AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Julia on Julie & Julia DATE: 6/29/2009 09:41:00 AM ----- BODY:

When I had my business, Interactive Cuisine, I found the best marketing came from securing press coverage. I did a pretty good job over the years and a few newspapers even referred to me as, “The Other Julia.” Since we both lived in Cambridge, my mentors coached me to work this angle.

A few years into my business, I started hearing about The Julia Project. A woman named Julie was cooking her way through Julia Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking, blogging about, and she was getting tons of press for it. I’ll admit it, I was a little bitter. I should have been writing that blog! And getting all the press!

Julie Powell’s book, Julie & Julia came out a few years later. I obstinately did not look at it, purchase it, much less read it. But a few months ago, when I had credit at the used book store, I decided to get over myself and read it.

I’m glad I did, because it was a fun read! Perhaps, I can appreciate it more now as a fellow food-blogger. I enjoyed the voice she created and her ability to admit to her foibles and quirks. From a cooking perspective, I appreciate the challenges of cooking classically French. I recall learning many of the recipes and techniques in culinary school, and know that they take practice. I wonder now, 17 years after I started cooking professionally, would I be able to successfully cook through Master the Art of French Cooking?

Did you read the book or follow the blog?

Labels: cookbooks

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Katie DATE:6/29/2009 12:54:00 PM I just put the book on hold at my library yesterday. I think it would be great fun to completely cook my way through a cookbook, but I would have to pick something a bit easier. I'll let you know what I think when I finish the book. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:6/29/2009 03:31:00 PM The book has been sitting on my "to read" pile, and you remind me that I need to tackle it before the movie premieres. (By the way, did you ever find the Dumpling Truck when you were in Manhattan?) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:6/29/2009 06:57:00 PM I'm looking forward to the movie, because I think Meryl Streep will be a terrific Julia. But Julie? Not impressed with her book or her blog. And, honestly, not sure how I feel about her piggybacking on Julia's work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Julia DATE:6/30/2009 03:15:00 PM Katie -- I agree. I'm thinking I'd like to cook my way through my favorite Chinese cookbook.

T.W. -- I didn't. I ended up being too busy to seek it out. bummer.

Lydia -- Glad to hear you say that! I'll be curious to see how they weave Julia into a substantial role. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

giz DATE:6/30/2009 04:42:00 PM Hysterical - Psychgrad bought me that book for Mother's Day and I'm reading it now and can't wait for the movie that's coming out on September 7th. I'm curious to see how Meryl Streep is going to pull off being a giant. :D ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Melissa DATE:6/30/2009 07:46:00 PM I never read her blog nor did I buy the book. It's possible I will watch the movie though simply because I want to see Meryl pull it off. No doubt she will.

As for the rest, ditto what Lydia said. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

PG DATE:6/30/2009 09:40:00 PM I'm secretly hoping tht Giz finishes her book quickly and then gives it to me before the movie comes out...Does that make me a bad daughter? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Julia DATE:6/30/2009 10:03:00 PM giz -- Glad to know you're enjoying it too! Do you think more so because you're a blogger, too?

Melissa -- I've been so impressed with Meryl's range, I'm sure she can! Especially after her Devil.

Psychgrad -- I can send you my copy. I believe I owe you a random act... (post coming tomorrow) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Anonymous DATE:7/01/2009 10:35:00 AM hey Julia-

This is Jay from the previous place you worked :)

Just saying hi, I've been checking out your blog, good stuff, thanks for the good info!

I'm moving down to Austin in August- know anyone there?!

Hope all is well, write me an email!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Julia DATE:7/01/2009 11:59:00 AM Hey Jay,

Great to hear from you! I'd send you an email, but I don't have your address.

Hope to stay in touch.

Cheers, ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Maris DATE:7/02/2009 01:36:00 PM I must read this before I see the movie. I always like books better if I read before I watch on the big screen.

I hope this doesn't convince everyone and their grandmother to start a food blog though. There is nothing better than a truly authentic blog! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Lori Lynn DATE:7/04/2009 01:19:00 PM I read the book, Julie irritated me I'm sorry to say, but I'm really looking to seeing Meryl Streep in the movie! Oscar???
LL ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: The One Page Cookbook (Recipe: Herb Crusted Tuna) DATE: 6/20/2009 02:29:00 PM ----- BODY:

Over 20 years ago, my father was my first passenger after I got my pilot’s license. It seems only fitting that today he should be my first guest poster. And as he tells it, he taught me everything I know about cooking, and especially plate presentation. Thankfully, I learned to eat artichokes on my own.

