I would invite some friends over for dinner, I would cook us dinner (all dishes from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, some featuring in the movie) and we would watch one of my all time favourite movies, Julie & Julia.
I assume if you’re reading this blog that you’re either related to me or like food, or both of the above. So you probably don’t need an in depth explanation of the storyline of the movie. In brief (and copied directly from the back of the DVD): Meryl Streep stars as culinary legend Julia Child Meryl Streep stars as culinary legend Julia Child whose cook book, Mastering the art of French Cooking, inspired fledging writer Julie Powell (Amy Adams) to whip up 524 recipes in 365 days. Based on the best selling books, Julie & Julia introduces a new generation to the magic of French cooking and proves that, with the right combination of passion and fearlessness, anything is possible. Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada) co-stars in director Nora Ephron’s delicious comedy about joy, obsession and butter. Bon appétit!
I adore this movie not only because of all the fabulous scenes involving cooking and eating, but because of 2 major messages I take from it; 1) You CAN do that crazy thing you’ve also wondered about doing, and 2) There are some amazing people in this world who see that potential in someone else to do something crazy but fabulous, and who push them to do it, encouraging them all the way. I wrote something similar when I saw the movie in September, and that is that I really loved the relationships in this movie. Both Paul Child and Eric Powell are the most lovely, amazing people – they are selfless and have so much vested in their wives achieving the success that they can so clearly see they are capable of.
As I’ve said, I wasn’t going to waste this movie viewing on some takeaway pizza and microwave popcorn, it deserved better than that. I found the 2 volumes of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking (albeit the povo paperback copy, not the glorious hard copy versions) on Amazon and had them in my greedy little hands in time to peruse at length on the plane to Buenos Aires.
I knew I had to make final meal of the move, Pate de canard en croute, the deboned duck, stuffed with minced pork, veal, pork fat, truffles and other goodness, sewn up, wrapped in pastry and baked, but what else?
I decided upon carottes a la concierge (casserole of creamed carrots with onions and garlic) with green beans, followed by tarte au citron et aux amandes (lemon & almond tart - although I decided to make mine orange & almond), with cream, almond praline and poached figs (the figs being the one recipe not from Julia’s book).
The pate de canard en croute was quite a task. I made the pastry the night before, and on the night of dinner spent about 2 hours, deboning the duck (which I had actually done before with my goose at Christmas and again a few weeks ago testing out a dish for supper club), then making the stuffing, sewing the bird back up around the stuffing (mine looked more like a football at this stage, than the drawn pictures in Julia’s book) with my big needle and string, browning the duck football, rolling out the pastry, wrapping the football in the pastry, and on top of all that Julia wanted me to make little pastry decorations!
It then had to cook for 2 hours. 
I did my best. It didn’t look as good as Julia’s pictures, nor the one the food stylist made in the movie, but I was rather happy.
I had covered the table with photocopied pages of both Julia’s and Julie’s books, then lay out all the food for everyone to help themselves.
Our group of friends, including the lovely Smell My Kitchen and Mr Smell My Kitchen, heaped their plates, filled their wine glasses, then all settled down to enjoy the movie.
A super fun, yummy night.
I adore this movie not only because of all the fabulous scenes involving cooking and eating, but because of 2 major messages I take from it; 1) You CAN do that crazy thing you’ve also wondered about doing, and 2) There are some amazing people in this world who see that potential in someone else to do something crazy but fabulous, and who push them to do it, encouraging them all the way. I wrote something similar when I saw the movie in September, and that is that I really loved the relationships in this movie. Both Paul Child and Eric Powell are the most lovely, amazing people – they are selfless and have so much vested in their wives achieving the success that they can so clearly see they are capable of.
As I’ve said, I wasn’t going to waste this movie viewing on some takeaway pizza and microwave popcorn, it deserved better than that. I found the 2 volumes of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking (albeit the povo paperback copy, not the glorious hard copy versions) on Amazon and had them in my greedy little hands in time to peruse at length on the plane to Buenos Aires.
I knew I had to make final meal of the move, Pate de canard en croute, the deboned duck, stuffed with minced pork, veal, pork fat, truffles and other goodness, sewn up, wrapped in pastry and baked, but what else?
I decided upon carottes a la concierge (casserole of creamed carrots with onions and garlic) with green beans, followed by tarte au citron et aux amandes (lemon & almond tart - although I decided to make mine orange & almond), with cream, almond praline and poached figs (the figs being the one recipe not from Julia’s book).
