Who’s Afraid of Julia Child?

Posted on July 20, 2015

by Kay Goldstein ’71

It was 4 in the afternoon after a long day of cooking when the phone rang. The caller asked, “Do you have room for another guest?” Julia wanted to come for dinner. I knew enough not to ask “Julia, who?” In my culinary pantheon, Julia Child was always the brightest star.

With my heart pounding all the way to my throat, I croaked out: “Yes.” I didn’t have time to think or change the five-course, Southern-inspired menu, created with the help of volunteers, to serve to 26 members of the International Association of Cooking Professionals. Julia, all 6-plus feet of her, arrived and enthusiastically sampled our cheese beignets, smoked-trout appetizers and country-ham-and-melon bites. Despite a small fire — just outside the kitchen door, fueled by bourbon-soaked quail on the grill — the dinner went well.

We seated Julia right behind the island stove, which made it easy for her to walk up with a big spoon and slurp seconds of the creole oyster bisque out of the pot. The wild-rice-and-pecan pancakes were a dried-out disaster, but we finished strong with a melt-in-your-mouth rhubarb tart topped with homemade cinnamon ice cream.

Since that day many years ago, I’ve found that many people giving dinner parties feel much as I did that night — terrified and thrilled — when faced with having people over for dinner. But being organized and keeping a sense of humor can offset any surprises. And what’s nicer than sharing a meal in your home? It’s a gift straight from the heart.

With more than 40 years of experience giving dinner parties — including professionally as a caterer — I have garnered a few pointers for both the beginner cook and those who just don’t feel they have time to put together a dinner for guests.

Can’t cook it? Curate it. Just because you invite someone to dinner doesn’t mean you have to cook everything yourself. Sometimes you have the courage or time to cook only one special dish. I am always scouting a great dessert, like the rustic chocolate tart from Scratch Bakery in Durham. Or keep on hand a caramel-and-sea-salt ice cream, mango sorbet or a jar of lemon curd. I add fresh berries, peaches or cookies to round it out.

Likewise, keep hors d’oeuvres like spiced pecans, cheese crispies or an artichoke spread in the pantry. In my fridge, you’ll often find a local goat cheese, some smoked bluefish or assorted olives. Once, pressed for time on a pizza night, I loaded up toppings and sliced vegetables from a local salad bar to enhance generic bags of mixed lettuces, adding fresh basil and my own balsamic vinaigrette. I saved time, but the flavors tasted homemade. If making dessert is your specialty, find tasty takeout entrees like barbecue or ribs, lasagna from a local trattoria or crab cakes from a seafood shop. Add a seasonal salad, cornbread or a baguette, and you’re ready for your guests.

1 + 2 = dinner.

Keep it simple with a “One, two, three, dinner!” approach: Select a single main course, add soup or salad and dessert. You won’t have to juggle a main course and two or three side dishes at the last minute. Hors d’oeuvres can be as simple as a dish of almonds, a piece of local cheese or olives. Some of my seasonal go-to favorite entrees are Moroccan lamb or chicken stew, shrimp and grits, chicken and dumplings, scallop-and-artichoke risotto or a Mediterranean pizza. Many you can make ahead to reheat, and they are easy to serve. Some can be a meal in themselves without side dishes.

Feed the eyes first.

To welcome guests to the table, I use lots of candles and votives, placemats, colorful napkins and almost always some fresh flowers. Don’t have time for flower arranging? Invest in some small silk arrangements or live orchids, or play with decorative treasures from around the house. I sometimes arrange a small collection of birdhouses in the center of the table. At holiday season, you can buy ornaments or candle holders that become gifts for each guest. Lower the overhead lights; your guests are transported to another world.

Another trick: Serve the main course and side dishes all on one platter instead of using separate smaller plates or bowls. The effect is more dramatic and doesn’t require much garnishing. A solid white platter will frame and enhance food colors.

Start the countdown.

I usually make dinner parties at least a two-day process so I can shop, set the table and cook at least one item the day before. For more complicated meals, I make a countdown list for preparations; sometimes I set timers to remind me when to put something into the oven, not just when to take it out. Since I try to greet guests and chat while I attend to last-minute tasks, these audible reminders keep me and the meal on track.