I am Julia's father. Although I have written a number of books and magazine articles, this is the first time I have written for a blog. I do so at Julia's invitation.

My subject is a cookbook. I suppose thousands of cookbooks have been written, especially in recent years. But this one is unique. Not only was it specially created for me, but I believe it is different from all the others of the genre. It is known in our house as The One-Page Cookbook.

In response to the ever-increasing demands of Julia's mother for my bolder participation in the preparation of our evening meal, I have with increasing frequency taken to cooking its central feature, usually fish. However, I would often get stuck in the middle. Since one of my daughters is a professional chef, this situation would naturally lead to a frantic telephone call to Cambridge. As often as not, she would be out.

Over time, it became clear that I should think ahead of time about where I was going--or rather how I should proceed--in this culinary adventure. This led to a request for more sustained assistance from Julia.

In response to my request, Julia wrote The One-Page Cookbook on an 8 ½ x 11 piece of typing paper that is now crinkled with heat and spotted (in several colors) but valuable as ever.

In one page, Julia managed to provide recipes for tuna, salmon, codfish, tilapia, snapper and scallops.

The only reason this cookbook has not been published by Random House and distributed more widely is that, unfortunately, there is no money in it.

Here is Julia's recipe for tuna from The One-Page Cookbook:

Season with s&p both sides. Add seafood herb mix. Get steel skillet and utensils (thin spatula, tongs, potholder) ready. Heat pan med hi, cover pan with canola oil. Canola must never smoke. Gently place tuna in hot canola oil. Start with tuna at room temp. Sear each side for two minutes. If oil starts to smoke, remove pan from heat.

The only modification I would make in this recipe is to place at the beginning the direction to begin with tuna at room temperature. I never remember to take the tuna out of the refrigerator in advance. But we're getting used to cold tuna in the middle. It's like seared tuna with sushi inside. Delicious!

Happy Father's Day, Dad! Looking forward to cooking many more meals with you and FOR you.

Labels: cookbooks

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Melissa DATE:6/20/2009 08:17:00 PM Very sweet. Not to mention an impressive resume, Mr. Shanks. Happy Father's Day! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:6/20/2009 10:29:00 PM Great guest post! And Happy Father's Day. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

we are never full DATE:6/21/2009 11:07:00 AM what a nice way to say happy father's day. very cute post. i should do a post for father's day too but my dad doesn't know how to get on our blog... LOL. he does but someone has to show him how and he's really not that old. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

noble pig DATE:6/21/2009 11:27:00 AM Happy Father's Day DAD! Very nice post and enjoy your day. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:6/22/2009 05:31:00 AM Happy Father's Day to Mr. Shanks - the story of the One Page Cookbook says so much! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Lori Lynn DATE:6/23/2009 01:04:00 AM A darling post! Happy Fathers Day to your awesome cooking Dad!
LL ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Dan Banks DATE:6/25/2009 03:18:00 PM I love this story. I really love the "one page cookbook" and this it takes a very talented chef to distill clear cooking directions for a whole dish into one paragraph.Can't wait to see the sequels! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Ramki DATE:6/28/2009 01:27:00 AM Hi Julia,

I'm pleased to hear about a One Page Cookbook. I love writing them and produced a series of One page cookbooks( Google for One page cookbooks) ! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: My New Favorite Book DATE: 1/07/2009 06:30:00 AM ----- BODY:

Twelve years ago, Karen Page and her husband Andrew Dornenburg published Culinary Artistry. They interviewed hundreds of chefs around the country to learn more about what makes cooking an artistic endeavor. The real value of this book was the middle section that had a listing of “flavor marriages.” In encyclopedic format, they listed ingredients, such as chicken, mushrooms or artichokes, with a list of ingredients and flavors that paired well. The list was by no means exhaustive, but it was a great starting point. I began to make notes in the margins of flavor pairings I thought worked as well but were not on their list. This year, they finished the work that I wanted to... and they published the Flavor Bible. This isn’t so much a cookbook as it is a reference book to stir creativity.

