If you’re a foodie - probably even if you aren't - I don’t have to tell you who Julia Child is. (Just in case, she’s a legendary television cooking personality and cookbook author.) A little lesser known (until her movie is released in August, that is) but quite impressive in her own right is Julie Powell a former secretary turned writer-cum-butcher (thanks to the help of Julia, well her cookbook any way). In 2004, Julie decided to revitalize her mediocre life by cooking all 524 recipes in Julia’s infamous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I know! Who would have thought, right?
Well, Julie did, and here I sit inspired because her reinvention plan worked. In 2004 she started out blogging about her French cooking experiences in her tiny New York apartment. Then in 2005 she turned her posts into a book. And now in 2009 she’s about to have her story turned into a movie, 
directed by Nora Ephron and starring Meryl Streep and Amy McAdams no less. (Check out the Julie & Julia trailer at tribute.ca.) Hello Julie, you have arrived.
Let the Cooking Begin
So as I said, I'm inspired. Not so much to write a book (I’ll leave that to Julie, oh and Chantel) but to cook more often. While I do feel pretty at home in the kitchen, I must confess I’m not the most adventurous and often find myself cooking the same old things. So I’ve decided that while I can’t commit to cooking 524 of Julia Child’s recipes in a year, I can absolutely commit to trying one new recipe a week. But I don’t want to do this alone (where’s the fun in that?) so I’m going to need your help.
How You Can WIN Cookbooks
Besides offering the obvious moral support, advice and tips in the comments section (oh how I will need those), I’m also hoping you will give me recipe suggestions, too. What recipes should I try out to expand my horizons? Is there a dish you want to try but are unsure you can actually handle it? Let me know and I’ll do the testing for you. Then every Thursday you can check back here to see what new recipe I’ve attempted. I promise to document, pictures and all. (Note: This probably will not be pretty.)
And as a thank you for your comments, each week we'll give you a chance to WIN fabulous cookbooks to add to your collection at home. After all, we hate to be the only ones getting our hands dirty in the kitchen. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even want to share some stories of your own.
My First Recipe, PLUS our Julie Child Giveaway
Since Julia really is the woman who started this all, I thought it only appropriate to try one of her recipes first. I’ve attempted to make Broiled Butterflied Chicken from Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom. Click here to read about my not-so-graceful (at all) first try and then share your feedback and suggestions for what recipe I should try next.
 Read Tribute.ca’s Julie & Julia Movie Preview!
If Julia Child taught us anything about food, it's that everything tastes better with butter, and that a little "cognac never hurt anything." Whether it was her enormous presence on her televised cooking show, her passion for French cuisine or the charming warble of her voice, Child had that "it" factor that inspired audiences to get their gastronomy on and cook with flair. "She was one of those people whose character was sort of as huge as what she was trying to say," Meryl Streep says.... Read the more at www.tribute.ca. |