Q. Why is the pastry called a "napoleon" so named?
A. Now that's a sticky question. Even in attempting to define "napoleon" we run into difficulties. The classic "oblong pastry with a filling of cream, custard, or jelly," doesn't quite fill the bill these days, when chefs are known to serve up savory as well as sweet napoleons, with stuffings of seafood, veggies, cheese and even tofu. Sometimes the flaky puff pastry is dispensed with as well, and other alternatives are used for layering. We've even heard of "napoleons" made with tortillas or fried potatoes, for example, which would presumably surprise (or horrify) the French.
It's clear that the pastry gets its name from the French emperor Napoleon, but exactly how and why that happened isn't known. The most popular explanation is that Napoleon himself consumed an excessive quantity of cream-filled puff pastries on the day before the battle of Waterloo in 1815, and consequently had a bad case of indigestion on the battlefield. For a time thereafter, the story goes, the French felt disfavor toward the traitorous pastry, while the victorious English gratefully dubbed it "napoleon." But the fact is that, though the fateful result of the battle of Waterloo is well-documented history, "napoleons" are not found mentioned at all before the 1890s, so the story is pretty clearly a recent invention.
We present here three more theories purporting to explain how the napoleon got its name: 1) The traditional zig-zag pattern of white and chocolate icing created atop the pastry looks like a series of N's. 2) The pastry was invented by a Danish chef and was first served on the occasion of a state visit by the French emperor. 3) The pastry was first created by an Italian chef in Naples who named it "napoletano" after his city, and the name was later corrupted to "napoleon" in English.
As you might guess, there is no hard evidence in support of these theories. In the end, the only logical conclusion is this: No one really knows how napoleons got their name.
Q. Could you please explain the expression "Hobson's Choice"? From the contexts in which I've seen it used, I think it means a choice between two equally distasteful alternatives. Was there a famous person named Hobson once in such a situation?
A. "Hobson's Choice" is sometimes used in such a way that it means basically, as you suggest, a dilemma. Originally, however, the phrase meant not a difficult choice but no choice at all, and purists will argue (in vain) that any other use is incorrect.
The expression originates from the practice of Thomas (or Tobias) Hobson, a liveryman and licensed carrier of letters, parcels and passengers in late 16th and early 17th century Cambridge, England. Hobson kept a stable of about 40 horses for this purpose and rented them to the university students when he was not using them. Of course, the students wanted their favorite mounts each time, with the result that a few of Hobson's horses were overworked. To correct this situation, he began a strict rotation system for renting his horses so that all of them would see equal service. When a customer came for a horse, Hobson gave him the choice of taking the one that stood nearest the stable door or none at all. In this way, every customer and every horse was treated alike. This rule became well known and was referred to as "Hobson's Choice." Soon, people began using this term to mean "no choice at all" in all kinds of situations having nothing to do with horses. As the term spread, Hobson's name became fixed in the language.
Hobson's career as a carrier, however, came to an end in 1630 when, due to an outbreak of the plague in London, his journeys were suspended by the authorities. He died the following year. His friend John Milton wrote two poems about him, suggesting in "On the University Carrier" that Hobson might have lived had his career not been cut short.
