Boeuf Bourguignon by Julia Child

Scrumptious, belly warming, mouth watering .. how else can you describe this magnificent dish? After watching Julie & Julia, I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make this, meaning i'd have to own a Le Creuset first. Everytime i walk into Sur La Table i stare at all the colors and sizes and just dream of a colorful kitchen filled of Le Creusets.  Last weekend i finally broke down and got one. my first choice would have been yellow (as are most things) but they didnt have it in the size i wanted .. Orange it is!

it would be unjust for me to somehow tutorial this recipe in any way, just because i believe you have to get the book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  It presents its recipes in such a unique way, i feel if you are going to prepare this dish, you have to do it her way, by her words.

yay! so i did it. and let me tell you, it was easy, but it really wasnt that easy.  i followed her recipe to the T, but i couldnt find bacon with the rind. and the whole foods guy said he wouldn't know where to get it either, so he suggested i just stick with their regular bacon. and not that i know what bacon rind looks/tastes like, everything turned out fine to me.

Also, there are recipes within the recipe like brown braising the pearl onions and sauteing the mushrooms (like i said, get her book) so there were many steps, but it was totally worth it and i would definitely make it again!!

Julie & Julia

The moment I saw the previews for Julie&Julia I have been counting down the DAYS for it to come out, and tonight i finally saw it. It.Was.Scrumptious. From the first sight Julia's deboned Dover Sole covered with butter to Julie Powells' own Chocolate Pie and all the way through to Julia's famous Duck en Croute, every scene was like a sweet and savory taste of what each womens life was like. My favorite scenes were the ones of Julia at Le Cordon Bleu, learning techniques side by side with more experienced chefs. I couldn't help but draw parallels between Julia and I, because at cooking school i often screw up and it just made me realize that even the most talented and passionate people have a rough beginning. As for Julie Powell, I am so amazed that she actually cooked all 524 recipes in just 365 days! I wish i had that sort of ambition! This movie has truly been an inspiration and totally made me want to get into the kitchen and make some Boeuf Bourguignon! Until then, bon apetit!