Child's interest in politics, which the film touched on, also rang true. By chance I found myself killing time with Child before a dinner in Washington in 1992. She talked national politics. In particular she was anxious to get "some young blood" (Bill Clinton) in the White House.
But most of all the film captured the spirit of cooking. It acknowledged it could be hard work, requiring plenty of fetching and chopping. Yet it also showed how cooking a meal can deliver unique, intimate pleasure and a sense of accomplishment.
Not a bad deal in today's world.
While the movie rekindled a fire for Julia's cooking, I did not rush out and fork over $40 to buy "Mastering The Art of French Cooking." It is not my favorite Julia cookbook. The recipes are too long-winded. I prefer Julia's "The Way to Cook,"
Paging through the cookbook, I decided to roast a chicken, Julia-style. Well, almost Julia-style. I didn't tie it up. Something happened to our roll of cooking twine. I think my son's cat got it, so there was no bondage on our bird.
I started by shopping at a local market, just as Julia did in Paris in the film.
I bought a free-range chicken, frozen not fresh, at The Hen's Nest, a chicken and egg stand in the Sunday morning farmer's market in downtown Baltimore. While I was in the market, I also bought mushrooms from Mother Earth, and onions from Pahl's.
Later, I had to run to the grocery store to get sour cream, and extra chicken breasts. Good thing I was cooking on a holiday, Labor Day.
Except for the trussing, Julia's chicken recipe was pretty straightforward. She did recommend shoving something inside the chicken. The something I settled on was her recipe for mushroom duxelles.
The duxelles were made by mixing mushrooms, onions, chicken breasts, sour cream. egg whites, port wine, and, of course, butter. It involved a lot of chopping, some pulsing in food processor, and a quick run to the liquor store to fetch port.
As I massaged the chicken skin with soft butter, I knew Julia would approve. Stuffing the chicken was a challenge: Forcing all that mushroom goodness into a tight space didn't happen easily. But I got it done, and then skewered the stuffed cavity shut.
As the chicken cooked, first at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, then at 350 degrees until it was done, I chopped carrots.