The pate de canard en croute was quite a task. I made the pastry the night before, and on the night of dinner spent about 2 hours, deboning the duck (which I had actually done before with my goose at Christmas and again a few weeks ago testing out a dish for supper club), then making the stuffing, sewing the bird back up around the stuffing (mine looked more like a football at this stage, than the drawn pictures in Julia’s book) with my big needle and string, browning the duck football, rolling out the pastry, wrapping the football in the pastry, and on top of all that Julia wanted me to make little pastry decorations!
It then had to cook for 2 hours. 
I did my best. It didn’t look as good as Julia’s pictures, nor the one the food stylist made in the movie, but I was rather happy.
I had covered the table with photocopied pages of both Julia’s and Julie’s books, then lay out all the food for everyone to help themselves. The DVD was released in the UK on 8 March. It comes with a little recipe book including some of the recipes from Julia Child’s book, so you too can have a food & film night! Bon appétit!
P.S. It’s obvious to see the first couple of photos taken in the kitchen were with my point and shoot camera, but Smell My Kitchen and Y took some beautiful photos of the rest of the meal – thank you ladies!! 
This is the gorgeous B&B we stayed in in Palermo. The thing I liked best about this place is the atmosphere, so welcoming – in fact we liked hanging out here so much we found it hard to leave and actually do some sightseeing! We really enjoyed sitting around the large communal breakfast table (above) heaving with homemade yoghurt and bread, jams, dulce de leche, fresh fruit, pastries and coffee, chatting with our fellow travellers late into the morning, or curling up on the snug couches, and best of all relaxing with a book in the secluded and tranquil back garden.
There is actually a reason I’m mentioning this hen's night on a food blog and that is because it was the night we discovered home delivered empanadas. A man arrived with a pile of pizza boxes (the more eager among us thought it was the stripper coming early, so to speak) filled with delicious empanadas – chicken ones, ham & cheese, and my favourite, minced beef. (Apparently you can also have beer & dulce de leche ice cream delivered with your empanadas)
For dessert, aside from the penis shaped cake, we were treated to a traditional cake made by one of our lovely hostesses – essentially a cake made of layering chocolate biscuits with the delicious thick caramelly dulce de leche. Very rich, but very yummy.
I just loved the decor – retro coloured telephones attached to the walls, alongside shelves of vintage toys. I found myself pondering whether our land lady would really mind so much if I nailed a collection of 20 old and battered match box cars to the wall ...
We were welcomed with the most delicious aperitif, served in tiny jam jars – a concoction of white wine, black pepper, cinnamon and sugar syrup, which I’m just going to have to experiment with at home. We shared a couple of entrees which were creatively presented on tiles and wooden boards – empanadas were split open and lemon juice poured inside (before it drizzled out the bottom and down our arms), whilst we devoured some different relishes in mini jars, cubes of a variety of cheeses, some blood sausage, chicken and other unidentifiable but yummy morsels.
It was not difficult to try as a little pot of it adorned ourt breakfast table every morning. We added it to bananas, yoghurt, bread, cake, our fingers - anything. There are many ice cream places selling dulce de leche ice cream (also dulce de leche & cookies ice cream, dulce de leche & chocolate ice cream etc.), and we enjoyed ours sitting outside in the sun in Palermo Soho.
Although most days were spent sleeping until 10.30am (this is what happens when you eat dinner at 9pm – you end up going to bed at 3am), one day we were up bright and early to be picked up and driven 1.5 hours out of Buenos Aires to an estancia/ranch, Dos Hermanos.
The day was ostensibly for horse riding, but on reflection was perhaps more about eating!
After exerting ourselves (or our horses really) under the beating sun we returned for a quick snack of salami and cheese and gorgeous hot beef empanadas, before sitting down to an asado (small bbq which sits on the table).
We had several different salads to accompany sausages, and gorgeous beef – some on the rib bone and the other called “lomo” which comes from the top, rear of the cow.
Possibly the best steaks I have ever eaten. So simple, but so so delicious.
With full bellies we then moved outside to devour bread pudding (a surprisingly light cake with a gelatinous consistency) with a dollop of dulce de leche, before relaxing in the hammocks in the shade before an afternoon of more riding.
Before leaving the ranch we had an afternoon snack (this horse riding thing is hard work!) of freshly baked little cakes and more coffee. Y & I returned (exhausted & sun kissed) to our B&B at about 9pm where all the guests were enjoying a wine tasting put on by Alejandro (a loveable character working at the B&B) of Malbecs and Torrontes. We were meant to have participated but arrived too late, however from the 12 happy faces that greeted us, it looked to have been a success!

We continued to dance, entertained by some carnivale-like performers, before enjoying a little pizza as the sun came up at 6am ... a truly memorable night (& morning).

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