French cuisine through "Julie & Julia"

Julia, a woman passionate about French cuisine.

Julia's life took a crucial turning point in 1947, when her husband, Paul, received orders to transfer to Paris. Julia followed him abroad. The first thing Julia and Paul did upon arriving in France was find a restaurant serving delicious local specialties. The first dish Julia tasted there was halibut with lemon butter sauce. Julia was completely captivated by French cuisine from the moment she smelled the rich buttery aroma, and by the way the waiter skillfully used a spoon and fork to debone the fish and place the perfect fillet on the plate.

With her lively and energetic personality, she quickly became bored with daily housework. Cooking came to Julia as a form of entertainment and gradually developed into a lifelong passion. Recalling her first meal at the Rounen restaurant in Paris, Julia affirmed that it was "an awakening for my soul and spirit."

Driven by her passion for the exquisite Parisian cuisine that she and her husband enjoyed, Julia Child decided she had to become a professional chef, a decision she wholeheartedly supported. She boldly enrolled in the renowned Le Cordon Bleu cooking class as a novice and dedicated herself to improving her skills. Soon after, she had the opportunity to apprentice with famous chefs like Mac Bugnard, gradually approaching the level of a high-end French culinary chef.

Preparing poultry is arguably Julia's forte, with her skillful skinning and deboning techniques resulting in perfectly cooked, plump, and flawless breast meat. She is particularly famous for her Coq au Vin variation, a unique and spectacular fusion of French cuisine and American cooking practices, where Julia uses bacon fat to roast the duck, creating a wonderfully crispy skin with an attractive golden-brown hue.

Salads also play a significant role in Julia's unique culinary style, characterized by its blend of diverse international influences. Niçoise salad is a quirky but successful experiment, combining dozens of ingredients, and this "massive" array of components sometimes leads to it being considered a main course rather than an appetizer. A single plate of Niçoise salad can contain everything from tomatoes, asparagus, cabbage, and potatoes to seafood, eggs, and various meats. However, this dish is popular for its health benefits and nutritional balance.

For dessert, the Bavarian-style raspberry ice cream has become Julia's signature. What could be better than combining rich, creamy ice cream with the sweet and sour taste of wild strawberries with fresh raspberries? An explosion of flavor!

Julia gradually discovered her passion and independently researched and created unique recipes, which she then published as a book. She also has a cooking show, inspiring like-minded people around the world.

However, Julia's culinary career didn't stop at being a renowned chef; it further developed when she published a cookbook that was witty, simple, and relatable.Mastering the Art of French CookingAnd then came cooking shows on television. The image of the tall Julia with her long, seemingly clumsy arms, chattering and joking while cooking, created a deep affection and empathy among amateur chefs and housewives around the world, making Julia the most lovable and "popular" teacher of high-end French cuisine, the one who "brought French food to the table of every American family."

Julie, a New York girl who loves to cook.

Julia's life inspired Julie, a young woman living in New York, four decades later. In 2002, Julie and her husband moved to a new home. She worked as a customer service representative, dealing with countless complaint calls every day. Not to mention the endless social gatherings with her successful friends, which left her exhausted and stressed. Cooking dinner each evening was her "escape," helping her quickly forget the stresses of life. She loved French food and adored Julia. She watched Julia's videos repeatedly and enjoyed her cookbook. One day, she suddenly had the idea to start a blog with a challenge: 365 days to complete 524 of Julia's recipes. The 524 recipes included savory main courses and sweet desserts.

Julie started her culinary challenge with simple recipes like poached eggs. It seemed like an easy dish, but even a skilled cook like Julie messed up quite a few times. This shows that in French cuisine, even seemingly simple dishes require meticulous preparation and strict standards. A perfect poached egg has the yolk completely enclosed within the white, sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. When gently separating the white with a knife and fork, the yolk should flow out like melted cheese.

Julie also recognizes the importance of butter in French cuisine. She wrote a very charming blog post like this: “Every time you taste something that’s incredibly delicious, you wonder what’s in it? The answer is always butter. If a meteor were to fall to Earth and we only had thirty days to live, I would spend those days eating butter.” This is evidenced by the presence of this ingredient in most of her dishes, for example, the delicious bruchesta made with bread and tomato salad. The salad consists of chopped cherry tomatoes mixed with spices, basil, and olive oil. The sliced ​​bread is brushed with garlic oil on both sides and fried or toasted with butter.

One signature French dish closely associated with Julia's name is Bourguignon, a beef stew. Julia once described it as "one of the best beef dishes one can cook." This stew is a treasure trove of flavors, with tender beef simmered in garlic, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and fragrant red wine, creating an intoxicatingly delicious experience. It was also the dish that Julie considered the most difficult and time-consuming to make, saving it for last. She burned it once and had to cook it a second time, which she successfully did.

Throughout the challenge, Julie encountered many setbacks. But she still used her passion and the unwavering support of her husband as motivation to complete the challenge. Through her blog, Julie continues her journey of inspiring women who love to cook, just as Julia had inspired her.

It's not just a story about two women's journey to find happiness,Julie & JuliaIt's also captivating because of the challenges, difficulties, and beauty of the dishes set against the backdrop of French cuisine, with romantic scenes, vibrant colors, and humorous dialogue. The real-life stories of the two main characters in the film help viewers understand more about the authentic spirit of French gastronomy.

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