After watching the movie Julie & Julia, (which I thought was absolutely marvelous) I decided to find out a little more about this "chef legendaire". So I browsed a few recipes, read up on her life, and tried a few dishes.
The woman is a genius.
Case in point: I decided to make an omelette a la Julia. Let me preface this by saying that I have never liked omelettes. I rarely even like scrambled eggs. This omelette, however, was different. It was divine breakfast food from the gods. No kidding! I just had to sit there for a moment and think, "Is this my cooking? Is this really just an omelette? Why have I not known about this before now?!" It was pure goldeny eggy bliss. And from that moment on, I knew that Julia Child was my new best friend.... Just as long as we have an understanding that I am not going to use nearly as much butter as she does.
Speaking of food, I think one of the reasons that I really liked the movie Julie and Julia is the same reason I like to cook. First off, there is something so nice about sharing good food with people. I rarely make something fancy for myself, it's just not the same. Sharing good food with good friends is where it's at. There is nothing better. Another reason I love cooking is summed up in a quote from Julie and Julia. After a stressful work day, Julie Powell said, "You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. You can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. That's such a comfort."
It's true. It's nice to know that there are certain, unchanging principals in cooking. And if it turns out wrong? I won't lose my job, I'll just order pizza.
