entertaining

october 2002

The day we discussed what our 'entertaining' section would feature this month my first copy of our new book, The Joslin Diabetes Great Chefs Cook Healthy Cookbook, arrived via Airborne Express. Finally after two years of virtually nonstop planning, contacting chefs around the world, and writing, it was done and in print!

Bonnie and I had already agreed that it was my turn to plan and host a small dinner party that you could easily duplicate in your home. She'd suggested French. As I was reading our words in print from cover to cover, I began to plan and when I came upon a French recipe, I made a notation of the name of the recipe and the page number. I didn't get further than the Small Plates before I knew what the main course was going to be - a fabulous shrimp dish from one of Paris' top restaurants and premier chefs, Ganbas Sautés aux Epices (Sautéed Shrimp with Spices) submitted by Guillaume Lubard of Alcazar. This is but one of the over 135 recipes that you'll want to make for yourself, your family, and your friends. Bonnie and I both agree, these recipes are for some of the best food we've ever eaten in our lives! That done, I quickly finalized my menu by adding a rather tradition salad of mixed field greens (including lots of my favorite, frisée) with a French Vinaigrette with Shallot and Walnut Croûtes (a French version of bruschetta) alongside. The shrimp dish carries the vegetables so I added a starch in the form of rice cooked Provençal-style with braised fresh fennel. A warm French plum tart makes a wonderful finale along with cups of strong French-roast coffee. Now all I had to do was decide which of our friends would most appreciate a rich French dinner like this, phone an invitation, then get to work polishing the silver, pressing the linens, setting a table with my best china and crystal, shopping for the ingredients and some fresh flowers, and then cooking the meal. Actually the cooking was the easiest part. The dishes go together so easily and quickly, I felt that maybe I'd forgotten to do something. Since I hadn't, I relaxed with a glass of iced tea while I previewed my husband's CD selections for the evening - one of which he'd picked up when we were in St. Tropez last fall.   Shallot and Walnut Croûtes Mixed Field Greens with French Vinaigrette Ganbas Sautés aux Epices (Sautéed Shrimp with Spices) Rice Provençal Warm French Plum Tart (for the recipes, click on the individual recipe above) FTG