Julie and Julia at Food 'n Flix

Julie and Julia is the featured movie at Food and Flix this month. Here I am, late to the party, but I hope our host this month doesn’t mind.



Check out our host's announcement post at La Cocina de Leslie -Thank you Leslie for hosting the November movie!

This movie is based on two true stories, each sharing a common theme. No, it’s not butter…although butter plays a prominent part in the lives of Julia Child and Julie Powell. Both women, living as far apart as you can imagine are looking for their niche in life. Their dedication and passion led them to cooking. I very much enjoyed the book and was looking forward to the movie and hoping, as I always do, that it followed the book.

It did not. The movie contrasts the culinary career of Julia as well as the obsessed Julie Powell (who is intent on making all of Julia’s recipes in a span of 365 days). There was more focus on Julia Child’s time in Paris in the 1950 era than was written about….but this isn’t a book review, now is it? While it turned into more of a split biography on the two women rather than Julie Powell’s journey to happiness and commitment, it was overall quite an enjoyable movie. Absolutely, no denying that Powell’s popular blog wouldn’t have existed without the inspiration of J.C.



Plus, this movie had Meryl Streep, who can act in anything. Any accent, any plot…the woman is a marvel. A fun movie with lots of food. I know anyone who participated with Food ‘n Flix this month had a hard time narrowing their choices for inspired dish.


Images that come to mind for me are butter (obviously), mushrooms, wine…….Coq au Vin.



Ingredients

· 1/2 cup lardons (4 ounces -- 1-by-1/4-inch strips of blanched slab bacon or salt pork)
· 3 pounds frying chicken parts
· 2 tbs. butter (plus a tad more…just sayin’)
· 1 tbs. olive oil
· Salt and freshly ground pepper
· 2 large cloves of garlic, chopped and crushed
· 1 bay leaf
· 1/4 teaspoon thyme
· 3 cups red wine
· 1 cup chicken stock (you may need more)
· Beurre manie, for the sauce (1 1/2 tbs. each flour softened butter blended to a paste)
· Chopped parsley)
· 1/3 cup good brandy (optional)
· 12 or so white onions – the itty bity ones, you know?
· 3 cups fresh mushrooms, trimmed, quartered and sautéed

Directions

Sauté the blanched bacon or salt pork and then set aside but leave fat in the pan. Brown the chicken in the pork fat, adding a little olive oil, if needed. Now simmer chicken in the wine, adding stock, tomatoes and seasoning. Add onions and sautéed mushrooms over the chicken and mix it gently, getting the sauce over all of the ingredients.

Check out Food 'n Flix for the next movies scheduled. It's fun...promise :-) Thans again Leslie for hosting!