One of the biggest challenges of searching for recipes on-line is that you need to know what you’re looking for. If, let’s say, you want to cook chicken, you will get thousands of recipes in a search results window – a near impossible challenge to sort through all the options. With this book, you can browse the listings for chicken, and see that it pairs well with coconut, galangal and lime, or with garlic, pancetta and sage. From here, you can have a much more productive web search of recipes. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll just make something up with the various ingredients that I now feel confident match each other.

CookThink has tried to capture this sort of brainstorming in a web-based, recipe search engine. But if you still prefer the tangible feel of a book, I highly recommend The Flavor Bible.

Labels: cookbooks

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Melissa DATE:1/07/2009 04:50:00 PM I liked cookthink for their basic idea, but I think this book would be even more useful to me. Thanks for the heads up because this is something I think I really need to read. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Heather DATE:1/07/2009 10:02:00 PM i saw this book and was wondering about it. thanks for the review!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Anonymous DATE:1/08/2009 10:16:00 PM I have wanted to get this for a while now, thanks for reminding me. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Duck, Part 1 DATE: 12/27/2008 10:51:00 AM ----- BODY:

Carol from French Laundry at Home cooked her way through the French Laundry Cookbook. Having cooked many recipes from that book, and derived so much inspiration, I was wholey impressed with Carol’s effort. When she finished French Laundry, she began to tackle Alinea. Without any thought, I bought Alinea’s cookbook as well. It arrived last week.

Thumbing through it, I realized it was more a coffee table tome than a book to derive inspiration, much less cook from. The organization of the book, the pictures and the wording or recipe names make it a difficult to figure what the recipes are all about. Carol, I bow to you in admiration. Nonetheless, I decided to try something from it.

First challenge: finding a recipe that didn’t require specialty ingredients or equipment. I opted for Venison Encased in Savory Granola. And then I changed everything… I made duck confit instead of the venison. Instead of making the granola, I served the fried components separately. And I pureed macomber turnips instead of celeriac. But I did make the dried-cherry port sauce. Other than that, it was exactly the same.

The puffed wild rice was a fun novelity, and offered a good textural contrast. Flavor-wise, I don't think it contributed to the dish. Perhaps if I had made the granola as Achatz recommended it would have benefited from the potato shreds and onion rings.

Duck Confit
Duck legs
1 tsp. each cumin, coriander, cinnamon
3/4 tsp. each allspice, dried thyme
¼ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. each cardamom ginger nutmeg
lots of garlic
half a lots of shallots
salt and pepper
duck fat

1. Combine spices.
2. Season duck generously with salt, pepper and spice mix on the flesh side.
3. Press in garlic and shallots.
4. Let sit for 24 hours.
5. Cook duck legs in 250 oven covered in duck fat for 2-3 hours, or until meat is very tender.
6. Store in fat.

Deep Frying
Onion Rings
1 onion, thinly sliced on a mandolin
1 tbs. corn starch
Wild Rice
Potato Shreds, soaked in water to remove starch
Oil for deep frying

1. Heat oil to 450. Add wild rice. It should puff instantly. After 30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on a papper towel and season with salt.
2. Turn oil down to 375. Toss onion slices in corn starch. Fry until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt
3. Fry potato shreds until lightly golden. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

Macomber Turnips
2 turnips
¼ cup cream
Salt, pepper and lemon juice, to taste

1. Peel and cubed turnips. Put in a pot of cold water. Season with salt.
2. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until turnips are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
3. Puree turnips with cream. Season with salt pepper and lemon juice.

Port Sauce
1 small shallot diced
1 cup port wine
1 cup chicken or duck stock
Butter
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

In a small sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add shallots, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until soft. Add wine and dried cherries, and let it reduce to about 1/4 cup. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil and reduce by ½. Turn heat the heat off, and whisk in butter, 2 tbs. at a time - for a total of 1/4 -1/2 # depending on your taste. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a small squeeze of lemon juice.

Thanks to David for taking pictures. He blogs about editing food photos here.

Labels: cookbooks, duck, recipes

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Anonymous DATE:12/27/2008 11:42:00 AM Well it sounds very interesting. Kudos to you for changing things up and making it work for you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Heather DATE:12/27/2008 02:05:00 PM mmm. i love duck. the confit sounds delicious!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

jesse DATE:12/28/2008 04:06:00 PM Duck confit! Yummmmm!!!! Kudos to you for taking the time and effort to make this dish... the results look amazing! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Melissa DATE:12/30/2008 02:09:00 PM I tip my hat to ya. You really put some thought into that and the subs/changes sound like they worked well.

