Tidbits
The Original
Unless you’ve been under a rock the last six months, you know all about the buzz surrounding the book Julie and Julia and the movie based on it, starring Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci (don’t miss her in anything and him in “Big Night”). I was going to offer a brief review of the book, but as I thought about my comments, I kept getting drawn to the original book that started it all – Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Child, Bertholle (later dropped in volume 2) and Beck. This really is the one book you want to give to that newly married person, a foodie friend or anyone who needs to learn the basics of French cooking, which Julia Child claimed is the basis for all other fine cooking. True or not, there’s plenty for everyone in these two volumes, with volume 1 now in its 43rd printing and sales of over 100,000 for the last edition published in 2001. So what’s here for you? Simple, comprehensive chapters that include recipes with lots of steps including those for soups, sauces, eggs, entrees, fish, poultry, meat, vegetables and more. We tried the Boeuf Bourguignon and after hours of preparation (very carefully peeling those little onions and such), you get exactly what you set out to create – a melt-in-your-mouth, rich beef stew that warms every part of you and your dinner mates. If you love cooking and own either of these books, take them off the shelf again and cook something lovely. If you don't own either of them, do yourself and the people you love to cook for a favor and pick up a copy. You’ll be happy.
Neil Salkind
Neil J. Salkind is the lead literary agent at The Salkind Agency where he represents successful authors in the areas of general non-fiction and textbooks. He enjoys reading, cooking, Masters swimming, tinkering around his 110 year old home, and old Volvos.
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