The chess player from New Orleans would have been world champion Paul Morphy
(1837-1884), a bizarre legend who renounced the game and spent most of his
last 15 years insane.
http://www.angelfire.com/games/SBChe...ul_Morphy.html
Morphy was the Bobby Fisher of 1850-64, a child prodigy who flamed out young
and lingered in obscurity.
He never married, so the Countess could not have been his descendent.
Perhaps she took his name as a pen name, and was never really named Morphy?
--
-Mark H. Zanger
author, The American History Cookbook, The American Ethnic Cookbook for
Students
www.ethnicook.com
www.historycook.com
"Hippy" wrote in message
...
Can anyone here give me any information about the author of
"Recipes for All Nations"?
I received this 1935 recipe book for Christmas and I've been
fascinated with it ever since. Unfortunately I have not been able to
find much information about the author. Here's what I know. Any
further information would be greatly appreciated.
. Here's what I do know, and some of what I don't know. Her actual
name MAY have been "Marcelle Azra Forbes" and she was born in New
Orleans sometime around the turn of the century. I can't find a real
date anywhere. She also may have been related to an international
chess player named Paul Forbes. Apparently he was the "Bobby Fisher"
of the turn of the century. Hold that thought though. There is no
information about Countess Morphy until she moves to England sometime
in the late 20's or early 30's. There is a rumor that she was
traveling in Italy in the early 30's and simply liked the name of
"Count Morphy", who actually existed, and took the name "Countess
Morphy", as a nom de plume. No facts to back this up. She wrote a
number of books about cooking in Europe and in Africa, under the name
Countess Morphy, from the 1930's until 1948. Here's where things get
very confusing. Around 1954 she married the editor of her books, a man
called "Ellert Forbes". I find it very interesting that both of their
Christian names are the same. Is this the truth? What I do know is
that an Ellert Forbes, in 1938 wrote a book called "Wine for
Everyman". Was it the same man? I have no idea. Can't find any more
information.