Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Julie and Julia!

We all thought it was terrific--and Linda had seen it once already, on Friday afternoon with her daughter, and a much older crowd than ours.

"Funny," she said, "yesterday they didn't laugh, but they clapped more."

She saw it yet again a day or two later, with another friend--and thinks that won't be the last time.

The movie so delighted and inspired me that I decided to have some people over for dinner on Tuesday and cook some things (well, at least one thing) from The Book--a far cry from Julie's accomplishment but a signicant commitment from a rough-and-ready, down-and-dirty cook like me.

The things ended up being vichysoisse (which I'd never made before), ratatouille, and roast chicken. Despite my deficiencies in technique and deviations from the recipes (not peeling the potatoes, not degreasing or straining the sauce for the chicken, etc.), they turned out fine.

I wonder if all over the country, people who've seen The Movie are making such tribute dinners. . . .

"They should have had that book for sale in the theater lobby," Linda said. "Bet they could have sold a lot."

"But everybody who goes already has it," Jim said.

1 comment:

Geoffrey Fox said...

We liked the movie, too. I don't really go for all that butter, but I do love anything with Meryl Streep, who was -- as usual -- brilliant. I may try a simpler version of boeuf bourguignon at home, from the popular French housewife's book "Je sais cuisiner", now appearing for the 1st time in English. The author (now deceased) had said that Child's book was great, but for restaurateurs, not homemakers -- too complicated.