Dessert: Alsatian Raspberry Parfait

The French have given other nations a marvelous ice cream dessert called parfait, taken from their word for perfect. Very often it is a type of single, flavored mousse frozen in a mold. But it may also be delicate ice served in a tall, narrow, short-stemmed glass. One of the most refreshing parfaits I ever tasted was after a superb dinner in a hotel-restaurant, an Alsatian gastronomic temple in the picturesque wine town of Ammerschwihr.

It was a simple combination of lemon sherbet covered with champagne and a little kirsch. Not only was the dessert delectable but it fulfilled the function of a pleasant digestive after a very rich meal. No wonder the French developed the very noble and practical custom of serving delicate ice to clear the palate between courses at lengthy banquets.