Okay, I’ll admit it. I went to see the new movie, Julie & Julia, TWICE this weekend! It was such a sweet movie, a tale of an era gone by. Right before I left for the movie, I finished reading My Life in France by Julia Child. What a lovely book it was! By the way, I abandoned Julie Powell’s Julie & Julia. (A group of teachers in Humble ISD told me I could let it go when I told them I just couldn’t get into the book!)
On a note of a text-to-text connection: Nora Ephron, the producer of the new movie, did a beautiful job of melding the two stories. One of Ephron’s books, I Feel Bad about My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman, is one of my all-time faves! It’s a hoot!
So first, I saw the movie with my friend, Jamila. Then my daughter, Jessica, came home for the weekend and I had to see it with her, too. Jess and I both love to cook. Every time I saw our favorite red Le Creuset Dutch oven in the movie (in both Julia and Julie’s kitchen), I thought of Jessica. You can’t make anything bad in that pot!
After watching the movie, I had to go home and cook. A true “response to literature!” This time it had to recipes from Julia. I tried her Roast Chicken, stuffed with thinly sliced lemon, quartered onion, and fresh herbs. It was the best roast chicken I’ve ever made! Accompanied by Julia’s Grated Zucchin Sauteed in Butter and Shallots. Yum! And as Julia would say, “Bon Appetit!”
Debbie Diller 