a thick dark soup of chestnuts and dried mushrooms , with tiny slivers of onion fried in butter and a dash of dark vinegar to sharpen it up ; ham sliced so thin the light shone through it , soft and salty ; geese stuffed with apples and wild garlic , so that the sharpness of the stuffing cut through the fattiness of the meat ; a slop of lentils cooked with onion and walnuts , hare stewed in wine and its own blood , dried figs in honey , quince paste with sharp cheese , a sweet cake made of nuts and candied fruit , dumplings of muddy fish flesh flaked with breadcrumbs and onion greens , shredded chicken cooked with beet till it was purple ; different textures , different tastes , different colours , the luxury of variety and contrast .