Julia Child Floribunda Rose
the color of different shades of butter
photo taken in my garden today 8/15/2010 at 5:23 PM
Do you remember the first food blog you ever read?
I do. It was Champaign Taste. I was about to host a Julia Child themed dinner party and decided to get inspiration from the internet. It was then I discovered Lisa’s Champaign Taste and her first annual Julia Child Birthday Celebration in 2006. I was especially excited to read her post as I had attended the University of Illinois and had lived in Lisa’s hometown – Champaign, Illinois for four years.
Dear Lisa: Best wishes for continued success on your delightful long-running blog! Thank you for the initial inspiration and for holding your very special annual tributes to Julia Child for the last five years. It continues to be my absolute favorite event, big or small.
Julia Child writing about 1949:
“On August 15, I turned thirty-seven years old. Paul bought me the Larousse Gastronomique, a wonder-book of 1,087 pages of sheer cookery and foodery…By now I knew French food was “it” for me. I couldn’t get over how absolutely delicious it was.”
For Julia’s Birthday – I re-created her First Meal in France compiled from photos
on our last trip to Paris, and restaurant and Julia inspired home-cooked dishes.
Julia’s First Meal in Francewith Husband, Paul Child
(a re-creation)
We rolled to a stop in La Place du Vieux Marché,
the square where Joan of Arc had met her fiery fate.
There the Guide Michelin directed us to
Restaurant La Couronne.
Rouen is a 2000 year old city
located in Normandy
on the Seine River
not too far from the English Channel.
Rouen, France
November 1948
“The waiter is telling them about the chicken they ordered,” Paul whispered, “How it was raised, how it will be cooked, what side dishes they can have with it, and which wines would go best.”
“Wine?” exclaimed Julia, “at lunch?”
“We began our lunch with oysters on the half shell.”
“Rouen is famous for its duck dishes, but after consulting the waiter Paul had decided to order Sole Meunière…perfectly browned in a sputtering butter sauce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top.”
“Then came the salade verte with a slightly acidic vinaigrette.”
“Along with our meal, we happily downed a whole bottle of Pouilly-Fumé, a wonderfully crisp white wine from the Loire region. Another revelation!”
“We followed our meal with a leisurely dessert of fromage…”
“Paul and I floated out the door into the brilliant sunshine and cool air. Our first lunch together in France had been absolute perfection. It was the most exciting meal of my life.”
This is as she describes her meal to us in My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme, published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2006.
To re-create the delicious Sole Meunière:
Season the fresh Petrale Sole, then dip it in a beaten egg. Dredge in flour and shake off the excess. Sauté in a half butter/half olive oil mixture until light brown. Make the sauce in another pan; brown the butter, finish with lemon juice and chopped parsley. Pour sauce on the platter, then top with the fish. Garnish with lemons and parsley.
Do you remember the first food blog your ever read?
Toujours Bon Appétit!
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Julia Child Floribunda Rose
Julia’s First Meal in France
This is as she describes her meal to us in My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme, published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2006.
wow congrats on this fabulous presentation and wonderful journey to read loved this one , a classic and favorite memory~
Lovely tribute to Julia Child! She looked at life with such enthusiasm – contagious, I’d say. The first food blog I ever read was Kalyn’s Kitchen. I was searching for a tzatziki recipe and her blog popped up. I am happy to say the talented and generous Kalyn has become a friend of mine.
What an absolutely wonderful posting!! There was something very special about Julia, that draws foodies into the kitchen!! I do not remember the first food blog I read, but I am amazed everyday at how many I read on a daily basis.
This is a wonderful tribute to Julia Child. What a life she led with great food at every corner!
Lori Lynn, this is wonderful. Your photos are simply beautiful. I read My Life in France and adored it, and I remember well Julia’s description of that meal. Your photos bring it to life so well.
And of course, the roses. Looking at them just about made me cry!
Thanks also for the kind words on the blog, and for the inspiration that you yourself provide.
I’m not absolutely sure, but I think that Cooking with Amy was the first food blog I ever ran across. I was so thrilled — I’d had no idea!
“Wine? At lunch?!”