tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54577669258458668582024-02-06T22:13:10.791-05:00Collegiate CookeryI've loved cooking and baking since my mom taught me to cook when I was little. For the past few years at school, I've lamented not being able to jump into the kitchen as readily or as often as when I'm at home.
So now, I'm going to document the process of learning to cook new and fabulous things even though I'm cooking in a dorm kitchen!Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18104664465587753769noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5457766925845866858.post-31446694202434434782009-07-22T02:33:00.013-04:002009-07-23T02:58:34.498-04:00Galette au Prunier - Plum Tart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc3nQT5PHyW-JmToRZRbkWOJ80AMxKbXC17RSUsR8_C5YFskA3gAVJAHox_vsLGnUSpAisY-b2FJd27d4NWv2oRYlq_bteyWO1jxcxqCFXSEItuIX7NouUqz0ESkAO6GspAnAxYzvCk_h/s640/Summer%202009%20203.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 403px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc3nQT5PHyW-JmToRZRbkWOJ80AMxKbXC17RSUsR8_C5YFskA3gAVJAHox_vsLGnUSpAisY-b2FJd27d4NWv2oRYlq_bteyWO1jxcxqCFXSEItuIX7NouUqz0ESkAO6GspAnAxYzvCk_h/s640/Summer%202009%20203.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span">One of my earliest "fancy restaurant" memories</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span"> </span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span">growing up goes back to my parent's 25<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> Wedding <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Anniver</span></span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sary</span>. I was about 8 at the time.</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span"> I</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span"> remember sitting at the table with my family around it, and I remember being excited that my parents were c</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">elebrating</span> their "Silver Anniversary" (the "silver" part was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">wha</span></span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span">t really </span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span">captivated my imagination for some reason).<o:p></o:p></span></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >I'm not going to </span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >pretend I remember all the details of the meal, because I honestly don't. I do remember that this was the first time I'd heard of such a thing as a "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">sundried</span> tomato" at the time, the image of a bunch of tomatoes (one of my least favorite foods at the time) sitting around in the </span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >sun wasn't appealing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >What I remember most <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">clea</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">rly</span> a</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >bout the meal its</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >elf though is dessert. I remember having two op</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">tions</span>: molten chocolate cake OR <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">plu</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >m tart. As an 8 year old, it would have been pretty much expected for me to go for the chocolate cake (my brother knows how fond of chocolate cake young Matthew was!). However, demonstrating even then my eagerness to jump into the culinary unknown, I opted for the plum tart.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >My father made fun </span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >of me for that f</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >or ages...I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">wo</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">uld</span> just rave about that tart. It was delicious - sweet, sour, fresh and visually pretty all at once. Months and even a few years afterwards I would mention that tart and my dad would smile and proceed to tease me about it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >Well, the other day, while reading<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>My Life in France,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>Julia Child mentioned being impressed by a deliciously simple<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">galette</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>made by her instructor. This led to a little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">internet</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">resea</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">rch</span> and I wound up determining that a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">galette</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(in the sense in which she was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">referri</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">ng</span> to one) is a kind of free-form rustic tart. I figured it</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" > sounded easy e</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">nough</span> and definitely like something which would be quick and inexpensive and wouldn't tax</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" > the dorm kitchen too much with the first go. I have been baking since I was very young, I know my way around a mixing bowl, one might say. So I was excited to jump at something fresh, simple</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >, and (hopefully) delicious.