Sunday, June 8, 2008
All Things Julia
Just finished reading Julie & Julia today and now want to know more about Ms. Child herself. I've updated my Netflix queue to include an American Masters documentary on her. Don, I know you've read books about her life and work; what do you suggest? Knitting Heather, I know you're a fan and have cooked some of Child's recipes. How did they turn out? You have two small boys; did they eat it? Who remembers watching her show, The French Chef, on TV? Does anyone out there own her intimidating book Mastering the Art of French Cooking? I'm going to see if the library has a copy.
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8 comments:
Ohhhh, my! I ADORE Julia Child. She's freaking fascinating, her whole life was just amazing. Blessed in a way I cannot even imagine. :-) I actually own the American Masters documentary, and three dvd collections of The French Chef. I grew up watching that show. Even as a little bitty girl, I was flat out intrigued by the tall woman with the freaky accent flinging dirty pots over her shoulder. They modeled the Swedish Chef (Muppets, y'all) after her, you know. Heh.
I can't say enough good stuff about her recipes, too. Thanks to my slightly bizarre family heritage, I was raised on a lovely combination of French, Southern, and Amish cooking, all of which entail a lot of real butter, real cream, lots of eggs, full fat everything, and yet I was the scrawniest kid you've ever seen. Go figure. (Sure wish that still applied now...sigh.) Anyway, yes, my kids actually do enjoy French cooking, though they're not fully aware that it's anything special. I do own Mastering the Art of French Cooking, as well as The French Chef Cookbook, companion to the tv series. The thing that I really love about Julia is the way she makes true French cooking so accessable, giving the cook freedom to muck about with a recipe and truly make it her own. I'm terribly fond of her recipe for coq au vin, though it's different in the two books. That just makes it more interesting, I think, in that it illustrates the versatility of the dish.
One of the first dishes I made as a new bride was boeuf bourguignon, and even though I was really fairly new to cooking, it turned out fabulously. Much of cooking is not an exact science, and that's what I love about it...it always feels like kitchen alchemy.
In all honesty, though, I've not made much of hers lately. Not only do I lose a great deal of enthusiasm for being in the kitchen when it gets all hot & humid like this, but I've been trying desperately to lose 25 pounds, and sadly, my lifestyle can't currently support an entirely French diet right now. You just don't get a fat lot of exercise in 900 square feet, ya know. Come fall, though, I inevitably am lured back into the kitchen, dreaming of roasts and stews and beef cooked in red wine with mushrooms and thyme...mmmmm.
**drools slightly**
Christine, I can't recommend her books enough. :-D There are a great deal of non-meat based dishes as well, though personally, I'm as carnivorous as it gets. And yeah, I love to cook with wine...sometimes I even put it in the food. Heh.
Oh, and one more thing...I didn't like Julie & Julia as much as I wanted to, either. The author didn't seem like she was really enjoying what she was doing, like it became some big unpleasant chore. In fact, I don't believe I actually finished the darn thing...it was due back at the library (I was about 3/4 of the way through), and it just never called to me enough to pick it back up.
Toast, however, was fabulous, and I can't wait to get my paws on his other kitcheny book (can't remember the name to save my life right now).
Oh, and don't fool yourself into thinking Mastering the Art is intimidating. Remember, Julia herself couldn't cook her way out of a wet paper bag until she was pushing 50. Your children clearly aren't starving to death, so you obviously know your way around the kitchen just fine. I sure wouldn't recommend doing it like the author of that book did, though...three weeks of aspics would sour even the most dedicated chef, I think.
You won't go wrong with Julia's own, "My Life in France". More on her early years than her PBS time, but that's probably more interesting anyway. This was a biography I really enjoyed and you know how hard that is.
Oh, and 18 pages for a single recipe intimidates me, for sure.
Chris and I are big fans, and we would love lo loan you our "French Chef" dvd's - I think Heather mentioned them. My mom interviewed her years ago and gave me an autographed cookbook - "The Way to Cook". Chris uses her books, and he has used this one off and on. I agree with Heather - she does seem to make it all accessible. We loved seeing her reconstructed kitchen at the Smithsonian - She marked out where all her utensils went on her pegboard walls.
Wow, I didn't realize that Julia Childs didn't start cooking hardcore until she was in her 50's! That gives hope to even the worst of cooks (namely, me). Her biography sounds interesting. Maybe I'll pick it up sometime--thanks everyone.
~Lisa
No, Lisa, rest assured, I possess the title "Worst of Cooks." Everyone is only second-best (worst) to the girl who thinks making a peanut butter sandwich is more work than she really wants to do for food.
Heather, thanks for you response. I knew you'd have a thing or two to say about Julia Child. The Slater book you want (and probably have on interlibrary loan) is The Kitchen Diaries.
There was something surprising and refreshing about Julie & Julia. She is a woman who clearly loves her husband, and he clearly suppports her. That was a pleasure to read for a change.
Don, I'll look for My Life in France at the library, thanks! You should pick up Toast when you finish your re-read of Dandelion Wine.
Sophia, I'd love to borrow a French Chef DVD or two! And the Smithsonian exhibit plays a part in the book. I was going to ask you if you'd seen it before or if you'll see it when you go to DC this summer.
Lisa, I like that Child came to cooking later, too.
Danika, you're less interested in food than your brother? Mr. White Bread and Ketchup? Impossible!
No, actually, despite my brother's painfully limited food repetoire, he cooks and bakes. Only stuff he likes, but he does it well. I don't cook, and would forego eating if I didn't get so darn hungry.
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