September 2019 | (^109)
ulia Turshen started
cooking at such a young age
that her family nickname
was “Julia the Child.” Before
she was old enough to hold
a chef’s knife, she was
hosting parties. Her first,
a Valentine’s Day soiree
for her grandparents and
assorted relatives, had a strict
black-tie dress code and featured
little sandwiches that 6-year-old Julia
fancied up with a heart-shape cookie
cutter. “It was all very extra,” Julia
says with a laugh. “My entertaining style has gotten a whole lot more relaxed.”
These days, Julia—who writes best-selling cookbooks and runs Equity at the
Table, a database connecting underrepresented minorities in the food world—
is much more likely to greet her guests in an untucked shirt and jeans. Her
enthusiasm for bringing people together, however, still burns. Most of
Julia’s gatherings are spontaneous and happen at the 150-year-old farmhouse
in upstate New York she shares with wife Grace Bonney, founder of the blog
ON THE
MENU
Julia crafts a meal
that minimizes
kitchen time during
the party.
HIBISCUS PUNCH
A friend from the
West Indies introduced
Julia to this tea
steeped with Caribbean
spices—clove and
ginger—then mixed with
fresh citrus juices.
It’s a regular at her
gatherings.
ROASTED GREEN
ONION DIP + OLD BAY
BAGEL CHIPS
Toasted bagels and
cream cheese—Julia’s
favorite childhood
snack—get a grown-up
makeover. Two classics
inspired the dip:
green onion-cream
cheese spread and
French onion dip.
The familiar seafood
seasoning gives the
bagels an intense heat.
SHEET-PAN CHICKEN
WIT H P E AC H E S
& TOMATOES
Late-summer peaches
and tomatoes
nearly melt into a sauce
for Dijon chicken
breasts. Julia slides this
one-step dish into
the oven about
30 minutes before
guests arrive.
AROMATIC RICE PILAF
Julia says the trick
to a simple side dish is
to cook fragrant
basmati rice with fresh
aromatics like garlic,
onion, and ginger.
“It infuses the rice with
so much more flavor.”
ZUCCHINI WITH
PISTACHIOS & MINT
Unexpected and
memorable. That’s how
Julia describes what
happens when
she tosses humble
zucchini with toasted
pistachios and
fresh mint.
AROMATIC
R I C E PI L AF
HIBISCUS
PUNCH
S H E E T- PAN
CHICKEN WITH
PE AC H E S
& TOMATOES
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