Epiphany.... New Day, New Ideas

All my "Julia" reading materials arrived... by mail and from the library.  I am now officially out of my Julia funk...... thank goodness!!!  In fact, I now have more stuff to read and less time to read it in, but.... as life keeps me busy, the books will wait for me to return, and I like having something always to look forward to.

I feel like Carrie Bradshaw in a designer shoe store...... I want to read everything at once and choosing where to begin has been quite difficult.... so I decided to just read them in the order in which I received them.  But as I was reading the dust jackets of each book as I tried to decide just where to begin.... I discovered that Julia herself emerged into a whole new cook herself as she wrote each of her 9 cookbooks. She ALWAYS stayed true to correct methods and techniques, but.... as the world innovated itself and became more modern, Julia not only went with the changes, but she was a leader in new techniques and methods.

So..... my epiphany is this.... I don't need to prove myself by cooking my way through her first cookbook, because as I have been cooking from her cookbook, I realize I already know how to do it like she does because, I did go to a culinary school that taught the 'classic' french culinary methods and techniques just like Cordon Bleu taught her.  She has so many other interesting cookbooks with modern techniques and methods and I now feel like I should just enjoy cooking from all her cookbooks.  Also.... I do have a standing 4.0 GPA in my culinary degree with only 1 class left to go (Baking 1), which I will finish in Jan. 2010 for my Chef Certificate.  I think the epiphany is that, I have already proven myself to myself and now just want to continue my learning by cooking, experimenting, and enjoying my way through all her cookbooks with her.  Just like in the DVD shows I have watched of her and saw how she herself changed and evolved..... from black and white to color.... from the age of 50 to the age of 90..... from doing everything by hand, to using new equipment.  And I do agree with Julia that there are just some things that are best done by hand..... I think it is the added love and attention that makes it taste better!  :  )

The main focus of this blog will still remain on Julia, but will incorporate all of her... all 40 years she was in the public eye, all 9 of her cookbooks, all 40 years we felt we knew her and she was our friend and would come for coffee or tea if we asked her over.  In her cookbooks and cooking show series, she cooked with many different chefs and cooks of all sorts, so I too am broadening my spectrum to include other cooks, chefs, cookbooks and recipes I find interesting along the way.  And of course on some days.... it will be just about life in general.

Back to my reading!

Au Voir