Grey . . . with Color

First of all, I want to give the answers to those Christmas riddles and conundrums I mentioned a few days ago . . .

"Successful  followers of the Atkins Diet" (hint -- it's a DVD)  This is the movie "Losers"

"From the closet of the King of Tarts" PyRex storage pieces

"Large domicile for canis lupus"  (hint -- a best selling book) Wolf Hall

"Mack lent his to Dinah after strumming on the ol' banjo" a kitchen knife (handmade by John)

"Made by some Yiddish-speaking molluscs while listening to Bach" (not a practical gift, this one)  a string of baroque pearls

 

 

This remarkable biography of Julia Child was almost un-put-downable (except for naps.) Julia, from childhood to old age, was always fascinating and she lived through some very interesting times.  I was an early (1963) fan and, like much of America, learned from her that there was more to 'cuisine' than casseroles with cream of mushroom soup. Highly recommended.

I'm still suffering from a bit of post-Christmas lethargy -- considering my physical limitations at the moment,sometimes napping seems the best choice. But there have been some small victories in my recovery -- I was able to trim the toenails of the operated-on leg yesterday -- not easy and still a bit of a stretch but progress, none the less.  And today, as I was doing a few small bits of tidying between kitchen and dining room, I suddenly realized I'd put my cane down and was  managing without it.

My home health physical therapist visited today and my ability to bend the knee is improving -- I had hit a 90 degree bend before I came home from the rehab center and a 100 a few days ago. Today the angle got to 110 (with a good bit of pushing and pulling.) Which is probably good enough for everyday function though the PT spoke of trying to attain a 120 . . .

It's been a month since surgery -- and though I'm really tired of being on the meds and falling asleep all the time, I'm attempting to be a patient patient.  

 

A Good Read

This book made a delightful traveling companion as I flew first to Atlanta and then to Indianapolis. If you loved the movie Julie & Julia, or even if you just loved the Julia parts, this book's for you. It deals in loving detail with Julia's years in France and her voice comes through beautifully.

I find it a little weird that it's Meryl Streep on the cover rather than Julia but suspect that it was a Marketing decision. And anyway, by now I'll wager that Ms. Streep is the image that comes to mind when many of us think of Julia.

. . . and now for a few pictures . . .

The Morning Star -- it's there, really! Maybe if you biggify . . .

Closely watched geraniums (pelargoniums)

Happy to be back with my Nikon and trying to learn its ways.

Molly, Julia and Julie, and a Tomato Tart

First of all, for those who asked after Eileen's old dog -- this is Molly yesterday. I haven't taken many pictures of her recently because she's looked so awful all summer due to my unsteady hand with the grooming shears. But she's getting a start on her winter coat now and looks better.

Molly's a sweetie -- she follows me pretty much everywhere, sleeps at the foot of the stairs to my workroom when I'm up there (her arthritis keeps her off the stairs), and when I go off in the car, she waits in the driveway till I return.

She waited while I drove off on Thursday and went with my friend Josie to see the movie Julie and Julia. This is something of an event -- I go to the movies maybe once every few years. But between so many good recommendations (thanks, Sam) and the fact that I, too, once spent an ungodly amount of time with Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I knew I needed to see this movie.

I first met Julia Child in 1964. John and I were newly wed, living in a tiny silver trailer up on blocks, in a trailer park of hundreds of other tiny silver trailers also up on blocks -- what was called, in the Marine Corps' straight-forward manner, 'sub-standard housing.' We had a small black and white TV and once a week, we watched Julia Child -- as much for the entertainment as for the cooking ideas.

My cooking was okay -- probably better than most young brides' at the time. I wasn't afraid to cook from scratch -- and I had some good family recipes plus the Tampa Junior League's The Gasparilla Cookbook (still in print and still one of my favorites -- I wore the first one out and am on my second copy) and a useful little item called Cooking for Two, the gift of a college friend (Susan T. from St. Louis who comments here now and again. An old friend ;-)

It wasn't till 1969 that I began to feel the need of something more and, accordingly, purchased a copy of Julia's great work, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. We were living in Iowa City while John attended grad school on the GI bill. I didn't have a job and I began seriously to try as many of the recipes in Mastering the Art as we could afford or find ingredients for. Lots of chicken -- not so much seafood. This was Iowa, after all.

I learned a lot about the various processes and sauces and I know that the time spent with Julia made me a better cook. I still go back to Mastering for favorites like Chicken a la Diable, Pork Chops Charcutiere, and, yes, Boeuf Bourguignon.

But back to the movie . . . it was wonderful.! The period clothing -- the hats, the heels, the suits -- all the cast, and, of course, Streep's bravura, over-the-top performance as Julia. (But then, Julia herself was over-the-top.) And I adored the woman who played Simone Beck. Really, they were all wonderful -- and I didn't find Julie 'whiny' as some crabby reviewers have complained (whined?) Really, really, I loved the movie.

Josie and I emerged from the theater, blinking in the late afternoon light. I had to do my grocery shopping and get home and fix dinner. But how, after this immersion in the food world, could I go home and do something ho-hum?

I remembered a recent post at Vicki Archer's "French Essence" blog. I already had the roasted tomatoes -- I've been roasting and freezing them for weeks now; all I needed was some tapenade or some Kalamata olive spread and some frozen (sorry, Julia) puff pastry sheets. Aha!

We had grilled chicken, a green salad, and the most decadently delicious and easy to make Tomato Tart imaginable! Go here for the recipe . . . and Bon Appetit!