See the movie and cook the food

The movie Julie And Julia opens at cinemas on Friday, and is a treat for all food lovers.

It is based on the lives of Americans Julia Child, who achieved fame by writing the cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking among other tomes, and Julie Powell, who 50 years later wrote a blog that became a book titled Julie and Julia. Powell cooked 524 recipes in a year from Child's book.

The movie tells the story of how Child fell in love with France, particularly French food, when she lived in Paris with her husband Paul just after World War 2.

Powell, a disgruntled office worker but aspiring writer, felt she needed a challenge in her life and with the encouragement of her husband Eric, undertook to cook her way through Child's book and share her experiences in a blog online.

Angela Day got hold of Mastering the Art Of French Cooking and From Julia Child's Kitchen, and prepared a few recipes just to see what all the hype was about.

The recipes seemed complicated and take up many pages. But if you follow the steps, which go into a lot of detail, they work out perfectly and taste delicious. They are great for special occasions.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

Serves 8

250g bacon bits

15ml olive oil

1.5kg thick cut rump steak, cut into 5cm cubes

2 carrots, cut into thick batons

1 onion, sliced

salt and pepper

30ml flour

750ml red wine

500ml beef stock

15ml tomato paste

10ml crushed garlic

1 bay leaf

18-24 small pickling onions

500g button mushrooms, quartered and fried in butter

Sauté the bacon in the oil for two to three minutes until lightly browned. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Set aside. Sauté beef in batches until nicely browned. Set aside.

Fry carrots and sliced onion until the onion has softened, then return beef and bacon to the saucepan.

Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Sprinkle in flour and toss again to lightly coat the meat.

Place the casserole in the oven at 180?C for four minutes. Remove and mix well.

Return to the oven for a further four minutes. This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust. Remove from oven and reduce the oven temperature to 150?C.

Stir in the wine and enough beef stock to cover the meat.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf. Bring to a simmer on the stove, cover and cook in the oven for two to two-and-a-half hours or until the meat is tender.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Add to casserole once cooked. Season to taste.

ONIONS GLACE A BRUN

(brown braised onions)

25ml butter

25ml oil

18-24 baby onions, peeled

125ml beef stock

salt and pepper

bouquet garni

Heat butter and oil in a saucepan and sauté onions until nicely browned.

Pour in stock, season and add bouquet garni.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated.

COQ AU VIN

Serves 4

125g thick cut bacon, diced

30ml olive oil

1 large chicken, portioned

50ml brandy

salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

3ml dried thyme

16-20 baby onions, peeled

45ml flour

500ml red wine

500ml chicken stock

15ml tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

250g button mushrooms, halved

Fry the bacon in a saucepan, adding a little oil if necessary until crisp. Remove and set aside.

Add the oil and chicken portions to the pan and brown all over, do not crowd the pan, making sure they all fit in, in a single layer. Add the brandy and ignite, standing well back from the pan.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add the bay leaf and thyme. Place the onions around the chicken.

Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes turning the onions once. Uncover the pan, sprinkle on the flour, turning the chicken and onions so the flour is absorbed. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the wine, stock, tomato paste and garlic.

Return the bacon to the pan and mix in. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 5-10 minutes making sure chicken is tender. If the sauce is not thick enough, remove the chicken portions and boil the sauce rapidly to reduce and thicken it.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with rice and vegetables.

GREEN BEANS PROVENCALE

Serves 4

500g fresh green beans, trimmed

45ml olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 large onion, sliced

4 tomatoes, seeded and diced

salt and pepper

5ml dried oreganum

60ml grated Parmesan cheese

chopped parsley to garnish

Boil the beans for 4-5 minutes, drain and refresh under cold water to retain green colour. Cut into 3cm lengths. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic and onion gently until soft. Add the tomatoes, seasoning and oreganum and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the beans, cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cheese and serve sprinkled with parsley.

SALADE NICOISE

Serves 4-6

Dressing

1 clove garlic

salt

15ml lemon juice

15ml white wine vinegar

3ml dry mustard

125ml olive oil

salt and pepper

pinch mixed dried herbs

Salad

4 medium potatoes, washed

3 spring onions, white part only finely chopped

30ml white wine

250g green beans

3-4 tomatoes, quartered

3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

baby gem lettuce, washed

5 anchovy fillets, drained

30ml capers, drained and rinsed

handful of black olives

175g canned tuna in brine, drained

30ml chopped parsley

Prepare the dressing first. Crush the garlic with the salt in a pestle and mortar until smooth.

Add the lemon juice, vinegar and mustard and mix well. Mix in the olive oil a little at a time until a creamy dressing is formed. Add salt, pepper and herbs to taste. There should be a good balance between the lemon juice and oil.

Steam the potatoes until tender. Peel and cut into 2cm chunks. While still warm mix in the spring onions and wine. Season with salt and pepper. Add 45ml of the dressing and set aside. Toss the green beans and the tomato wedges in 15-30ml dressing and drizzle a little dressing over the eggs. Place the lettuce on a salad platter, drizzle with some of the dressing. Spoon the potato salad into the middle. Arrange groups of tomatoes around the potatoes.

Add the beans and distribute the eggs. Scatter the capers, anchovies and olives over the salad. Toss the tuna in some dressing and add to the salad.

Drizzle remaining dressing over the salad and serve sprinkled with parsley.

GRATIN DAUPHINOIS

Serves 4

1 kg potatoes

1 clove garlic

60g butter

5ml salt

pepper

250ml grated gruyere cheese

250ml boiling milk

15ml chopped parsley

Peel potatoes and slice thinly. Place in water. Drain when ready to use.

Rub the inside of an oven-proof baking dish with the garlic and smear with 15g of the butter. Drain the potatoes and dry. Spread half the potatoes in the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, half the cheese and half the remaining butter.

Add the remaining potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning, cheese and butter.

Pour over the boiling milk. Bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes until the milk is absorbed and potatoes are tender. If browning too much, cover with foil.

Serve sprinkled with parsley.

• This article was originally published on page 14 of The Star on November 09, 2009

Source : Babynet