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >A<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">galette</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>is a fool-proof pastry. Anyone who has ever considered trying to bake a pie or tart should get ready to jump into the kitchen and make one (and seriously, a homemade pie will trump ANYTHING <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">storbought</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">anyday</span>). Quite simply, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">galette</span> is a sheet of pastry dough, halfway wrapped around a fruit filling. A</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>gal</i></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><i>e</i></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><i><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">tt</span></i></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><i>e<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>can be made with any fruit -- pretty much throwing in whatever is in season will produce excellent results. It's best to use fruits like apples, pears, peaches, or...plums. The best part is that the tart is free-form and made without a pan...it couldn't be easier!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >I couldn't find a recipe that did quite what I wanted, so I decided to just make it up based on what recipes I DID see and my own <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">knowledg</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >e of baking. This is what I came up with.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3a1JCR2uU2IAwGUynAzzNu9xEZMLRdmlJLRCUVfgPkfLe6nzfY4DvwXhjBdy33XcqSxaJRjoNW2ehDxHFUyV8jgknciYgUOFi-E1NZjI0Xo9d-KB8ddl9kyUTiqVgwVrWottjzStxJ66D/s640/Summer%202009%20219.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3a1JCR2uU2IAwGUynAzzNu9xEZMLRdmlJLRCUVfgPkfLe6nzfY4DvwXhjBdy33XcqSxaJRjoNW2ehDxHFUyV8jgknciYgUOFi-E1NZjI0Xo9d-KB8ddl9kyUTiqVgwVrWottjzStxJ66D/s640/Summer%202009%20219.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Galette</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">au</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Prunier</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i></b><b><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >: <st1:place st="on">Plum</st1:place> Tart</span></b><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >For the Crust:</span></i><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <ul type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">1 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">1 Tablespoon granulated sugar<o:p></o:p></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">1/8 teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">1/8-1/4 Cup ice water</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >For the Filling</span></i><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ul type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">5 plums<o:p></o:p></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">pinch of salt<o:p></o:p></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">1 Tablespoon granulated sugar</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">1 Tablespoon flour, + more for dusting<o:p></o:p></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">1 Tablespoon butter</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83UjDNmwUC3E7-iRkCunCTpOMdbF-DTKNsCXgFMhJLFiY6aumR341F5mI5jOzrOkYFx5Czl4jxJlJbtyisOfR7-XKrBt4xTm3NoDZF7iQQgBd6d3sBOOGdr0zw1V0eXY8nCVlc8cRNhms/s640/Summer%202009%20168.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83UjDNmwUC3E7-iRkCunCTpOMdbF-DTKNsCXgFMhJLFiY6aumR341F5mI5jOzrOkYFx5Czl4jxJlJbtyisOfR7-XKrBt4xTm3NoDZF7iQQgBd6d3sBOOGdr0zw1V0eXY8nCVlc8cRNhms/s640/Summer%202009%20168.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></li> </ul>1). Preheat the oven to 450 F. <span style="font-family:Georgia;">Slice each of the plums into about 8 slices each. They don't h</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;">ave t</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;">o be even...it's a rustic tart so just have fun with it! *** The best </span><span style="font-family:Georgia;">way to cut slice a plum </span><span style="font-family:Georgia;">is to cut it in half starting at the natural split in the plum's fl</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;">e</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;">sh near <span class="apple-style-span">the stem. Once you've cut all the way around, twist each half <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">gentl</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">y in the opposite direction and the plum will ope</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">n itself.