Michael Bennett and dinner with Julia Child

2007-06-17T09:31:00.002-04:00

Our Dinner with Julia Child
By Michael Bennett

When do you get shivers? Well, mine was on this past Monday when I had my first chance to meet Julia in person. I thought about what I would say but, when I approached, my mind went blank. It was a great thrill to eat in the company of one so talented.

The menu for the benefit dinner was fit for a king. A local celebrity chef, Norman Van Aken, cooked for us. Norman, being touted as America's first "New World Cuisine" chef, hosted the affair that had more than 130 local foodies in attendance. Many that attended Monday night were nationally acclaimed chefs and food writers, here for the A.I.W.F.'s "Summit in the Sun" food conference. The conference is the second annual event of it’s king held this week on Miami Beach. This menu featured many recipes from cookbook~ "Norman's New World Cuisine".

To start off our evening, we were asked to follow a trail candles that lit the sidewalk leading us to the reception area for the restaurant. The empty office building was crammed full with so many foodies that I had to step outside. That's where I meet the coordinator for this event. He said that Julia was on tour for an entire month promoting her book with signings across the country. Her next stop was to be in Boston after two more days in the Sunshine State. I asked whether she could still keep up with such a hectic schedule since she just celebrated her 85th birthday April 1998. He said that, “she is a real trouper. Even at 85, she can still keep the flame lit at both ends."

At the reception, the sharply dressed waitstaff passed tender morsels of delight. Namely the Asparagus fritters with a lemon and truffle sabayon, were completely perfect in crunch, texture and taste. The Vietnamese spring rolls stuffed with Yellowfin tuna (and a shoyu salsa), were devoured from the silver tray before the waiter made it across this full to the rafters room. There were four other appetizers that received an equally vibrant feasting frenzy. Everything from the food to the conversation was enlightened with to numerous to count Magnums of Perrier Jouet Fleur.

Next we walked back down the candle lit walk to Norman's restaurant itself. Inside after some pleasantries from out host, we all readied ourselves for the first course. A "cool" Stone crab flan and beluga caviar with a creamy and delicate soup was served in the rocks (meaning...on ice). The flan itself was densely flaky with a texture that said, "bite me". The soup was mildly spicy with scallion over tones. It was a perfect foil to the richness of the crab. The caviar was set atop the flan looking like an opal diamond. The gleaming gray-black pearls were reminiscent of salty but not overly fishy "pop rocks" (the candy). Popping sea spray effervescence exploded onto your palate when you pressed the caviar to the upper portion of your mouth. The wine that was served with the appetizer was a Trimbach’s Pinot Blanc. It had the character of a not-too-sharp Chardonnay with the softness of spring water.

After some smoozing, by almost everyone, the next Appetizer course was served. Grilled Gulf (of Mexico) Escolar was brought to us setting atop a pile of perfectly cooked Chanterelle mushrooms and a puree of Malanga. The puree brought you back to your grandmother's kitchen because; it reminded you of the times you made mashed potatoes together. You were never able to secure all the lumps from the potatoes at your young age but were forgiven by your family after that evening’s dinner. There was an ever-so-slightly smoked salmon broth that was just enough to give everything on the plate a hearty woodsy scent and a little needed moisture. The entire dish was so well balanced, I didn't notice that everyone in the room wiped the shallow plate clean with the hearth baked Artisan bread. The Domaine Darnat Meursault, 1995 from the Cote-D'Or region of France was served to compliment the entire flavor extravaganza.

Our next dish was brought to the table after some interesting talk to other foodies around the room. It seems that many came here straight from the "Summit in the Sun" conference and were deluged with foods from Southern and South America. The dish that arrived next was a strange compliment to the others we tasted previously. To our amazement, an Asian flavored~pulled duck meat stuffed crepe, that was topped with a small slice of seared Foie Gras and a petite salad. The entire presentation was unique and the sauce of fig and Madeira that was used to accompany the dish might have been the best of the night. A hearty Sterling Vineyards Pinot Noir was used to cut the richness of the dish highlighted by the duck liver.

The much-awaited main course came out to the waiting crowd. A slightly black pepper rubbed Filet of Black Angus was paired with an interesting another pulled meat short rib condiment. The rib meat was flavored with an interesting "island-style" BBQ marinade with a hint of tropical spice to it. A Rioja glaze reduction that surrounded the rest of the plate. Underneath the filet was a pile of mashed West Indian pumpkin and chunked mirlitons. The chef came over to the table and personally shaved some fresh Montpelier truffles onto our filet. Since the plate was boasting so much earthy richness, you know the wine had to be robust. A Chateau Meyney, 1994 from Saint Estephe headiness didn’t stand up to the total earthiness of this dish.

The final courses were made as a tribute to our world famous guest. Directly from her latest book on baking, a tiny warm fig and raspberry tart was served with a Tahitian vanilla bean infused Ice cream. The delicateness of the Tahitian vanilla was lost in the richness of the freshly made ice cream. The berries were a good foil for the entree that preceded this dish. Sandeman tawny port was delivered to the diners before the next course straight from Julia's cookbook. The Boca Negra Cake was so good that many people fainted (just kiddin'). Not to be overly verbose but, words can't describe the light and fudgey~gooey interior of the pie-sliced shaped portion. The top of the slice was light and flaky as a fresh out of the oven brownie. What an end to a perfect dining experience.
Tonight’s experience was just an example of why South Florida is on the cutting edge of America’s Regional Cuisine movement. Only here can you see such diversity tied together in so many great culinary combinations.

Michael Bennett covers culinary events in Miami and all of South Florida for the James Beard Foundation Newsletter.

2007-06-17T09:31:00.001-04:00

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Chef Michael Bennett's dinner with Julia Child

Michael Bennett and dinner with Julia Child