Weekend Cook and Tell Roundup: 'Julie & Julia'
Photograph from pbs.org/juliachild
Last week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge was to recreate a dish from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The challenge was inspired by Julie & Julia, which opened over the weekend. As it turned out, the soaring temperatures of last weekend and this week made it much more appealing to go and see the movie than fire up the stove. We didn't get a lot of responses, but a few brave souls accepted the challenge. Here are some of their Julia-inspired responses:
Duncan1205 made Jambon Baise' au Made're. It's basically ham braised in Madeira and beef stock. Duncan1205 claims that this dish has converted non-ham-eaters into ham lovers.
Cybercita has made several recipes from MtAoFC, but the spinach gratin is the recipe that stands out in her mind, mostly for the hours of prep time it entailed.
My buddy Hawk Krall is the proud owner of a 1961 edition of MtAoFC and believes that, although many of the recipes are labor-intensive, "the craft of real French technique will never go out of style, or at least it shouldn't." I agree completely.
Cassaendra tried her hand at cherry clatoufi. She wasn't bowled over by the results, but I think it looks pretty great!
To celebrate Julia Child's birthday on August 15, betteirene will be making Los Gatos Gateau, disks of meringue with apricot filling and buttercream.
MadelynRodriguez plans to make Potatoes Dauphinois next weekend in the spirit of Julie & Julia. She also shared two of her favorite vegetarian French-inspired recipes, French onion soup that uses a roasted vegetable stock.
Thanks to all of you who braved the heat to participate in this week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge. We love to see what you are cooking at home, and your recipes, experiences, and photos that you share are always an inspiration. Be sure to head over to Talk and read about next week's challenge: too hot.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
9 Comments:
Thank you for the experience. It was enough impetus for me to go outside of my comfort zone to 1) create a dish from a cuisine I've never cooked; 2) bake.
Cassaendra at 7:11PM on 08/12/09
I highly recommend Reine de Saba, the Queen of Sheba chocolate cake. Easy, elegant, reliable, and most of all fabulous. I didn't do it this weekend and don't have a photo, but I have made it many times.
emilydev at 7:26PM on 08/12/09
I believe you mean "jambon braisé." The verbe "baiser" would indicate that something quite obscene is being done to the ham.
Thanks for the laugh,
Fleur
fleurdesel at 7:45PM on 08/12/09
@emilydev: That sounds like the title of a song I played on the electone when I was a child. Sounds cheesy, but maybe I'll bake it one day and play that song. :P
Cassaendra at 8:06PM on 08/12/09
This is the first time I've read this blog or posted, but it just happens that I tried one of these recipes this weekend. My girlfriend just read "My Life in Paris" and I am halfway through it. In the book Julia Child talks about how she becomes obsessed with mayonnaise and is making a ton of it trying to find the best flavor and consistency. So we made an attempt at mayo this weekend and had pretty decent success. The mayo was nice and creamy, had a nice, strong flavor of the olive oil and has kept well the past few days in the fridge. Certainly not the most ambitious recipe in the book, but its a start.
bfgpollara at 8:11PM on 08/12/09
The Reine de Saba was the birthday cake I requested most often as a child! I almost forgot about it. I'm going to have to go "borrow" my Mum's Mastering the Art soon...
PeanutButter at 9:14PM on 08/12/09
Wow...I wish that I had known about this "round-up".
After we saw the first showing in my area on Friday morning,
we went home and made Boeuf Bourguignon on page 318 of MtAoFC.
Yes, we ate late and yes it was yum...
I also did a "Julie & Julia giveaway" on my food blog to celebrate the movie and my one year blog anniversary:
http://feastingonpixels.blogspot.com/2009/08/happy-one-year-blogiversary-and-winner.html
A very inspiring movie for anyone that loves to cook,
and even those that don't...but just love to eat.
(insert Julia's voice here)
Bon appètit…!
metrogirl at 10:02PM on 08/12/09
I love her recipe for ratatouille!
ngarklav at 9:03AM on 08/13/09
I made her thon a la provencale recently
http://megan-deliciousdishings.blogspot.com/2009/08/dinner-inspired-by-julia-child.html
And also bisuit au buerre and filled layers of it with chantilly aux fraises
I don't know French, so I'm sorry if I mangled those names!
Megs915 at 3:38PM on 08/13/09