Movie Review--Julie & Julia

Mom & I enjoyed a foodie field trip day last Wednesday. We drove about an hour away to Birmingham where we window shopped, stopped at Penzey's spice store, and saw a matinee of Julie & Julia.

First though, we stopped at the drive-thru and heeded Mom's new addiction: chai tea lattes. I made the mistake of introducing those to her on our trip to Chicago earlier this summer and now she's hooked. With our lattes safely placed in the car's beverage holders, we were off to Birmingham.

We stopped at Forte for an early lunch. The weather was perfect so we sat at a sidewalk table. We shared some starters...Buffalo chicken spring rolls, tempura shrimp, and beef croquettes. All three dishes were prepared well and were very tasty.

Just two doors down was the movie theater, the Birmingham 8, a throwback to old movie palaces and one of my favorite places to see movies in Detroit. Mom & I took our seats as the lights went down and were transported to Paris in the 50s and 60s with Julia Child. Once the credits rolled, we realized that we weren't ready to come back to reality.

The movie is based on the book, Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell, a temp worker in New York City who decided to use Julia Child as her muse and cook her way through all the recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Writer/director Nora Ephron cleverly intertwines this modern-day story with the story of Julia Child's days as a newlywed and cooking student in Paris, based on Child's book, My Life in France.

I've read both books, by Powell and by Child, so I was curious to see the film versions, most especially because of Dame Meryl Streep, who can barely do any wrong as far as I'm concerned. Toss in Stanley Tucci, Jane Lynch, and Amy Adams and I knew that I could not, not see this movie.

The best parts of the film are, no surprise, the parts about Julia Child's life in France. This time period includes her falling in love with food and cooking and ultimately attending the Cordon Bleu. She goes on to teach some cooking classes and embarks on writing what would later become her masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, a cookbook for American women who want to learn how to cook classical French dishes. Streep plays Child as a sassy, fun-loving, adventurer who still can't believe that she's finally found someone to love her. Tucci's Paul Child is a quiet, intellectual type who is in awe of his wife. The two make one of the most charming couples I've seen on the screen in years.

Streep towers over her co-stars, sounds just like Julia and exhibits pure joy while in the kitchen or at the dining table. As for Amy Adams, she plays a down and out, frustrated unpublished writer, who plods to her cubicle everyday wishing she was somewhere, someone else. Casting Amy Adams automatically makes the character of Julie Powell sweet, likeable, and root-able. Truthfully, the Julie Powell character should've been played by Mary Lynn Rajskub, who plays Julie's friend in the film. Rajskub, who plays the acerbic Chloe on 24, exudes more of the spirit, or lack thereof, of Julie Powell. Instead we have Amy Adams' Julie Powell, depressed and obsessed, but still cute and likeable.

I'm nitpicking, because the scenes between Julie and her husband are also tender and sweet. I will not remember most of those modern day scenes though. I will remember Streep's Julia Child visiting the farmers' markets, practicing chopping onions, her Valentines' Days with Paul, and her custom kitchen in Boston. I would love for someone to make another film about Julia Child, 120 minutes of just her life, starring Streep, of course.

Toronto Eats

G & I traveled to Toronto in July and enjoyed a wonderful long weekend. The weather was perfect, breezy and 78 everyday. We explored new areas of the city, took some walking tours, and of course, ate some delicious food.

The trip had several high points. Our first walking tour was in Cabbagetown which has the highest continuous concentration of Victorian houses in the North America. We then walked to the lakefront and toured the farmers' market building. Us being us, we found a wine tasting inside and happily joined in the festivities.

We soon were hungry so we stopped at Jamie Kennedy's Wine Bar, a short walk from the farmers' market. The hostess asked us if we wanted to sit at the bar next to where the chefs cooked in the open kitchen. Um, yes please! Once we settled in and ordered our first glasses of wine (starting with a sauvignon blanc), the chef gave us each an amuse bouche; a scallop breaded and fried, topped with a small dollop of tartar sauce and microgreens. One bite and we knew we were in the right place.