</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span"><br /><br />2). Next, mix the plums with the 1 Tablespoon of flour, the salt and the sugar -- I know, salt sounds out of place, but it actually brings out the natural flavor of the fruit, while the sugar will not only add a little more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">sweetne</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">ss</span>, but will also help to start breaking down the fruit so it starts</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span"> to produce juice! Set that bowl aside. </span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span"><br /><br />3). In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">, and salt. Then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or by gently rub</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">bing</span> the flour and butter together (I just used my hands...I don't have a pasty cutter here at school!) until you have clumps somewhere between the size of peas and cornmeal.<br /><br />4)</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">. slowly ad</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">d a small amount of water to the butter</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">flou</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">r mixture until there's enough that the clumps <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">wi</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">ll begin to stick together. There's no ex</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">act s</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">cience</span> to how <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">muc</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="apple-style-span">h water you'll need so just go until you can form it into a ball of dough. It'll look something like this.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9AysiX9GgLO_cggtKeHDsus2WUEcr0JdIK950dpLQdXxd6FDtrvzBjHz04zzFsjD0lK3mD96JjTCRRUIFJEmZGTLIS7Ntl3HrQKhrNzMHUQlM9RlksWCtZGjUu1NijM1CIM-gzD4tXAV/s640/Summer%202009%20178.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9AysiX9GgLO_cggtKeHDsus2WUEcr0JdIK950dpLQdXxd6FDtrvzBjHz04zzFsjD0lK3mD96JjTCRRUIFJEmZGTLIS7Ntl3HrQKhrNzMHUQlM9RlksWCtZGjUu1NijM1CIM-gzD4tXAV/s640/Summer%202009%20178.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />5). Now, roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface, being careful to fix any rips along the way! Try to get your dough to be as close to an oval or circle as you can...but again, the shape doesn't matter...the messier it is, the more "rustic" it looks!<br /><br />6). Once you've rolled out your dough, transfer it to a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Then dust the surface of the dough with flour and dot it with butter (this will help keep the crust from getting too soggy while simultaneously ensuring the plums will have a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">nic</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAjWehvM2_VIaH0gSf4NW67xY81RCihX4wC0-HRSt17JKgdwxzbt0wSBRPabtRnJknpwpk0vsfP1KQlISUHKxUeblMJ6U2BzOngO7GD9KSGqxxEHaHbdXkZak_1_A3FEmpvCn7-dnBWyP/s640/Summer%202009%20183.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAjWehvM2_VIaH0gSf4NW67xY81RCihX4wC0-HRSt17JKgdwxzbt0wSBRPabtRnJknpwpk0vsfP1KQlISUHKxUeblMJ6U2BzOngO7GD9KSGqxxEHaHbdXkZak_1_A3FEmpvCn7-dnBWyP/s640/Summer%202009%20183.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>e thick sauce!<br /><br /><br />7). Arrange the plums on the dough however you'd like, being sure to leave some room to fold the dough over. I decided to go with a more "upscale" arrangement...I figured it's about time for me to get things looking 'fancier'. But as it's a rustic tart...feel free to just dump it on there...it's all up to how you want it to look!<br /><br />8). Now, gently fold the edges of the crust over the fruit, be sure to seal it tightly so that the juices don't escape...but again, don't worry about how it looks!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RLreq8huUpdAAKCKiQIkaDbs1cIcuhTJf_Ot8JOgtGitwGqodxnSImdAPGOLYMSXcesPj57PmckDsvd463T0jAiGxg0c06VCNVgtdMYk0VUbTe7HGN2e9TYiJvNjRmx6Zavh4KyDO-up/s640/Summer%202009%20191.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 204px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RLreq8huUpdAAKCKiQIkaDbs1cIcuhTJf_Ot8JOgtGitwGqodxnSImdAPGOLYMSXcesPj57PmckDsvd463T0jAiGxg0c06VCNVgtdMYk0VUbTe7HGN2e9TYiJvNjRmx6Zavh4KyDO-up/s640/Summer%202009%20191.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />9). Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce around the plums is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.<br /><br />Allow the <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">galette</span> </span>to cool, but be sure to enjoy it warm. It can keep (refrigerated!) for a couple of days, but the longer you save it, the soggier the pastry will be. Besides...I've never known pastry to sit around uneaten!