Friends, Food, and Fun

On Saturday night, I had my friends over for another Julia Child meal. This time, the guests were the lovely Miss Healthypants, her hubster, Iwanski, and their old college friend from Wisconsin, Diane (She’s been my friend too, now, for years.)

I was looking forward to it all week. A lot.

I knew that Iwanski really like Julia’s boeuf Bourguignon, so that was definitely on the menu. Besides, it’s easy to serve; no fiddly last-minute sauces to prepare.

Here’s a table setting.

Yes, I had a course in napkin folding when I went to restaurant management/cooking school many years ago. This one, the “artichoke fold” is the only one I remember.

Miss Healthypants has to have salad with every meal and here’s one of our favorites: Spinach with grape tomatoes, mangoes, with an orange-balsamic vinaigrette. I like the pretty colors.

And here you go: Heaven on a plate. Julia’s boeuf Bourguignon and asparagus with Julia’s beurre blanc (white butter sauce).

The happy guests.

Iwanski really likes the bourguignon.

Dessert was my favorite (something you’ll rarely hear me say.) I’ve been preparing Julia’s Bavarian creams in all their variations: Orange, strawberry, plain, almond praline, and chocolate. There were no more variations left in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I had done them all.

My favorite cookie is a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie – why not make a white chocolate macadamia nut Bavarian cream?

I melted lots of white chocolate into the custard part which became the Bavarian cream. For the topping, toasted macadamia nuts went into the whipped cream. Here it is.

I need to figure out a way to make it more fancy. This sort of has a Rachel Ray glop-n-slop thing going on here. Next time, I’ll pipe the whipped cream around the sides and mound the nuts on top.

But, holeee COW this was incredible! Somehow the white chocolate caused the Bavarian cream to have a double layer. One layer was fluffy, as it should be, and a larger layer was thick and custardy with white chocolate. It's definitely my favorite dessert now.

I served it with a white chocolate liqueur which nobody liked. Including me.

After dinner, Iwanski and I entertained the ladies with Inuit throat-singing which is an entirely different (and hilarious) story altogether. I honestly don't think I've ever seen Miss Healthypants and Diane laugh so hard. Their tummies were full from eating so much and hurting from laughing so hard.

That, my friends, is a successful dinner party.