We had tempura asparagus that knocked us out and then switched to Shiraz in our glasses. We followed that up with pork belly ravioli.

The next day we took a walking tour of the University of Toronto, a beautiful campus and a backdrop for several wedding photographers that day (I think we saw six wedding parties during an hour's walk). The final stop on the tour was the rooftop bar at the Park Hyatt. What can I say? This quickly became a favorite place that I'm sure G & I will revisit on our next trip. The rooftop bar reminded me of a cozy living room...a fireplace, a few couches and a coffee table, and a few tables here and there. There was a small outdoor patio as well with views of the city, north and south. Then, the bar, of course, with a friendly, knowledgeable bartender. I especially liked him because as he was close to our table, he chuckled at some of my jokes.

G & I ordered two glasses of champagne and the bartender supplied us with snacks of smoked almonds, marinated olives, and edamame. A mouthwatering stop. Two very happy travelers.

It's Julia Week!

Julie & Julia, the new movie starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child, opens today and yes, I cannot wait to see it.

In honor of this event, I'm going to focus a bit on Julia this week. And joyfully so.

Briefly, some facts and some reasons why I love Julia:

Did you know that she didn't start cooking until she was 37 years old?

I started culinary school at age 36.

She didn't get married until she was 34.

I didn't get married until I was 35.

Julia's love of food and cooking blossomed in France.

My love of food and cooking took me to France.

Julia worked for the OSS and recently was outed as a spy during that era.

I...well, I've watched a lot of spy movies and I've always wanted to be one.

Me + Mom + Wednesday = Foodie Feasts!

Today I'm headed to Mom's for our weekly foodie experiment. This summer we've been meeting up each Wednesday and playing in the kitchen.

Depending on what mood we're in, we make simple salads or complicated French-y dishes. If we're in Ann Arbor, we make a trip to the farmers' market for some ingredients.

We've made panini sandwiches with turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado (courtesy of my new favorite kitchen toy, the Griddler---thanks, Mom!) When we felt super fancy, we made fried artichokes with garlic aioli. Neither my stepdad nor my husband like artichokes so we enjoyed those all by ourselves. A transcendent moment.

Up next is a southern dinner: pulled pork, braised collard greens, cole slaw, hush puppies, and peach cobbler.

mmm...toast

I was about to run to Caribou for Monday Mac time when G said, "Hey, you want some toast?"

I usually hurry to the coffee shop on Mondays to clear my head and get ready for the week's tasks. Plus, Caribou has helped me out this summer with $1 coffee on Mondays. But when G offered toast, I remembered that we had a loaf of homemade sourdough bread and that stopped me in tracks.

We usually have whole wheat or whole grain bread in the house, but this week's special at the market was sourdough, so I couldn't resist. I've bought bread in plastic bags for years...who hasn't? But I don't really enjoy it. It definitely doesn't add anything to my meal experience. In fact, when we have toast from bagged bread, I leave the crusts on my plate and give them to G. Only recently have I realized that when I eat fresh, homemade bread, I eat every morsel of it and even look forward to the crust.

Why? Because fresh bread is a delicacy. The use of "real" bread makes a statement. Real bread takes a sandwich to the next level, makes French toast even better, and in the case of my toast this morning, makes me sit up and pay attention.

We have great local bakeries here in Ann Arbor so I can depend on them most of the time for fresh bread. In the winter and fall, I try to make my own. I highly recommend it; it's really not that difficult and the feeling of accomplishment is worth it (not to mention the aromas that will waft through your house). It's a good project for a Sunday. Just pick up a packet of yeast on the baking aisle at the grocery store and you're ready. All of the other ingredients are probably in your pantry already, for beginner bread baking.

But back to my toast. A thick slice of sourdough, lightly toasted, buttered, with a delectably crunchy crust. Toast with character. Toast the way it was meant to be.

