Bei Tische, Eine gastrosophische Novelle

A grand dinner party at the home of Commercial Councillor Rosenthal von Muffelseck becomes the stage for a delicate comedy of manners, where appetite and ambition collide. At its center stands Privy Councillor von Schatz, a self-proclaimed gastrosoph who views the evening's meal as theatrical art, each course deserving the same analytical reverence as a Verdi opera or a Shakespearean monologue. Yet even as he dissects the complexities of a perfectly executed sauce, his gaze drifts to the beautiful Countess Erlach seated beside him, whose hand he desires almost as ardently as his next taste of the consomme. But the Countess has her own designs: she cares nothing for the Councillor's romantic pursuits and everything for orchestrating an engagement for the daughter of the house before the final course is served. Roquette crafts a sparkling portrait of social maneuvering where every glance across the table is a calculated move, where the art of dining becomes indistinguishable from the art of manipulation, and where the battle for hearts is waged alongside the parade of dishes.