Julie And Julia Page #2

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that I get away from what I do all day.

So write a blog about cooking.

I'm not a real cook,

like Julia Child or Mario Batali.

Julia Child wasn't always Julia Child.

If I really wanted to learn to cook,

I could just cook my way through

Julia Child's cookbook.

I could blog about that.

I have a copy. I stole it from my mother

last time I was in Texas.

When I was eight, my father's boss came

to dinner and it was a really big deal,

and my mother made boeuf bourguignon.

But it wasn't just boeuf bourguignon.

It was Julia's boeuf bourguignon.

And it was like she was there,

like Julia was there in the room,

on our side like some great big good fairy.

And everything was going to be all right.

I'm gonna try to flip this thing over now,

which is a rather daring thing to do.

She changed everything.

Before her, it was frozen food

and can openers and marshmallows.

Don't knock marshmallows.

When you flip anything,

you've just got to have the courage

of your convictions.

Especially if it's a loose sort of mass like...

That didn't go very well.

But, you see, when I flipped it,

- I didn't have the courage I needed...

- She's so adorable.

... the way I should've.

But you can always put it together.

And you're alone in the kitchen.

Who's to see?

Pearls. The woman is wearing pearls

in the kitchen.

... you've just got to practice, like the piano.

I'm Julia Child.

Bon apptit.

- Bon apptit.

- Bon apptit.

Bon apptit.

Julia Child is coauthor of the book

Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Bon apptit.

"For the servantless American cook."

That's me, all right.

Okay, here's a problem.

I've never eaten an egg.

And I have a hyperacidic stomach.

We'll deal.

So I'll cook my way through

the Julia Child cookbook

and write a blog about it.

- But I'll probably need a deadline.

- Why?

Because otherwise it'll be like

everything else I do.

'Cause let's face it, I never finish anything.

- Hey.

- Well, it's true.

You know why I think it is?

- ADD.

- You have ADD?

Yes. That's why I'm so bad at housework.

Oh, is that it?

I'm just saying, a deadline would be good.

So a deadline. "I love deadlines.

"I love the sound they make

as they go whooshing past."

- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

- I mean it.

- Okay, so a year, or so.

- A year?

This thing weighs like two pounds.

I have a full-time job. Sometimes

I don't get home until 8:00 or 9:00 and...

It's crazy. It's crazy.

- Is it crazy?

- Yes. Yes.

- Okay, you want to do Blog Z?

- Yes.

Blog Z it is.

Nobody here

but us servantless American cooks.

"Servantless American cooks."

- What do you think?

- Love it.

"Start blogging."

"The Julie/Julia Project."

The Book,

Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

First edition, 1961 by Simone Beck,

Louisette Bertholle,

and, of course, Julia Child, the woman

who taught America to cook and to eat.

It's 40 years later and no one can touch her.

The Challenge, 365 days, 524 recipes.

The Contender, Julie Powell.

Government employee by day,

renegade foodie by night.

Risking her marriage, her job,

and her cat's well-being,

she has signed on for

a deranged assignment.

How far it will go, no one can say.

Dear Charlie, we're settled in finally,

and Julia loves it here.

She wants to stay forever.

You know how famously grouchy

the French can be, dear brother.

Everyone here is so delightful.

But Julia brings out the best in a polecat.

So charming.

So she thinks they're the most

wonderful people in the world.

I feel that I am French.

I just must be.

Well, you might be.

As for staying here forever,

I have to say, I wouldn't mind it myself.

And I'm so glad that you came,

- I can't tell you.

- It was a very nice show.

- Thanks for coming.

- I enjoyed it.

- Paul, congratulations. Excellent exhibit.

- Thanks so much, Jack.

Jack Donovan, this is my wife, Julia.

- It was such a wonderful exhibition, Paul.

- Thank you. Thank you.

- I am so proud of you.

- Oh, good.

French people eat French food!

- Every single day! I can't get over it.

- They do.

You know I love you so much,

I'm gonna let you take the first bite.

- That's so good.

- Before I even had... It's good, is it?

What should I do, do you think?

About what?

I don't really want to go back into

government work.

You know, but I...

Shouldn't I find something to do?

These wives don't do anything here.

- That's not me. It's just not me.

- I know.

I saw a notice on the bulletin board

at the embassy

for hat-making lessons.

You like hats.

I do, I do.

I do.

What is it that you really like to do?

Eat.

- It's what I like to do.

- I know, I know. I know. I know.

- And you are so good at it. Look at you!

- I am good at it.

- Now. How good you are.

- I'm growing in front of you.

I was thinking of taking bridge lessons.

- You like bridge.

- I do. I like the idea of bridge.

Four points for an ace,

three points for a king,

two points for a queen, one point for a jack.

And breast your cards.

Do you have any French cookbooks

in English?

- I'm afraid not.

- Gosh.

The salesperson. She...

Had no idea... Because, you see,

there is no French cookbook in English.

And all I have is this Joy of Cooking

by Irma Rombauer,

which is an excellent, excellent cookbook,

but it's not French.

So I did ask my friend Avis De Voto

to look around in the United States

to see if she could find...

Right. Right.

Gosh, I thought I was

speaking French to you!

Oh, my goodness!

What do we have here?

- It's a copy of...

- It's my memoirs.

Oh, look.

Oh, it's fantastic! But it's in French!

- You'll get there. You'll get there.

- Thank you, darling.

I know. I'm learning. I'm trying. I'm really...

Happy birthday to me.

Happy birthday.

- What can this mean?

- What?

- "Wash the thighs."

- No, "bathe." Bathe the thighs.

- Look, but then...

- Where?

"In butter." I know that. But what is the...

"Bathe the thighs in butter

and then stuff the..."

What's that word?

- The hen!

- Right. Hen.

"Until she just can't take it anymore."

- It doesn't say that.

- It does.

I'll show you later in the dictionary.

I'll go through the whole recipe with you.

- Why don't I go to cooking school?

- Why don't you?

- I'm serious.

- So am I.

Oh, my God.

What if you hadn't fallen in love with me?

But I did.

Oh, gosh.

Yesterday was Tuesday, August 13th, 2002.

Day one. 364 days to go.

I cooked artichokes with hollandaise sauce

which is melted butter that's been whipped

into a frenzy with egg yolks

until it's died and gone to heaven.

And let me say this.

Is there anything better than butter?

Think it over.

Every time you taste something

that's delicious beyond imagining,

and you say, "What is in this?"

The answer is always going to be "butter."

It's incredible.

It's been whisked into submission,

that's why.

The day there's a meteorite heading toward

the earth and we have 30 days to live,

I am going to spend it eating butter.

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