Gluttony

May 20, 1799 is the birth date of Honoré de Balzac,

the creator of the original Ugly Betty. His novel,

La Cousine Bette, is the delicious tale of an old maid* who has an appetite for destroying her wealthy relations, and enlists the services of a prostitute in fulfilling her vengeful schemes.

Balzac understood enormous appetites because he had one himself. According to A Literary Book of Days,** a typical meal for Balzac included “a hundred oysters, twelve lamb cutlets, a ducking with turnips, two roast partridges, sole á la Normande, fruit, wines, coffee and liquers.”

Who saved room for cake?

* Played with relish by Jessica Lange in the film version.

** A Literary Book of Days, Crown Publishers, researched and edited by Timothy Murphy, 1994