By Taylor Berry

An American in Paris, Julia Child brought the elegance of French cooking to American homes. Celebrate the release of Julie & Julia, inspired by Child’s life and the life of a modern day woman who decides to make every one of her recipes in a year, and take a page out of Julia’s (recipe) book for a fancy but homey dinner party.

The attire: Learning to cook in Paris screams of Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (1954), so pull off your best faux-Hepburn with a minimalist little black dress/black stockings look. Cinch your waist with an apron while you cook.

To drink: A nice bottle of Cotes-du-Rhone–it is full-bodied so it will go nicely with food, plus hot summers in the south of France make this wine high in alcohol content, which we love.

The menu: To start, Julia’s classic french onion soup. For an entree for meat-eaters, Julia’s coq au vin (find the recipe at recipezaar.com). The recipe requires red wine so toss in some Cotes-du-Rhone. If you are having vegetarians over, be the perfect host and make Julia’s leek quiche instead.

The soundtrack: Edith Piaf.

The decor: Just your kitchen, no frills necessary.