What Did You Have for Dinner Last Night?

Noel Riley Fitch, author of “Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child”

You got me at a great time. We went to a Proust dinner at the California Club last night. It was a special event for members, and we were invited because [husband] Bert [Sonnenfeld] helped make a BBC film on Proust and food, and they showed part of it. We started with Champagne, of course. We had grilled red mullet for the first course with a nicoise sauce and a Rully by Olivier LeFlaive. The main course was wild duck with cranberries, served with a 1992 Pommard by Prince de Merode. Then we had a cheese souffle and a strawberry mousse, with a 1985 Dow vintage Port. At the end of the meal, they served madeleines and tea. It was a very elegant dinner.