In my previous blog I mentioned that my boys surprised me with some of the books from my “reading wish list” for my birthday.
Notice a theme? Well, quite honestly it all began in last month when I went to see the movie, Julie and Julia. It has become one of my all-time-favorite movies! Right after seeing that movie, I picked up a copy of My Life in France co-written by Julia Child about their years living abroad. I relate to this woman on so many levels — in many ways, she and I might have lived parallel lives. In any case, I highly recommend this fantastic book; it is such an interesting read!
Upon finishing this book, I decided I really want to read the book that inspired the movie, and Julia’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Although I won’t be making every recipe (aspics, anyone?) from her ground-breaking French cookbook, I certainly enjoy reading through the recipes to pick up a few tips here and there. And I truly appreciate all the hard work Julia and Simca put into researching, writing, and perfecting each and every recipe in the collection!
My dear husband, good sport that he is, decided a new Rival Crock-Pot Cookbook would suit my purposes on a more practical level. And I’m glad he picked it up for the boys to give to me! You all know how much I adore Crock-Pot meals. I’ve used the little Rival cookbooks (you know the ones….the small pamphlets which come inside the crock as an extra little gift when you buy a new Crock-Pot) to the point where mine are stained with all sorts of food drips and spills. It was time for a new one.
So, what’s on your nightstand? What are you reading these days that you just can’t put down? Any recommendations I need to add to my reading list?
aspics are great summer treats…..
Mimi —
Really? Wow — I would love to know what your favorite is (and just exactly what an aspic is, because I’m not really sure…) Do you have a favorite recipe? Are they hard to make? I hope you’ll consider sharing your recipe. I’d love to try it!
I am so jealous! I’ve been wanting to see the Julia Child movie, but just can’t find anyone who wants to go with me. I might have to suck it up & go by my self! She was really a pioneer in bringing fine cooking into the average American home. If you think about it, Americans cooked food from their own heritages, but seldom anything beyond that. For Julia Child to bring French food & cooking technique to TV, made it appealing and accessible. I remember thinking that if that batty woman could do this, I could too – or at least a little of it. She had this “what the heck” attitude about cooking and making mistakes that gave me the confidence to deal with cooking disasters with a sense of humor – kind of like you do with your quilting classes!.
What thoughtful men you have in your life to put together such a great birthday package. What is that book called Ann and Darcy?
I have the Julia Childs books on my wish list on Amazon- I loved the movie. I’m ready a series by Joan Medlicott, that starts with The Ladies of Covington send Their Love. The books are fiction about 3 widows in their 60’s who inherit a house near Asheville, NC. Each book is a treasure to read.
Pat —
You MUST take yourself to go see Julie and Julia! It is fabulous — one of my new all-time favorites. I saw it twice! After I saw it the first time, Kent, the boys and I were at the theatre to see some kid’s movie (I don’t even remember what it was…) and I noticed that Julie and Julia was playing in the theatre right next to the one we were going into. I had no real interest in seeing the animated movie, so I told the guys that I’d meet them afterwards and I ducked into see Julie and Julia a second time. It’s that good!
Darcy and Anne is a continuation of the characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I saw it while perusing the book store one day. Apparantly, a whole new generation of authors is taking up where Ms. Austen left off and they are writing sequels. Who knew? Being the die-hard J.A. fan that I am, I thought it would be fun to see if the storyline really were to continue. I’ll keep you posted….
Robin — thank you SO much for the recommendation of the Joan Medlicott series; I’ll definitely have to check them out. Sounds like my cup of tea when it comes to the literary department!