Skip to main content

In Celebration of Julia



'Julie and Julia' movie trailer


Before Giada, Ina, Paula, or Emeril came along, there was the Culinary Queen...the original....Julia Child. Her wit, charm...and that unmistakable voice. She was truly a force to be reckoned with.

August is going to be a very exciting month for Julia fans. First, the much-anticipated new movie Julie & Julia will be released on August 7th. And then...one month from today, on August 15th, foodies around the globe will celebrate Julia's birthday.

I can honestly say that there's no celebrity out there that I can really relate to...except for Julia. You've probably been asked the question, "If you could meet one famous person, dead or alive, who would it be?" There's no doubt that I would choose Julia. There are so many questions I'd like to ask her...so many things that I'd love to discuss with her. I'm currently reading her memoir, My Life in France. It has quickly become one of my favorite books I've ever read...and I'm not even finished with it yet. She is so inspiring. She has certainly inspired me and taught me to never give up...no matter how hard that recipe...or life in general!...seems.

I had no idea that she started her career so late in life. I guess I always just assumed she always loved cooking. Surprisingly, that was not the case! Did you know that she didn't really even start her career in the culinary world until she was 39 years old?? She discovered herself...and her love for cooking...in Paris. There's something magical about that city. I constantly find myself daydreaming about our visit there this past February. The food...the people...the culture...the markets...the "joie de vivre". Oh, I would love to live there for a year...or 2...or 10!

There are so many quotes from Julia in My Life in France that I love. There's one in particular that stands out in my mind and sums things up:

"By now I knew that French food was it for me. I couldn't get over how absolutely delicious it was. Yet my friends, both French and American, considered me some kind of nut: cooking was far from being a middle-class hobby, and they did not understand how I could possibly enjoy doing all the shopping and cooking and serving by myself. Well, I did! And Paul encouraged me to ignore them and pursue my passion."

It's quotes like these that make me love her and inspire me to "pursue my passion" as well.

There's one other quote that reminds me of how I felt after going to Paris...

"...I felt a lift of pure happiness every time I looked out the window. I had come to the conclusion that I must really be French, only no one had ever informed me of this fact. I loved the people, the food, the lay of the land, the civilized atmosphere, and the generous pace of life."

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about the new movie, Julie & Julia. A few months ago when I saw the trailer for the first time, I was like a little kid. The preview in the theater was the first I'd even heard of it. When it came on and I realized what it was, I leaned forward in my seat, squeezed Brad's hand tighter and tighter as the preview went on, and I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen. I was SO excited and happy about the movie...I know that sounds dorky, but darn it...I was thrilled! LOL. You better believe I'll be one of the first people in line on August 7th to buy my movie ticket!

So, in honor of Julia...now through the end of August, I'm going to conquer several recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. And of course, I'll post all about my experiences here! Stay tuned for more Julia!

I'll leave you with one final quote from Chef Bugnard in Julia's memoir that is so true:

"You never forget a beautiful thing that you have made...even after you eat it, it stays with you - always."


Photo of Julia Child courtesy of http://www.muddysbakeshop.com/

Comments

Sylwia said…
I love Julia Child! She was and is a true inspiration to so many. I can't wait to see the movie!!!
Celeste~ Tonight I saw a secret sneak peak of the preview of Julie &Julia. It was fabulous, flavorful, and fun!
Julia's personality was wonderful, but Julie the blogger was just as fun for me.
You will love every minute of it! I'm ready to see it again...

Popular posts from this blog

Absolutely Sinful Cinnamon Rolls

***Alrighty, here are the cinnamon rolls that I mentioned in my previous post. I put these together on Christmas Eve, and then baked them on Christmas morning. Let me just tell you...there's nothing quite like the smell of yummy cinnamon rolls wafting through the house on Christmas morning...ahhhhh...so wonderful! This is going to be a new tradition for us...fresh, homemade rolls on Christmas. I thought that I might try this recipe, and then maybe try a new one next year...until I found one that I really loved. However, I hit the jackpot on the first try! This is THE recipe that I'll always use. UPDATE:   Since originally writing this post in 2008, I've  made these cinnamon rolls every year for Christmas!  They are a holiday tradition that my family looks forward to all year!  You can see my other posts here, with lots more photos of these sinful cinnamon rolls: CHRISTMAS 2009 CHIRSTMAS 2010 CHRISTMAS 2011 The great thing was that I could prepare them on Christmas

My Favorite Quiche!

***It's not often that a recipe is worthy of re-posting.  I think I've only done that once or twice in the entire time I've written this blog.  However, this is one of those rare occasions.  Back in 2009 when Brad and I went to Europe, we had the most amazing Quiche Lorraine at the incredible Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris.  It was delicious and was served alongside a yummy salad of fresh greens (Quiche Lorraine sur Salade Verte).  Oh, it was heaven on a plate!  It also didn't hurt that we were sitting on the patio of one of the most famous cafes in Paris, after all...haha.  The atmosphere and people-watching in that particular area are hard to beat. I'll never forget the elderly lady that was sitting at the table right next to us (the tables were situated pretty close together).  She was dressed to-the-nines, was all by herself, and was just the quintessential, classy Parisian lady.  I wish more than anything that I had tried to strike up a conversation with her

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread - Southern Living

***There seriously aren't very many things that smell better than Banana Nut Bread baking in the oven.   Don't you agree?  This recipe for Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread from Southern Living magazine was one of the very first recipes that I added to this blog...back in November 2007!  In fact, I came across it when I worked for the magazine as a Marketing Intern.  Back then, I didn't have a photo for every recipe, and the blog post was simply the recipe and nothing else.  Because this is my go-to recipe for Banana Nut Bread (and because it is so amazing!), I thought that it deserved a little more attention.  This is quite honestly some of the best Banana Nut Bread that I've ever had.  An entire 8oz. package of cream cheese is added right to the batter, along with 4 mashed bananas.  The cream cheese adds so much to this recipe, with an incredibly moist texture being the main component.  Plus, the roasted pecans are the perfect addition.  Roasting the nuts brings out