Dinner en homage Coral Browne

Cafe Drake Comrades rejoice, we heard the email cries from our internet family and promptly decided to post a long-overdue version of our perennially most-favored feature . . . the Dinner en homage Series. This time we focus on the fabulosity that was/is Coral Browne. Commonly considered British due to her nearly life-long tenure on the London stage and in UK cinema, Ms. Browne was actually born and raised in Australia (but we forgive her). Later in life she married Vincent Price and by all accounts they lived the happiest and most sophisticated of lives in their beach-front Malibu home until Coral's unfortunate demise from breast cancer in the late 1980s. More fortunate is the legacy she left to all of us starved for enduring, unerring and effortless chicness, not to mention her few but choice examples of screen perfection. Quite a character and growing more infamous 20+ years after her death from anecdotes celebrating her legendary potty (and utterly witty) mouth, Coral Browne is honored by Cafe Drake with a dinner we only wish we could have hosted for the Divine Ms. B. Simple as we heard she liked it, and focused more on the booze than the food, chilled champagne would be served throughout after (very) dry Martinis to start. We probably would have asked her bristly self to channel our favorite character from The Killing of Sister George, Miss Mercy Croft!

Selected Filmography: Auntie Mame (1957); The Killing of Sister George (1968); The Ruling Class (1969); Theater of Blood (1973); Dreamchild (1985)

Shrimp on the Barbie

In-shell, head-on prawns grilled over charcoal coals and wrapped in moistened, fresh bay leaves. Served with salt and limes and lemons.

Mixed Grille of Sausages

Grilled Apricots

Assorted Grilled Vegetables (Onions, Bell and Chili Peppers, Tomatoes)

Lemon Syllabub

(Anglo dessert still beloved by Aussies and other colonial remnants of the defunct British Empire). Cafe Drake loves this simple dessert served with frosted sugar cookies and iced coffee after a sweltering summer dinner. Easy enough for non-bakers like ourselves.

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or to taste)
• fresh mint leaves for garnish
• lemon slices for garnish

Directions

1. Whip the cream and sugar in a chilled bowl, until the cream begins to thicken. Gradually whip in the white wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Continue to whip until light and fluffy, but not grainy. Cover the mixture and chill until serving time.
2. Serve in chilled parfait glasses, garnished with a dash of nutmeg, a sprig of mint, and a slice of lemon. Syllabub should be eaten with a small spoon, and savored.