Before I get into the subject matter of this blog–my new and totally unexpected interest in cooking, of all things–let me say that although I enjoyed the tour for “The Bridegroom” (#9 this week on the New York Times Bestseller list!!!) I am VERY glad to be home. Home is where the dogs, cats and horses are–and thus where this cowgirl’s heart is.
As I’ve often mentioned, I listen to a lot of books on my iPod, and I just finished “My Life in France”–by Julia Child, with a great deal of help from her nephew by marriage, Alex Prudhomme. I’m reading “Julie and Julia”, with delight, and of course I plan to see the movie when time allows.
Being of a certain age, I remember seeing Mrs. Child (she adored her husband, Paul Child, and would surely have poo-pooed the “Ms.” so many of us like to use), first on PBS and later doing segments on major morning news shows. She was always such a good sport, so positive, and so confident. I was too young to truly appreciate what a pioneer she was, and too poor to buy the special pots and complicated ingredients necessary to whip up dishes I couldn’t pronounce, let alone spell, but I liked watching her. Her relentless good cheer made her likeable in the extreme. Lots of things can go wrong on live TV–but back then, in the days of black and white and cables snaking everywhere, ready to trip up the unwary, Murphy’s Law could so easily run amok. Escaping lobster? Omlet on the floor? Nothing flustered Julia.
Now there are many TV cooks, but Julia blazed the trail.
Maybe it’s a natural outgrowth of my new passion for gardening, this new penchant for flavor and texture and color in food. Maybe it’s because I’ve stopped smoking and things taste so much better–I’m not sure. But I have my copy of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, and I’m planning to tackle a few good recipes–I know I will not be able to kill lobsters–starting with Boeuf (Beef) Bourguignon–yes, I had to look up the spelling. This is a beef stew, made with red wine, bacon, onions and mushrooms, and often served, according to Mrs. Child, with boiled potatoes.
Don’t worry. This isn’t going to turn into a food/cooking blog. But I will share my Boeuf Bourguignon adventure here. Stay tuned.
🙂