<br /><br />I'm happy to be able to consider my first foray into "stepped up" cooking to be a success. And I managed to recreate one of my favorite early food memories in one fell swoop.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:arial;font-size:16;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;font-size:13;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Bon</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Appétit</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >!</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5V7pJXuq5OFBhuXXpnMVr634vPDnGNYKTChSi8JcfQnkrdPqBi5jB4Px3Ry5Cbb5Vmxr62hmeKaMVzfUJhdRuDOJfdTI6k96roVVYRBX7W9V5PBz0x8YMlmjbIJGDJlxo9wWzLzoQ0Mt/s1600-h/Summer+2009+201.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5V7pJXuq5OFBhuXXpnMVr634vPDnGNYKTChSi8JcfQnkrdPqBi5jB4Px3Ry5Cbb5Vmxr62hmeKaMVzfUJhdRuDOJfdTI6k96roVVYRBX7W9V5PBz0x8YMlmjbIJGDJlxo9wWzLzoQ0Mt/s320/Summer+2009+201.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361544622011254882" border="0" /></a><ol start="1" type="1"> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><ol start="1" type="1"> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18104664465587753769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5457766925845866858.post-77522595402896518912009-07-22T01:07:00.005-04:002009-07-22T01:40:24.761-04:00"Bon Appétit!"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stupidcelebrities.net/wp-content/julia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 246px;" src="http://stupidcelebrities.net/wp-content/julia.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />While my dear friend Stephanie was visiting me here in DC a couple weeks ago, we popped into a Barnes & Noble where I stumbled upon a display of <span style="font-style: italic;">My Life in France</span>, by Julia Child. While I vaguely recall watching <span style="font-style: italic;">The French Chef</span> (Julia Child's PBS cooking show) with my mom when I was about 5 years old, and while I'm certainly familiar with all the jokes about her voice and manner of speaking I realized that I didn't know much about her.<br /><br />I decided to buy it.<br /><br />When I actually picked it up to read it a couple days ago, I was quite pleased to discover that I just couldn't put it down. The book is fabulous (and I heartily recommend it to anyone with even the vaguest interest in cooking, france, julia child, or food in general). A memoir, the book begins with her move to post-war Paris with her husband Paul. She was in her mid-thirties and didn't know anything about French or cooking. The book then follows her growth from a pasadena housewife who could barely cook a meal to the author of the groundbreaking book <span style="font-style: italic;">Mastering the Art of French Cooking</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume II</span> as well as numerous other books and a thoroughly successful cooking show. In fact, though other chefs had attempted cooking s<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEr5_9klzkOV9xaWBhZUXZoVhK_Lh5xrv6u17D6vw8GskDVqgRv5YgBN-wTfGebIhVMPEbFBa7NyNMh66yoKAujtn8iGqe3L6jsg3t9rwcdqqQFmSe9WUQa7X6xoI0pODW-jFWYfXyhRb/s1600-h/Julia's+Kitchen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEr5_9klzkOV9xaWBhZUXZoVhK_Lh5xrv6u17D6vw8GskDVqgRv5YgBN-wTfGebIhVMPEbFBa7NyNMh66yoKAujtn8iGqe3L6jsg3t9rwcdqqQFmSe9WUQa7X6xoI0pODW-jFWYfXyhRb/s320/Julia's+Kitchen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361153541556266834" border="0" /></a>hows before her, hers was the first one to reall click...something anyone who has an unhealthy obsession with The Food Network - myself included - should consider!<br /><br /> One of the things that really got to me in this book was Julia's description of the process by which she learned to cook. The apartment she and Paul had in Paris had what could hardly be described as the ideal kitchen for learning the art <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">la cuisine bourgeois </span></span>(middle class French cooking...what we generally consider "Classic French Food"). <em></em> This got me to thinking that having a crummy kitchen is no excuse for not cooking and baking. Especially when food is one of my strongest passions. I've cooked food in the dorms before - something sort of thrown together here or something there, nothing really <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span>.<br /><br />Thanks to Julia Child, however, I've resolved to put that behind me and really commit myself to feeding my passion for being in the kitchen. I'll be adventurous. I'll expand my culinary horizons and take on new and exciting dishes just because I can - in spite of my limitations as a college student living in the Residence Halls.<br /><br />In putting my foot down on that, I feel like I've made one of those decisions where I'm saying "yes. I AM going to be myself and do what I <span style="font-style: italic;">want</span> to do for myself." I couldn't be more excited.<br /><br />I'm also going to have to pick up a copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Mastering the Art of French Cooking</span>...and possibly a DVD box set of <span style="font-style: italic;">The French Chef</span>.Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18104664465587753769noreply@blogger.com1