Print Friendly Version
I went out to lunch with my dear friend Nancy last week so we could catch up on eachother’s busy lives and exchange Christmas gifts. She gave me an adorable cocoa mug that says “Happily Dying of Chocolate” on it, 4 handmade truffles, and the movie “Julie & Julia” starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. I was so excited to see it as I had somehow missed it when it was at the movie theater. Wow! what a treat! It was my kind of movie in every way. A romantic movie set in Paris and New York about two womens’ journeys in cooking and writing. What could be more perfect? The food in the movie was so beautifully presented and described that I found myself drooling several times. It made me want to rush out to the market to get the ingredients for Julia’s ‘Boeuf Bourguignon,’ (Beef Stew cooked in dry red wine,) Buerre Blanc (Butter sauce for fish,) and Poulet au Porto (chicken cooked in a creamy port mushroom sauce.)
It touched my heart that I have a friend that knows me so well. She knew this would be a perfect gift for me before I had ever seen it. In my group of friends I’m often called ‘the chef’ and most of my friends believe that I am a WAY better cook than I am 🙂 I just love cooking and entertaining, and I think that shines through when I have guests in my home. It’s just so much fun to cook for my friends!
What made the movie an even more appropriate gift for me is that I’m a writer (I absolutely love the scenes where Amy Adams, playing the role of Julie, talks about becoming a “real” writer! So funny! And I remember feeling the exact same way before my books were validated and published by a real publisher.)
Another part of the movie I related to was that I have actually cooked through a couple of Julia Child’s cookbooks (skipping over the aspic recipes, thank you very much!)…I did not complete the herculean task of making every recipe in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Maybe someday! The books I tackled are “The French Chef Cookbook.” which outlines each of Julia’s television recipes in order, and a shorter, full color cookbook called “Julia Child & Company,” which gives you menus for different company dinners such as an elegant cocktail party, a New England potluck supper, and a buffet for 19. What a joy to cook this genius woman’s innovative recipes, and what an education!
I watched the movie with my husband Jeff and my daughter Gracie. They talked me into making Julia’s Boeuf Bourguignon tomorrow night. Luckily for me this is one of her easier recipes, and one I have made before!
Bon Appetit!
Love,
Melissa