Yesterday after reading the weekend engagement topic I was left wondering, who is coming to dinner tomorrow?
But now I'm ready to go shopping and get all the ingredients for my dinner tonight. And get into the little time capsule that will allow me to have three wonderful ladies at my virtual table tonight.
Shopping is done and the table ready for the occasion. And the first of my guests is arriving even though the dinner is still hours away. The magnificent Julia Chid has accepted my invitation and is coming to cook dinner with me.
If some of you don't know who she is, Julia Child was a well-known American cook, her TV program brought to American homes the techniques of French cooking with the peculiarity that characterized her. She lived with her husband in Paris after World War II and took cooking classes at the famous Le Cordon Bleu school but refused to follow the dictates of the time and limit herself to the cooking courses offered by the school for housewives, so she continued to take courses with professional chefs and was the first woman to have a professional chef diploma at Le Cordon Bleu.
She published several recipe books, some of which have become classics such as her first publication Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In my house Julia Child's books were always present, my father who loved to cook followed many of her recipes.
And if you are still not familiar with Julia Child, you may remember Meryl Streep's portrayal of her in the movie Julie and Julia. The film is partly based on the blog of a girl named Julie Powell who sets out to make Julia Child's 500+ book recipes in a year and also tells the story of Julia Child's early culinary career.
But back to dinner Julia is here and the menu we will prepare today will be an onion soup, then a boeuf bourguignon. And for dessert Julia and I will make a Reine de Saba cake.
“It is hard to imagine a civilization without onions.” - Julia Child
With laughter, a few glasses of wine, and many anecdotes that Julia tells me about her years at the Cordon Bleu, dinner is ready. Just in time when the bell rings and Audrey Hepburn arrives.
Audrey Hepburn was one of my favorite actresses of all time with her unique style. Her character of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's will always be for me one of the most unforgettable in cinema. And I find it inconceivable to think that the role might not have been hers but Marilyn Monroe's, who was Truman Capote's first choice, which would have resulted in a totally different movie.
I also love her roles in Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, and Sabrina. And she is remembered not only for her brilliant career in Hollywood but also for all she did for charities around the world as a UNICEF ambassador.
When Audrey arrived, the conversation shifted from the kitchen to the world of cinema. And I couldn't help but ask her who had been her best partner on the big screen to which she replied with a big smile.
I was about to insist and ask her if it was true she had had an affair with William Holden, but the doorbell rang. Edith Piaf was at the door.
Edith Piaf was one of the most influential French singers of the 20th century, she had a difficult life full of misfortunes but her voice is pure feelings. The first time I heard La Vie Rose I was a child. That day, I decided to learn to speak French. And that's why she is one of my guests at this Ladies Night dinner.
“People say that I could sing the phone book and make it sound good.” — Edith Piaf
The dinner was superb and everything was exquisite. The onion soup and the boeuf bourguignon were so delicious and the Reine de Saba was as always a dessert of gods.
This is my entry for this week's weekend engagement topics: Three people
Option two: The dinner party
You are holding a dinner party and can invite any three people on the planet however none can be related to you, meaning family members. One of the invitees must be from history (deceased) - who do you invite and why?
Thanks for reading!
All writing is my own unless otherwise stated.
All images credits on the captions
© CoquiCoin
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February 5, 2022