Denrael

Explorations of a Life
Posts tagged “cooking”

The Julie / Julia Project … A Review

Julie & JuliaI just watched Julie & Julia today, and I have to say, this is one of the few times that a movie has lived up to the book. The acting was spot on, the casting excellent, and the twin stories were beautifully intertwined. I have most of Julia Child’s cookbooks, but had never really studied her life before. Now I’m on Amazon, ordering up books about her life in France, and whatever else I can find. Any movie that sparks additional interest like that I have to mark as a keeper.

As I’m sure most of you know, the story revolves around a young woman, searching for a focus in her life. For various reasons, she decides to cook every recipe in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in 365 days. Over the course of the time, she starts wondering more about Julia Child and learning about her.  Through the intertwining of the two stories, we learn about both. As someone who loves both food and cooking, watching the kitchen scenes showing both the successes and failures was something I could truly relate to.

Even if you don’t think you will enjoy it, I urge you to give this movie a chance to capture your heart and your imagination. I know it did mine.

Use a Rock to Crush Garlic - Brilliant 

Find a rock that is smooth and is about the size of your palm. Look for one that is comfortable and not too heavy in the hand. When you first pick the rock, run it through the dishwasher a few times and it’s ready to use. If you don’t have a dishwasher just wash it in hot soapy water with a bit of bleach.

To crush garlic, hold the rock and smash it on a clove of garlic. Pull out the skin and there you have it, crushed garlic ready to cook with. Cleaning the rock is a dream, just throw it in the dishwasher utensils basket and it’s perfect to use for years and years. I keep my rock in the utensils drawer in the space between the tray and the back of the drawer, I call it my kitchen rock.

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