice tatin, etc.

Melba

Normally it's: A peach melba, a bowl of vanilla ice cream, raspberry coulis, poached peach, praline almond paste and whipped cream.

From: From the name of a famous Australian singer of the late 19th century, Nellie Melba, for whom the great chef Alain Escoffier invented this dessert.

And often it's: Anything served with vanilla ice cream and Chantilly cream, like: Strawberries Melba, Pears Melba, etc.

And?

Well, I've mentioned the most common, it seems, in French, but you'll notice that it's often linked to a proper noun.

Of course, you can have fun combining them all... " Fraises Melba et leur carpaccio de poires Tatin": In a bowl, a base of vanilla ice cream, a layer of thin slices of caramelized pears, a circle of crisp shortcrust pastry, diced strawberries and Chantilly cream.

But... it looks good too!