12 Aug Julie and Julia inspires cooks to try dinner and a movie
Check out my “Julie and Julia: Dinner and a Movie”
in the Great Falls Tribune Wednesday, August 12, 2009.
‘Julie & Julia’ inspires cooks to try dinner and a movie
Foodies everywhere are flocking to theaters to catch “Julie and Julia,” Nora Ephron’s adaptation of two national bestsellers: Julie Powell’s “Julie & Julia” and “My Life in France” written by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme.
The movie stars Meryl Streep as Julia Child, co-author of the revolutionary cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and star of the television show “The French Chef,” and Amy Adams as Julie Powell, an underappreciated secretary looking for meaning and purpose in life.
She launches her “Julie-Julia Project,”
tackling all 524 recipes in Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in the course of 365 days.
“Learn how to cook — try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun,” Child
advises in “My Life in France.”
And it seems that is exactly what author Julie Powell sets out to do in her book, “Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously,” though not without moaning and groaning and at times even cursing JC (as she likes to call Julia) in the book.
What better way to celebrate Julia Child’s contributions to the culinary world than by throwing a dinner party, serving a Julia Child-inspired menu and heading off to see the show?
But, what’s for dinner? Images of Julie’s husband and brother scouring New York City for marrowbone and
the horror of Julie’s lobster killing sent me running back to Child’s charming memoir for inspiration.
Leafing through “My Life in France,” I ran across mention of a memorable dinner Julia and her husband Paul threw in honor of the summer solstice one year at their home in Provence.
I threw on my apron and went to work, modifying recipes for ease of preparation and availability of ingredients. (I can almost hear Julia gasping now). I’m certain her co-author Simca (Simone Beck) would have scoffed at
my recipes, saying, “C’est pas francais!” just as she had scolded Julia during the writing of Volume II of “Mastering.”
But, then I am reminded of Julia’s voice saying, “Never apologize” and so I won’t, especially in light of Julia’s words of wisdom: “above all have fun!” Bon Appetit and enjoy the show.
LE MENU
Les Feuilletons de Boeuf en Croute
(Beef tenderloins in pastry)
Tomates a la Provencale
(Tomatoes stuffed with bread crumbs, herbs and cheese)
Mousseline au Chocolat
(Chocolate Mousse)
SYDNE GEORGE PHOTO
The French chef calls this Les Feuilletons de Boeuf en Croute. To the American cook it’s beef tenderloin in puff pastry. BEEF TENDERLOIN STEAKS IN PASTRY
½ cup butter, divided
8 ounces white mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tbsp. shallots, finely minced
2 tsp. dried thyme
6 6-ounce beef tenderloin steaks
1 egg, beaten
Melt ¼ cup butter in a medium saute pan over medium high heat and saute mushrooms and shallots until softened. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Wipe out pan. Heat remaining ¼ cup butter over medium high heat and sear steaks, browning both sides of each steak.
Place steaks on baking sheet, leaving ample room in between. Top each steak with 1-2 tablespoons mushrooms, covering the
top of each steak.
Cut thawed puff pastry sheets to make covers for the steaks and drape over steaks.
Tuck edges of pastry around each steak, pressing to seal.
Use additional pastry to cut out decorations for the tops.
Brush pastry with beaten egg.
Bake at 425° for 18 minutes for rare, 22 minutes for medium and 26 minutes for well done.
Serves six.
TOMATOES STUFFED WITH BREAD CRUMBS, HERBS AND CHEESE
6 medium tomatoes with stems intact
½ cup olive oil, divided
2 cups fresh white bread crumbs
¼ cup freshly snipped basil, thyme and parsley
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ tsp. sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Using a serrated knife, cut around the tops of the tomatoes,
leaving the stem intact and removing the lids.
Scoop out insides of tomatoes with melon baller or spoon. Discard seeds and cores.
Wipe insides of tomatoes dry with paper towels.
Brush insides of tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl and stir
until mixed together.
Stuff tomatoes with bread mixture and replace tomato lids.
Place stuffed tomatoes in oiled baking dish, in a single layer, not touching.
Bake in 425° oven with beef tenderloins for last 10-15 minutes of baking, being careful not to overbrown tomatoes.
Serves six.
SYDNE GEORGE PHOTO
Chocolate Mousse
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. almond extract
1 6-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar, for chocolate curls
Begin the day before you plan to serve the mousse.
In a medium heavy saucepan, heat cream over medium high heat until simmering.
Add chocolate chips and whisk with wire whisk until completely smooth.
Add almond and whisk to combine.
Transfer to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, pour mousse mixture into a chilled mixing bowl and beat with chilled beaters until stiff peaks form.
Spoon or pipe into individual serving bowls.
Using vegetable peeler, make chocolate curls with bittersweet chocolate bar.
Garnish chocolate mousse with chocolate curls.
Enjoy!
1 17.3-ounce package puff pastry, thawed
Oren Klemash
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skgadmin
Posted at 20:53h, 20 JanuaryThanks, Oren.
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skgadmin
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