Tribute to Julia...

       One of my biggest cooking heroes, next to my mother and my grandmother, is Julia Child. She would have been 100 today.  She is recognized for bringing fine and fancy French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I have spent many hours pouring over her recipes, trying, tasting and tweaking to fit the needs and likes of my family. I love to watch her in the kitchen, her programs always made it look so simple.

   The two main things I learned from Julia was... 1. Never underestimate the power of a good sharp knife and 2. if at first you don't like the way it tastes, try again!. Which was the case with my "Beef Bourguignon". We are not a wine drinking family, so many substitutions were made and tried before I just finally came up with a very tasty version. I have tried many of her awesome recipes over the years and many of them are still the ones I fall back on if I need a good dish for a party. One of my favorite quotes from her is very simple, “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”  I cannot begin to tell you the number of times we have tried a recipe and like it, but after making a few unpredictable changes we ended up loving the dish even more.


        Another Quote I often use, especially as I have focused on my weight loss and biggest loser challenges, “The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.”  I have learned alot and hope to continue to do so. She has helped to bring meaning and passion into something that I love so dearly and that is "the art of making people smile through my food!" So HATS of to Juila! You will always be with me at my table... :).