Tales of France Part Deux

On day two, we boarded a bus that returned us to Nice.  We spent the morning exploring Vieux Nice (Old Town Nice).  The farmers' market was open that day so we were let 

loose to ooh and aah at the fruits and vegetables and flowers and spices.  What a sight! We walked right into a chef's dream...mounds of olives, baskets of perfectly red cherries, bushels of squash blossoms, bags of herbes de Provence (a mixture of dried herbs such as thyme, savory, fennel, marjoram, basil, and lavender that's a fixture in the Provencal kitchen).  One of the stars at the Nice market is Madame Theresa who makes and sells socca, a southern France specialty.  Socca is a flat cake baked in a cast iron skillet.  It's made of chickpea flour and olive oil and then seasoned with black pepper and is a popular (and tasty) street food.

After my first perusal of the market, I decided it was time for a break, so I sat with some of my new friends and enjoyed my first (of many) cafe au lait.  I so love how meals and beverages are served in France.  A small cup of coffee arrives, with saucer, and is accompanied by sugar cubes and a (very) small spoon.  Sometimes the coffee is in a small cylindrical cup on a small platter that also carries the sugar, the spoon, and a biscuit or piece of chocolate.  I just love the detail and care.

After my cafe break, I took some time to explore the narrow (and I mean, narrow), winding streets surrounding the market.  At a tiny boulangerie, I found what was to be my lunch:  a zucchini quiche and a small lemon tart topped with burnt meringue.  The friendly shopkeeper brown-bagged my lunch and I leisurely made my way to my group's meeting place, once again passing the bunches of white asparagus, the masses of sundried tomatoes, the bundles of lavender.

Our next stop was the medieval village of Eze, perched atop a rocky peak overlooking the Mediterranean.  The bus ride was just as memorable as the visit to Eze.  We drove along the coast initially and viewed marinas filled with all shapes and sizes of boats, with yachts anchored a ways off the coast.  Then we followed the curvy road to Eze, winding along mountains, passing villas with terracotta roofs, crystalline pools in the meticulously manicured back yards.  Once we arrived in Eze, we walked to the top of the peak and toured the stone paths of the castle.  I had just enough time to explore and then find a shady bench where I ate my takeout lunch.

One more time we boarded the bus, this time heading for La Font du Broc, a winery northwest of Cannes.  The ride took about an hour and a half so we napped on the way.  I had visited some wine caves in the Loire Valley west of Paris, but I hadn't visited an actual winery until now.  This winery did not disappoint.  We toured the cellar, the grounds (magnificent) and then convened in the tasting room for the true test.  The tour guide poured a rose, white and a red for us.  Even better, she set out some platters with stinky cheeses and bread and some tasty olive crackers that I happily found at a grocery store a few days later.  The wines were great and loosened us all up.  It was our first true bonding moment.  I bought a bottle of the red to share with G when he arrived.

Next:  a walking tour of Cannes.

Tales of France

On the plane to New York for my connection to Nice, a priest sat next to me.  Then I noticed a Jewish gentleman (with beard and hat and suit) seated two rows ahead.  At first, I thought that I'd stepped into a scene from a Woody Allen movie.  After some conversation, I came to discover that they were on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  My favorite exchange though:

Priest sneezes.

I say, "God bless you."

Priest says, "Thank you.  I'm usually the one who says that."

Once the plane landed at JFK, I quickly learned that the airport needs some attention.  Perhaps a wrecking ball.  I had a four hour layover until my Nice flight and finding out that I needed to take a shuttle to another terminal ate up some time.  A pleasant surprise waited for me though; no one sat next to me on the eight hour flight to France.  Sigh.  I had two blankets, two pillows, and just enough room to curl up and sleep.  After a bad airline dinner washed down with some bad airline wine, I tucked myself in with Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and did get to sleep.  No jet lag for me this time.

I met two of my fellow culinary students who sat behind me, Jessica and Allison from South Carolina.  As the plane landed, we saw what would become our backdrop for the next three weeks on the French Riviera:  blue skies; sun drenched beaches; picturesque cities and towns; and finally mountains teasing us with their mystery.

