"Mastering the Art of French Cooking" First published in 1960, By

[radwriter0555]

Julie Child.



My goal over the next couple years is to literally cook my way through this book starting on page ONE; SOUPS... I'm rather excited about the "Sauces" section actually, since that probably is my weak spot. I just bought it as my xmas present to myself. That and a lovely robins egg blue set of Nigella Lawson mixing bowls.



granted, I'm already a very, very accomplished cook, but one can always learn from the Master.

Anyone else? What are you buying yourselves for xmas?

[trof]

1. Ever read any M.F.K.Fisher?

If not, you'd love her books on food.

[flamingyouth]

14. Hey trof!

You know that I too am a huge fan of M.F.K.'s.

[corarose]

2. You don't have to attend Culinary College to be a good Chef

You work your way through that book I can guarantee you that you will be better then some of the students coming out of my College.

Nigella Lawson has robins egg blue bowls out? Blue is my favorite color damn I want a set.

[corarose]

3. Buy yourself one good Chef Pan and a scale

Measure exactly as the recipe reads when it comes to baking but you can play around with the Culinary Part and you can make a recipe your own when it comes to cooking but now baking that is harder.

[radwriter0555]

7. Agreed. I learned to use a scale a long time ago, for accuracy in

baking...

I used to bake goods for a number of local small restaurants in the LA area. Grew up doing wedding cakes with my mom.

Cooking, I can diversify.

[corarose]

8. I made diet Challah bread the other day

The structure was not the same.

[Tracer]

4. Mastering the Art ...

I've had this book for years, and being an uninterested-in-cooking kinda person, the only thing I've consistently made from it is Julia's recipe for roast chicken.

Mmmmmmmm!!! Make it this way and you'll never try another recipe.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

5. of course

You mean Freedom Cooking, right?

[trof]

6. Julia taught me to make omelets.

On TV.

[SOteric]

9. Sauces stocks are difficult

In the classically-run, Escoffier-style kitchen, the saucier is the highest station for a cook, and the invidual most likely to be considered for promotion to Sous Chef. So, after you've mastered everything else, - then- they let you try your hand at stocks and sauces. Julia's a great guide and so much fun.

I think I'll gift myself with a DVD player this Christmas. I still don't have one, and its getting harder and harder to rent the movies I want to see on VCR.

[radwriter0555]

10. DVD players are really cheap now, like $40 a Circuit City...

definitely the way to go!

[GOPisEvil]

11. Two words: Progressive Scan

You can get combination DVD Players/VCRs for a fairly good price as well.

[corarose]

20. Sauces, Soups & Stocks

That's the hardest class in Culinary College and some people take it over ever when they get an A in it.

[BonjourUSA]

22. The sauce is the heart of the French cooking

But a French cooking book must only be a book and your imagination must only be your master guide for more taste and pleasure. That's the spirit of the French cooking.
Bon appétit ;-)

[TreasonousBastard]

12. Julia's a treasure.

She took haute cuisine and made it work for the rest of us, without the mystery or the special equipment. Even complicated dishes-- she gives techniques for failsafe home cooking.

I have a couple of her books, and she is simply amazing. Explains the "why's" perfectly.

Are the TV shows ever going to be distributed? They are still the best.

[Cleita]

13. I think there was a TV series about that years ago.

One of the characters was trying to make a Julia dish a day. I don't remember how it turned out or maybe the series got cancelled. I don't remember much more.

[flamingyouth]

15. Julia is actually an acquaintance of my family

She is completely amazing. Back in the early '80s, she wrote to my dad, saying she loved the smoked salmon he made in his little smokehouse. She had gotten it as a gift for Christmas (in '82, I think). So, she said she wanted to come to Seattle and film an episode of "Dinner at Julia's" at the smokehouse.

Now, mind you, this place was a little shack and here was Julia Child of Cambridge and Santa Barbara, wanting to not only meet us, but freaking film something there. We all thought we would die of the stress building up to it.

When she came in, she hugged everyone who worked there; and she's about 6'2" and a strapping woman if I've ever seen one. She made a point to introduce herself to me (13 at the time) and ask me about school, etc. I just thought she was the coolest person I'd ever met.

Her late husband Paul took photos the whole time they were there. He was an amazing photographer. She later invited my parents to join her at a dinner that night for the Northwest Culinary Alliance. To give an example of her earthiness, when my dad talked about how he liked to walk around Green Lake each day and see the geese, she exclaimed, "But do they goose you?!? They DO that, you know!"

I love Julia. In fact, everyone loves Julia. At 90, she still sends my folks Christmas cards, after all of these years. She is the most "real" person I have ever met. Anyone wanting to read more about her would enjoy Noel Riley Fitch's book "Appetite For Life," which actually includes a snippet about her in the smokehouse.

She and Paul led the most fascinating lives. And let's not forget that she got started as a chef rather late in life. In fact, she couldn't even cook when she first got married. Julia has been a huge inspiration to me.

[BuddhaGirl]

16. what a wonderful story!

Thanks for sharing that :-) I love Julia!

[flamingyouth]

17. Thanks, BuddhaGirl!

Too bad we don't have a Namaste icon! :-)

[Cleita]

18. I remember that episode.

I've always been a fan of Julia's. I used to watch her very first show, the one where she used to make all the mistakes. She was so charming and human, you couldn't help but love her, pancake flat souffles and all.

[flamingyouth]

19. You remember it? Seriously!

With the creosote walls and all. She just was a trooper. She wanted to make sure that those salmon were smoked right. What a woman.

She is as charming and human in person as she is on TV! Thanks for responding to my post, Cleita! :loveya:

[ACK]

21. I want one of those Pannini grills

I love Panninis.

Yum.

It sounds like a fun quest.

Hope you make through the book and remember Julia's stance on moderation and portions she took up later on. Good food, good ingredients, no compromises, moderation in portions... good formula for healthy eating I say.

Going through and trying to put together a list of Southern dishes to do this year to get back into cooking instead of relying on my wife so heavily. I grew up in a BBQ restaurant for goodness sakes.

Here is the list of dishes:

--Appetizers--

Fried Green tomatoes with remoulade and feta cheese

Crawfish tails cocktail with hot dipping sauce

Collard greens and potlikker with corn pone

Salmon Croquettes with Cayenne cajun cream sauce

Shrimp and Grits

Hoppin' John

--Soups--

Gumbo

Brunswick stew

Turtle soup

Venison stew

Southern Peanut Soup

--Entrees--

Shrimp Jambalaya with andouille sausage

Barbeque plate with pulled pork

Etouffee

Honey pecan chicken

Smoked chicken with Barbeque sauce 1/4 1/2 or the full bird

Cornmeal Fried Catfish with Rotel Tomato Cream sauce

Barbeque country ribs plate

Venison pie

Low Country Boil

--Sandwiches--

Shrimp or oyster Po' Boys

Roast Beef Po' Boy

Blackened Catfish Po' Boy

Barbeque sandwich pulled pork style

Babyback BBQ rib sandwich

Muffaletta

Summer tomato Sandwich

--Sides--

Yellow squash and vidialia onion medley

Potato salad

Mustard or turnip greens with a vinegar pepper sauce

Cole slaw

Butter beans or green beans cooked with the fatback

Baked squash

Black eye peas

fried okra

--Breads--

Buttermilk biscuits

Corn bread

Corn muffins

New Orleans style Baguettes

--Desserts--

Mississippi Mud Pie

Chocolate Carmel Pecan pie

Key Lime Pie

Bourbon bread pudding

Sweet Potato Pie