We live in one of the most well-vaccinated corners of the world (New England), and that has utterly transformed this summer over the isolation of last year. Not only can we get out and travel, we can have friends over and get reacquainted with the full-length versions rather than the Zoom-screen head and shoulders. So we were very happy to page through Legendary Dinners: From Grace Kelly to Jackson Pollock edited by Anne Peterson (Prestel 2021, $40). It’s a literary chimera—half coffee table book about the rich and famous and half surprisingly practical cookbook. Think of it as a mashup of Town & Country and Bon Appétit.
The volume is full of tales of the rich and famous. We rubbed shoulders with Coco Chanel, imagined lunch in the gardens of Giverney with Claude Monet, and peeked in the keyhole at Truman Capote’s famous 1966 Black and White Ball. Legendary Dinners might be a guilty pleasure on a par with reading Vanity Fair. FYI, it has the same oversized dimensions as the magazine and weighs about as much as five issues stacked together.
The oversized book is full of delicious stories of celebrity entertaining—and some entertaining celebrities. Take Michael Romanoff, probably the most beloved swindler in Hollywood history. A parentless 10-year-old immigrant from Lithuania between the world wars, he reinvented himself as a Russian prince related to the final czar. The story lacked even a shred of truth, but, perhaps recognizing a kindred spirit, Hollywood embraced him. He conned a few stars into bankrolling Romanoff’s, a restaurant on then-sleepy Rodeo Drive. It became the hot spot for the film industry. By the time the restaurant closed in 1962, the penniless orphan was a rich man. His invented name endures in a number of dishes, most famously the perfect dinner party dessert for strawberry season.
Strawberries Romanoff remains an oldie but goodie
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 organic orange
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 lb. 12 oz. / 800 g strawberries
- 4 tbsp. orange-flavored liqueur
- 1 cup / 250 ml heavy cream
- 1 envelope vanilla sugar
TIME NEEDED: 25 mins. + 5 mins. cooking + 20 mins. macerating
Wash the orange under hot water and pat it dry. Peel off the zest with a zester. Halve the orange and squeeze out the juice.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the orange zest and return the water to a boil, then drain. Return the orange zest to the pan, add the sugar and orange juice, and simmer until the liquid has a syrupy consistency. Leave the orange syrup to cool.
Wash and hull the strawberries, then halve or quarter them, depending on their size. Transfer the strawberries to a bowl, pour the orange-flavored liqueur over, and add the orange zest and syrup. Leave the strawberries to macerate about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the cream with the vanilla sugar until stiff.
Divide the strawberries and the orange zest and syrup among four dessert bowls or glasses. Place the cream on top and serve immediately.
RECOMMENDED WINE: A phenomenon, just like Romanoff himself, vintner Andrew Quady revived the long-forgotten grape variety Orange Blossom Muscat. Despite some initial skepticism from others in the industry, his bold, sweet wines have become top sellers. Orange Muscat Essensia boasts an aroma of dark chocolate, candied oranges, and orange tree blossom, the perfect partner-in-crime for this dessert!