Julie and Julia

 I'm not sure how I missed this movie or whether I have ever thought about watching it, but it was the perfect movie for me at this particular time.

I went to Netflix with nothing special in mind, just looking for a little escape, and the first suggestion was this movie.  It may have just come out on Netflix, but I didn't even hesitate or watch the trailer.  I just pushed PLAY.

What a joyous and amazing movie.  I never expected it to be that good.  Of course, with Meryl Streep, how bad could it be.  There are two true stories:  Julia Child and Julie Powell, a generation apart.  Both actresses were perfect in their respective roles as well as their husbands and various other characters.  I've never been a fan of French cooking but have watched many of the Cooking with Julia shows on Saturday mornings on PBS.  Meryl nailed her.   

So glad I found a little distraction that made me laugh and cry and left me a little hungry and almost brave enough to try Julia's Bouef Bourguignon.  It looks perfectly doable.

I used to make a similar dish called Ragout A L'Improviste when I had the extra time and a little red wine, and it was really a treat.  

From the burned corners, this looks like it was in a cookbook rescued from the fire.

This brings back memories of being left in Grady's kitchen in Trion to spend most of the afternoon making this while Mike and Grady went off and did whatever they liked to do.  I didn't mind spending the day reading and cooking, but this was before children when days seemed long with a big dinner planned with friends later on.  So many years ago!