I haven't been a real fan of duck the two times I tried it, but have vowed to make it at home to see if it was just the prep other people used.

I actually put the Alinea book on my Amazon list without really giving it thought. It's likely to be beyond my scope for a few years. But then again, I like a challenge! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: General Gau's Chicken: The Man Behind the Myth DATE: 7/23/2008 12:30:00 PM ----- BODY:

Jennifer 8. Lee, author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, describes Chinese Cuisine in America as “the biggest culinary joke played by one culture on another.” General Gau’s chicken tops that list in that it appears on nearly every Chinese menu in the US as a chef specialty. While the General was real – a soldier from the Hunan region in China – his chicken is wholly an American invention. The dish varies from restaurant to restaurant, but the theme is consistent: crispy fried chunks of chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce. Despite its inauthentic origins, it’s still a personal favorite.

My favorite Chinese cookbook, The Chinese Kitchen, by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo features a recipe that continues to receive rave reviews from my dinner guests. The sauce is nicely balanced, not overly sweet, and fragrant with ginger and chilies. My continual challenge – which most restaurants mastered – is frying the chicken nuggets so they stay crunchy after they’ve been tossed in the sauce. The chicken, marinated in egg and corn starch, is dusted with more corn starch just before frying. I’ve experimented with the oil temperature, twice frying and even trying to caramelize the sauce, to no avail.

When I was in China a few years ago on a summer internship from business school, I broke away on several occasions to take cooking lessons. The top technique on my list was learning how to get the crispy chicken nuggets even after they were tossed in sauce. My cooking instructor in Beijing happily obliged me.

The first secret is in the corn starch. He used “wet” corn starch. To make wet corn starch: combine ½ cup of corn starch with enough water to make a slurry, about ½ cup. Let the mix sit for at least ½ hour until the water and starch separate. Pour off all the excess water. What you’re left with is the wet corn starch. It’s slightly chalky, but dissolves into liquid when you run your fingers through it. It is this mixture that he tossed the chicken cubes in before frying.

The second secret, which really isn’t as critical as the first, is in cooking the sauce. The sauce must be reduced until almost all the water has evaporated. It is then reconstituted with a little oil.

4 chicken thighs, cut into cubes
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tbs dry corn starch
2 ½ tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons Shao-Hsing Wine
½ cup wet corn starch
3 cups plain oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
8 small dried chilies
1 bunch scallions, cut into rings.

Marinate chicken with salt, egg and corn starch for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, hoisin, sugar, vinegar and wine.

In a large pot, heat the oil to 350F. Toss the chicken in the wet corn starch and then add to the hot oil. Cook until crispy, about 5 minutes.

While the chicken is frying, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tbs. of frying oil to the pan. Add ginger, garlic, scallions and chilies and cook until aromatic.

When chicken is crispy drain and add to ginger mix. Pour in sauce and reduce.

Serve over rice with steamed broccoli.

Labels: Chinese, cookbooks, culinary experimentations, recipes

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:7/23/2008 10:17:00 PM This is one of my all-time favorite Chinese restaurant dishes -- one that I've never tried to make at home. Can't imagine why, especially now that I have this great recipe. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Julia DATE:7/25/2008 08:54:00 AM Lydia, You'll have to let me know how your gau goes! I'm making it again tonight for dinner. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Unknown DATE:2/10/2009 11:22:00 AM I find General Gau's chicken much different than General Tso's. Are they really the same? My fav restaurant makes General Gau's so delicious, that's the one I hope to duplicate... I think it is made with white meat instead of dark, which I've substituted at other restaurants as well... but no comparison! The one I love is a bit sweeter... how can I adjust the recipe? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Unknown DATE:2/10/2009 11:27:00 AM I just noticed you are in Cambridge! My favorite Gau's is a short ride away should you ever want to taste it. I so want to duplicate it!!! Don't know if I should mention any specifics here... Metrowest. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Julia DATE:2/10/2009 08:49:00 PM D, I'd love to know where your favorite Gau is! this recipe definitely tastes different than the restaurant version, but definitely delicious. You may want to play around with the hoisin and sugar to make it sweeter. ----- --------