"Ratatouille"

The fictitious Chef Gusteau may have said "Anyone can cook," but it takes an inventive mind, patience, and serious motivation to host 10 of your closest friends for a French cuisine dinner party and movie night, inspired by the Disney film Ratatouille.

My friend Vichu has been known to host gourmet meals at his East Boston apartment, but newcomers are truly in for a treat as the courses keep on coming. His custom built kitchen includes a 4 burner gas stove, a French top, 4 ovens, and top of the line gadgets and cookware-- nothing but the finest for this man of self-taught culinary skill ("um... if self taught means being conscripted by my grandmother when I was 5").

Arriving around 2pm, I sat in the warm, bustling kitchen as many helpers/guests brought the final touches to the meal. Laugher and relaxation filled the air, like Thanksgiving come early.

A tray of diced mushrooms stuffed into delicate bite-size gougères, savory choux pastry, were passed around the room, a mouth-watering start to an amazing meal. The tender mushrooms, roasted to a juicy perfection, were a hit even with those who usually dislike the fungi for their earthy texture and flavor. Here they were soft and sweet between the crumbling cornbread, sliced perfectly into little tops and bottoms.

As all the ovens reached temperature, and timers were set, we gathered around the cozy kitchen table, most of us in chairs, but one guest sat on a fitness ball, and the host sat on his guitar amp. Eager forks dove into the bowl of crusty French bread pieces, then one by one were swirled lovingly in the melted gruyer cheese fondue. Savory, with a hint of tartness, every guest was speechless as cheese strings hung from their appreciative lips.

Plates were whisked away to make room for our next course: bowls of butternut squash cream soup with crème fraîche and freshly grated nutmeg. Sleigh-bells and the thought of snow filled my senses as I smoothly slurped the sweetness of the soup, gently spiced and oh-so creamy, from my over-sized spoon.

Roasted chicken with rosemary and pepper, olive oil roasted potatoes, and the title dish, ratatouille, were the culminating main course of the afternoon. As we ooh-ed and aah-ed, Vichu shared with us that he actually called Thomas Keller, the consulting chef for the movie, to get the ratatouille recipe cooked by "Little Chef" Remy! This traditional peasant dish is usually cooked as a stew, heavy on the sauce, but this updated incarnation inspired the same response for one of our guests as Anton Ego, the fictitious food critic in the film: familiar childhood delight grown-up for a more sophisticated palette. Thinly sliced tomatoes, yellow and green squash, simmered for a few hours in their own sweet juices, seasoned lightly with thyme and pepper, was a crowd pleaser at our table as much as it was in the movie!

Keller had requested that Vichu email back photos of the ratatouille dish he cooked, as thanks for sharing his recipe with him. Keller's response: "You cut your vegetables too thin..."

Alas, we loved it! So, as dinner settled, we all snuggled up with blankets and pillows in front of the television and watched Ratatouille, followed by miniature almond cakes served with a sliced strawberry and soft mild cheese crumbled on the side for dessert.

How sweet!