"julia child" news and stories

To fall for As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child & Avis DeVoto (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26), it doesn't matter if you know a beef bourguignon from a beef patty. It doesn't matter if you've never even lifted the cover of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, or, for that matter, even heard of Julia Child. For As Always, Julia is, beyond the correspondence that helped launch one of the greatest cookbooks of our time, an intimate portrait of a deep and enduring friendship.

Little did Julia Child know, when she wrote a letter congratulating scholar/journalist Bernard DeVoto on his Harper's story about the trouble with American knives, that she would find, in her own words, "a soul mate," in DeVoto's wife, Avis. As secretary to her husband, Avis answered Julia's letter, and from an exchange about the glories of French knives, the two (Child then living in Paris, and DeVoto in Cambridge, Mass.) rapidly progressed in letters to matters of the heart and of the kitchen, and often where the two intertwined.

Julia, of course, also found an unflagging champion for her expansive work with Simone Beck in the sophisticated, politically savvy, and intellectual Avis, with her Harvard ties and Boston literary connections and her culinary prowess. It was Avis who brought the massive project to Houghton Mifflin, and, later, when HM thought it too ungainly, to Knopf, where it found a home with the renowned editor Judith Jones, then early in her brilliant career.

Continue reading, and hear Julia and Avis, in their own words, after the jump.

Yesterday, Mario Cantone made a hilarious guest appearance on the Racheal Ray Show, where he revealed that in the Sex and the City sequel hitting movie theaters next weekend, he'll be the one in the romantic spotlight - walking down the aisle.

Rather than waxing on about cosmos and Manolos, Mario surprised Rachael with his amazing impression of Julia Child. This isn't the first time Cantone has impersonated the cooking legend: The quick-tongued comedian claims to be a huge fan of the Food Network, and has involved Child in his routines in the past. Now if only he'd take on Paula Deen.

[Eater]

Happy National Chocolate Mousse Day!

Though chocolate seems to be the most natural flavor for mousse, savory mousses were all the rage during the 18th century. According to The Oxford Companion to Food, "Mousse, a French term meaning foam, is applied to dishes with foamy texture, usually cold and often sweet but also savory and sometimes hot." While savory mousses were popularized by the 18th century, it wasn't until the latter end of the 19th century that dessert mousses started to appear more frequently on menus.

The oldest American reference for chocolate mousse dates back to 1892, when it was served at a food exposition at Madison Square Garden. While the classic rendition of chocolate mousse is still popular (we recommend Julia Child's recipe), we recently discovered a more modern take that adds cinnamon to the base and tops it with fresh cherries, or even a vegan variety from Heidi of 101cookbooks, who spikes the mousse with Amaretto.

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Happy Coq au Vin Day!

The French pride themselves on this traditional dish, featuring a wine braise that produces succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender chicken. In fact, the dish is so prized that one French tale has the well-known chef Alexander Dumaine denying one woman's praise for his coq au vin, pleading that he was not yet satisfied with it. She wondered, after 30 years, how it could possibly improve. According to legend, Dumaine responded, "That, madam, was practice."

We'll trust Julia Child for her perfected recipe, which she shared on Good Morning America in May 1995. Never one to spare any calories, Child would appreciate the additional steps of this recipe to brown the chicken in bacon fat and flame it in brandy. Pull our your Le Creuset and start simmering!

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Happy National French Bread Day!

While I picture the French scoffing at their across-the-pond neighbors celebrating a culinary trademark item of theirs for a national stateside holiday, America's long been prized as a melting pot -- and we're happy to embrace the wondrous baguette. The golden bread achieves a fluffy interior and remarkably crunchy crust through its use of water on the exterior during the baking process, creating a smoother glaze for added crunch.

Ambitious blogging cooks the "Daring Bakers" attempted the challenge of tackling Julia Child's recipe for French bread -- the glorious result of which you see pictured here. Blogger the Sour Dough promises, "I was going to conquer Julia's Masterpiece French Bread recipe. When I finally made the bread, it was the closest to real French bread I have ever had this side of the Pond." Bon appetit!

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