Book Stew

I think I am just a sucker for stacks of books. After completing my research on Virginia Woolf and To the Lighthouse, I wanted to take a picture of some of the friends who have accompanied me for the last two months, before I return them back to their homes (the libraries of the University of Tennessee, University of Miami, and Wake Forest University). What a miracle inter-library loan is. In this photo, leaning happily on the scholarly works is, of course, Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I prepared Boeuf en Daube for the class, and I relied on Julia's recipe as a starting point for my 21st century crock-pot version of the dish.

Julia et moi

The weekend approaches, and so does significant snowfall, apparently. The prospect of being snowed in for the weekend brings eager anticipation of reading, sewing, and writing. Last night I finished My Life in France by Julia Child, with Alex Prud'homme. This is the story of Julia's years from 1948, when she and her husband, Paul, arrived in France, through 1992. Julia, with the narrative help of nephew Prud'homme, recounts treasured memories of the people, places, and foods of France she encountered in those many years. I treated myself to the newest hardback issue of Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking recently, and look forward to experimenting with French cuisine. I did make Quiche Lorraine last week, and when I checked the recipe in Mastering, I was surprised to learn that authentic Quiche Lorraine does not contain cheese. If you want cheese, then you make Quiche au Fromage de Gruyère.

My favorite quote of Julia's from My Life in France:

"I just liked eggheads, damnit!" Moi aussi, Julia!