Parties That Cook Film Review Julie and Julia

1 comment By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General Tagged with , , , , , , August 6th, 2009 @ 6:24 pm

As I sit here, beaming with afterthoughts of Julie and Julia, I am going to quote Anthony Bourdain. I wouldn’t normally describe him as enlightening, yet he is quite eloquent… at times.

“I’m asked a lot what the best thing about cooking for a living is. And it’s this: to be a part of a subculture. To be part of a historical continuum, a secret society with its own language and customs. To enjoy the instant gratification of making something good with one’s hands-using all one’s senses. It can be, at times, the purest and most unselfish way of giving pleasure (though oral sex has to be a close second)”.

Okay so forget the eloquent part, but this quote jumped out in my mind as I read “Kitchen Confidential” on the way home from seeing a screening of Julie & Julia (don’t worry, I wasn’t driving). It reiterated how important traditions are. As much as I may have discouraged cookbook clutter in a previous cooking blog post, all of this culinary genius had to come from somewhere. Sometimes the best culinary genius isn’t something we invent, but something we simply rediscover. Okay so maybe Julia Child and Irma Rombauer were a little bit over the top and old-fashioned, but they created recipes and culinary history that cannot be repeated. It is a continuum that we are lucky to be a part of, and should never be afraid to add to. Julie & Julia reiterated the importance of tradition and our future being fused, and passed on again. I will not ruin the movie (even though I don’t know if anything could) but I must share my experience.

Julie Powell is feeling overshadowed by her bland, corporate friends and overwhelmed by her job listening to people’s 9/11 horror stories. Meanwhile, in 1949, Julia Child is discovering (and mastering) the art of French cooking and charming the pants off of every, otherwise grumpy, French citizen while she’s at it. I have never been a sucker for sickly sweet romantic comedies, but this one was different, and I promise you I mean that. It was a romantic comedy in that it followed Julie and Julia as they learned how to fall in love with themselves and the small things that made them get out of bed in the morning. It was the fact that regardless of different time periods, and different geographical location, cooking and indulging themselves in what they both loved (butter and eating) could get you through some of the most frustrating times. I’m making it sound sappy, but it was subtle. It was a very true, very human story, just how it happened with no ridiculous theatrical additives or trans-fats included.

I would never risk the ten-size-larger waistline and infinite amount of stress pimples that a mission through an old-fashioned French cookbook would cause me (see The Julie/Julia Project), but I’m really glad someone else did. It was incredibly poignant and so relatable that you wanted to reach out and hug the movie screen. So whether you’re a foodie, a professional chef, or someone just looking to see a good movie, see Julie & Julia. You can thank me later, with a chocolate mousse a la Julia Child.

Contributed by Leigh Hermansen

End of Summer Nostalgia: Ice Cream Recipes

1 comment By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General Tagged with , , , , August 4th, 2009 @ 9:37 pm

The other day, I was reminiscing about my childhood experiences at sleep-away camp. I was never the superstar athlete so I always opted for crafts, archery (I got to stand still, no running involved, score!), and of course, cooking. Typical of a children’s summer camp, we made ice cream a lot – the old-fashioned way. It may have been the recipe or just my lack of arm strength, but I never really made it all the way to the ice cream stage in these activities. My arms would get tired from churning or my lanyard would start calling my name and I would abandon my ice cream as the ice melted into the rock salt.

Now that state of the art ice cream makers have hit the market with a bang, I figure it is worth another try. I even saw an ice cream maker at Sur La Table that dispenses your toppings (sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc) right on top of your freshly made ice cream! Now talk about a little kid’s dream. And speaking of innovations, I might even try experimenting with trendy (healthy and organic) flavors a la Bi-Rite Creamery or Humphry Slocombe. Pink Grapefruit-Tarragon? Kumquat-Poppy Seed? These flavors do sound amazing, but here is something truly unique! Parties That Cook founder, Bibby Gignilliat, developed an ice cream recipe for our friends at NUMI Organic Tea who infuse delicious, organic teas with fresh and unusual flavors. This ice cream recipe features NUMI’s Chocolate Puerh tea and it is beyond delicious! Move over Humphry.

NUMI TEA CHOCOLATE PUERH ICE CREAM

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out into the milk
2 bags Numi Chocolate Puerh Tea
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Infuse Milk: In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream, milk and the split and scraped vanilla bean until the milk begins to boil slightly around the edges. Turn off the heat. Remove the Numi tea from the tea bag and add it to the milk/cream mixture. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Make Ice Cream Custard: In a large bowl, whisk yolks, sugar and salt until pale. Gradually whisk hot cream/milk mixture into yolk/sugar mixture. Return to saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until the custard thickens and leaves a path on the back of a spoon when a finger is drawn across it (about 2-3 minutes) or when the temperature reaches 160ºF (do not boil!). Pour through a strainer into a bowl over an ice bath. Whisk to cool quickly.

Churn Ice Cream: Process custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Place in the freezer in an air-tight container. Allow the ice cream to set completely before serving (1 –2 hours).

For an ice cream maker, Bibby is partial to Simac’s ice cream machine but suggests Cuisinart’s Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream Maker for something a little more cost effective.

We have also just updated our dessert recipes section with 5 new delicious ice cream recipes!:
Mint Ice Cream with Scharffen Berger Cocoa Nibs
Ginger Ice Milk
Homemade Spice Ice Cream
Vanilla Ice Cream
White Chocolate and Amaretti Ice Cream

Never rule out smoothie recipes as well! Regardless of season, a smoothie is always a refreshing treat after a long day or a healthy dessert treat.

Coupled with a shiny new machine, I think  this recipe will go over much better than my vanilla soup attempts of yesteryear.

Contributed by Leigh Hermansen

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