Dinner en Homage Capucine

An early death and tragic life plagued by bouts of mental illness have faded the memory of model and actress Capucine into semi-obscurity. Born in Samour, France - the hometown of one of her many famous patrons, Coco Chanel - this rarified beauty and tower of elegance quickly transformed from muse of Givenchy to international film star, sharing the screen with luminaries as diverse as John Wayne, William Holden, Rex Harrison, Jane Fonda and Peter Sellers to name a few. Her closest friend was Audrey Hepburn, and the two lived merely miles apart in Lausane, Switzerland at the time of Capucine's unfortunate end. Her obituary stated she was survived "only by three cats", but her memory still burns bright at Cafe Drake, where we post the following menu below in her honor. Suggested Filmography: Song Without End (1960), Walk on the Wild Side (1963), The Pink Panther (1963), The Honey Pot (1967), Fellini's Satyricon (1970).

SALADE SUISSE

Salad: 5 medium tomatoes (ripe, peeled, seeded & cut into wedges) /2 medium cucumbers (unpeeled & thin-sliced) /6 eggs (hard-boiled & sliced) /2 small green peppers (halved, seeded, deribbed & very thinly sliced) /1/2 cup black olives (pitted & sliced) /2 small onion (thinly sliced & separated into rings)

Dressing:
10 anchovy fillets (oil-packed, rinsed, patted dry & crushed) / 3/4 cup olive oil /1/4 cup red wine vinegar/ 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice / 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard /1/2 tablespoon oregano (finely minced) /1 small garlic clove (very finely minced) /salt /white pepper

1. For Dressing: Combine all ingredients & refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
2. For Salad: Prepare & combine all salad ingredients except the egg slices.
3. Present the salad, drizzle w/dressing to your taste pref, mix to distribute dressing & top w/egg slices to serve.

BRIE RACLETTE

Works of course best with raclette cheese, but its availibity tends to be spotty. Any good cheese shop will have it, but this easy version of the Swiss national dish can be prepared effectively with supermarket Brie. Air-cured dried beef is another traditional accompaniment (Bresaola), so if you like pick up a package at the deli counter of better grocery stores or the local gourmet shop.

1 1/2 lbs brie cheese, rind removed / 1 1/2 lbs tiny new potatoes or boiling potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces / 1 1/2 lbs broccoli, thick stems removed, tops cut into florets (about 1 1/2 quarts)
1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, halved or quartered if large /2 tablespoons cooking oil /1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocktail onions (or cornichons)

1. Heat the oven to 400°. Cut the Brie into thin slices and divide the cheese among four small ovenproof dishes or ramekins.
2. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the broccoli florets to the pan and simmer until the potatoes and broccoli are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Drain the potatoes and, if using new potatoes, cut them in quarters when cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms with the oil and salt. Put the mushrooms on a baking sheet and roast until browned and tender, turning once, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and then turn the oven off.
4. Put the dishes of cheese in the oven and leave until the cheese just melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pile the potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, and cocktail onions on individual plates.
5. Serve each portion of melted Brie immediately, along with the vegetables for dipping.

Chocolate (of course) for Dessert

Demitasse

A Good Eau-de-Vie

Note: try a Loire Valley red wine with this meal, a fruity Chinon or Saumur-Champigny. White is often traditional but a lighter red we prefer, especially with the salad and if serving the dried beef.