By 9:30 AM, a large group of us, culinary students, film students, business students, had arrived and boarded a shuttle to take us to the Maeva apartment building, our home away from home for the next few weeks.  After a 45-minute drive, we were in Cannes la Bocca, a suburb ten minutes away from downtown and the Palais, where the film festival would be held.

The apartment building had its own pool and was a block away from the beach.  The views from the balconies were of the brilliant sea.  Other than that, the accommodations were nothing to write home about, so I won't.

I took the afternoon to walk around and discover the bakery and pastry shop (Boulangerie/Patisserie), the neighborhood grocery store, several cafes, a wine shop, and a small, but beautiful park that led me to the beach.

That evening, the culinary team had an orientation meeting.  We met the chefs, Chef Michael and Sous Chef Stephanie, and the event manager/tour guide/master of everything, Armand.  There were only nine culinary students accepted this year.  

The aforementioned Jessica and Allison

Meredith, John, and Trip--all from Louisiana

Sheryl from Seattle

Rachael from Portland (originally from the UP in Michigan)

Thornton from Detroit (who graduated from Schoolcraft a couple of years back)

and me

We didn't know what we'd gotten ourselves into as we introduced ourselves that first night.  Such innocents.  Well, about the program anyway.

Next up:  sightseeing, farmers' markets, and acquaintance of Cannes

Break out the Grill

We had some chicken breasts in the fridge and a hankering for barbecue so we uncovered the hibernating grill and fired it up.

We seasoned the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and basted them with our house sauce, Dinosaur BBQ sauce from G's hometown of Syracuse, NY.  Simple as that.  We finished off the meal with some roasted green beans and mashed potatoes.

Welcome back, grill!  Pretty soon you'll be my BFF again.  I think some flank steak might be in your future.

Cannes

I found out that I've been accepted to the Culinary Program at the Cannes Film Festival in May.  I don't know if I can find the words to describe how I feel about this.

I'll be one of twenty people who will work the hospitality tent at the film festival from May 13-25. We'll be making breakfast and lunch everyday as well as working cocktail hours and various receptions.  I'll be living in a dorm-style apartment setting about two miles from the festival site.  Before the festival begins, there will be field trips to restaurants and wineries and farmers' markets.  Once the festival begins, I'll be fully accredited so when I'm not working, I'll be able to see the films.

This is, no kidding, a dream come true.  I'm about to cry as I write this post.

Best Meals of 2008

Favorite food moments from last year:

Breakfast pizza at the Farmers' Market in Ithaca, NY

Dinner at Zin in Healdsburg, CA

Lobster Bisque at Forest Grill in Birmingham, MI

Wine tasting with cheeses, olive oils, breads, salamis, and olives in Tuscany

Chocolate and Coffee gelato in Rome

Halibut and vegetables in a delicate lemon grass broth steamed in a tagine at school

Bouillabaisse at home with Mom, Pseudo Pop, & G

Making my guests want to eat their vegetables--cauliflower puree, roasted carrots with honey, and sauteed green beans with pecans

The moments when a meal was made for me!

Happy New Year!

Guess what one of my resolutions is?  You're right!  Blogging regularly.  Let's see how I do.

First restaurant meal this year?  Zingerman's Roadhouse.  G & I caught an Oprah show during vacation.  O's best friend Gayle traveled the country in search of the best sandwiches, two of which are here in Michigan.  Zingerman's barbecued brisket and a grilled cheese sandwich from a place in Royal Oak (near Detroit).

Since I was sick for New Year's Eve (^W$(*@%*^#^!@), G took me out on Saturday and we enjoyed the brisket and a patty melt with Swiss cheese and wild mushrooms.  Not exactly the healthiest meal, but pure heaven.  We'll try to eat chicken and vegetables the rest of the week to make up for it.

Tonight's the OH State/Texas Bowl game.  

Menu:  Chicken Green Chili from Tyler Florence

Homemade cornbread