JULIA...once again
Julia Child in our lives.
What film had our hostess just watched...you guessed, Julie and Julia.
I entered a secondhand bookshop in Lyon this Christmas and as usual went straight to the cuisine section. Mastering the Art of French Cooking sat on the shelf..it was somebody's old beaten up 1971 edition, full of personal notes on recipes with favourites bookmarked. It now sits in state in my own bookshelf. When you read the simply explained recipes it is not difficult to believe that my book is the fifteenth edition of the 1961 original.
Last night we were invited out to supper with friends. French friends.
We sat down to a simple table with a huge bowl of steaming noodles in the middle,
A large black casserole pot was proudly placed on the table, off with the lid...
The odors of a 'melt in the mouth' Boeuf Bourguignon filled the table with a presence of its own.
Teamed with an excellent Pauillac 2004, our hostess's Boeuf Bourguignon had us oooing and ahing in total respect and awe of her 6 hour preparation -it was worth every minute.
What film had our hostess just watched...you guessed, Julie and Julia. The spirit of this amazing portrayal of what I consider as food's finest ambassador, Julia Child, makes even the busiest of 21st century modern business women run back to the kitchen and start cooking.
This amazing woman broke down all the cultural and macho barriers to cooking. She democratized cooking for the world. She took the "for French chefs only" out of French cooking and gifted us with a human version - she made fine French cuisine accessible.
Looking back to the context of the period when she did this renders her pilgrimage to master French cuisine even more fantastic - the very idea of a woman entering the male confines of Cordon Bleu in the late 40's has me lying down! Even today we know how hard it is for woman to reach the upper echelons of the cooking world, especially in France.
I entered a secondhand bookshop in Lyon this Christmas and as usual went straight to the cuisine section. Mastering the Art of French Cooking sat on the shelf..it was somebody's old beaten up 1971 edition, full of personal notes on recipes with favourites bookmarked. It now sits in state in my own bookshelf. When you read the simply explained recipes it is not difficult to believe that my book is the fifteenth edition of the 1961 original.Julia has certainly come back into my life. She has made me realise the importance of food in my life - how I myself first came to France with the goal to learn more about food, a dream which was shelved, a passion left to wilt. I guess like many of us, after seeing this wonderful film, Julie and Julia, I have put things back into perspective and dreams back on track.
Bon appetit!!
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Dear Suzy, what a beautifully written and emotive tribute to Julia Child. May your dreams come true!
ReplyDeleteAnne, Paris
Cannot read enough about Julia Child. Thanks Susie for your take on this great woman.
ReplyDeleteDear Suzie
ReplyDeleteI saw the film and had the same chemical reaction...into the kitchen, make a beef bourguignon, food is love!! Julia Child was an amazing woman and a tribute to her generation. Did you ever see her show? It was awesome! Many thanks, great post.
Great post about Julia!
ReplyDeleteJust read your post on Julia Child, all so true. A simply incredible piece of womanhood! Even as a child I adored watching her show with my mother, remember the free hand with the cognac bottle - so funny!
ReplyDeleteDear Fiona, Thanks for your comment. Yes I do remeber Julias show. I used to watch it with my mother and noone was allowed to talk as she used to try and jott down all the recipes. Our fav moments were when Julia used to get our the cognac bottle....add a little cognac she would say and tip up the bottle!! Fabulous, no wonder she lived to over 90!
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