I also have worked backward — setting up coffee and dessert plates on the sideboard first, setting the table the day before, getting out the serving dishes and spoons, plating hors d’oeuvres hours before the first guest shows up. Clean up your kitchen and make a place for the first-course dishes to stack so you can prepare the next course. Then you can concentrate on the final duties as they come up and still answer the doorbell.

Let your guests help — sometimes.

Many guests offer to help. Be ready with some simple duties, like grating cheese, filling water glasses or lighting candles. I like to put someone in charge of warming the bread and slicing baguettes so I can concentrate on last-minute main-dish tasks. This process also lends itself to smaller, intimate conversations away from the larger group.

Another way guests can help: a classic potluck. If they volunteer a dessert or hors d’oeuvre, why not accept? My husband and I have a long tradition of a New Year’s Eve potluck. The menus end up being delightful and often extraordinary.

Practice. (YouTube is a great coach.)

If you want to try new dishes, make them the week before to get the hang of them. The first time we shucked our own oysters, we got advice from our favorite fish monger and then found a wonderful YouTube video that showed us how to do it.

So make that guest list, set a date and start planning. Your friends will be delighted. (I’m hoping some of mine will read this and invite me over.)

Kay Goldstein ’71 is co-author of A Book of Feasts, Recipes and Stories from American Celebrations. She is a poet, a longtime contributor to The Huffington Post and blogs at www.kaygoldstein.com, where you can also find more of her dishes. She is married to Buck Goldstein ’70 (’76 JD), UNC’s entrepreneur in residence.

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Simple Fall Menu

One of Goldstein’s simple dinner menus includes Moroccan lamb or chicken stew; a spinach salad with fig, pistachio and red onion; and mango and raspberry sorbets with Moravian spice cookies. The stew works well on the buffet for a crowd or ladled into big bowls at the table. For the most part, it’s easily prepared ahead of time, and the long, slow cooking will fill the house with inviting aromas. Find more dishes at www.kaygoldstein.com.

Moroccan Lamb or Chicken Stew

Serves 8

This recipe works as well on the buffet for a crowd or ladled into big bowls at the table. Most of it is easily prepared ahead of time and the long, slow cooking will fill the house with inviting aromas. Serve alone or with Mediterranean couscous, buckwheat or rice. This recipe is adapted from one of by Paula Wolfert, a cookbook author specializing in Mediterranean cuisine.

3 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1½-inch pieces or 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1½-inch pieces
1 cup onions, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
¼ cup olive oil
24 ounces canned diced tomatoes
16 ounces canned chickpeas, drained
1 cup dried apricots, cut into slivers
8 ounces green or Kalamata olives, pitted and cut into two or three pieces
1 large butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups lamb or chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ to ½ cup lemon juice

Optional garnishes:

1 cup walnuts, toasted
12 ounces feta cheese (preferably sheep’s milk), crumbled
4 ounces fresh spinach, sliced thinly
Harissa sauce, or your favorite hot sauce, to pass separately

• Preheat the oven to 300 F.
• In a small bowl, blend the spices together.
• In another bowl, mix the spices and onions thoroughly with the cubes of lamb. (You may prepare the recipe up to this point several hours in advance of the cooking.)
• Heat the olive oil in a flameproof 4- to 5-quart casserole dish or pot. Add the garlic and onions and the lamb mixture. Stir until meat begins to brown. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the lemon juice, and bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately cover the pot or casserole and place it in the oven.
• When the meat is very tender and the squash is done (about 1½ hours), remove from oven and skim any excess fat from the top. You can prepare ahead and reheat later at this point. Taste for seasoning and add lemon juice as appropriate.
• Serve alone or over couscous in warm bowls and pass optional garnishes and harissa or other hot sauce.

Mediterranean Couscous

I like to use the Mediterranean-style couscous, which is actually small pearl-like pasta. It can be found in most groceries and gourmet stores. Use about 12 to 16 ounces for the lamb recipe and follow the directions on the package. It cooks quickly in broth and is nice to garnish with chopped parsley, mint or basil and a splash of olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper.

Harissa Sauce

Yield: about ¼ cup

1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves
½  teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil

• In a small bowl, mix the dry spices together.
• Peel the garlic cloves and press them through a garlic press into the dry spices.
• Add the oil and mix well.
• Store the sauce covered in the refrigerator. It should keep for several weeks.
• This sauce is very hot! Take care in mixing and in serving it to your guests.