Goal 1

This weekend I am going to attempt to start one of my New Years goals. I am going to devote Sunday attempting to bake a loaf of authentic french bread Ala Julia Child. It may seem silly that I am planning an entire day to make bread, but this particular recipe is roughly 17 pages long and requires a trip to the hardware store. I figure my first day will mostly be acquainting myself with the recipe. I hope that by the end of the year I can turn out batches of exceptional french bread to serve and bring to dinner parties. I used to do really cute cupcakes but everyone does them now.

I know there are probably bread makers out there who would shake their heads at me, because I do know there are much easier ways to make bread than this authentic artisan practice, but I happen to love Julia Child. My husband gave me Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol 2 for Christmas and I haven't made anything out of it yet. Mostly I am going to do this for Julia. I really am a big fan of hers, It started when my MIL gave me the Art of French Cooking Vol 1 about 5 years ago, then I saw "Julie and Julia", and then I read her Autobiography, "My Life in France". In the book Julia explains how she considered the French bread recipe her Opus, in fact it took her months of work and research to perfect it, however it seemed that no Americans wanted to make french bread, and the recipe seemed completely overlooked. that alone is a reason for me to tackle the process and give it a try. I'll take some pictures and show my progress with you next week.

 

I am a person who enjoys cooking, not necessarily the day to day demands of healthy dinners and toddler breakfasts, but I like a challenge and feel creative, when time and motivation allows me to do something new. If you are the same type of kitchenista (or kitchenisto) I would highly suggest Vol 1, and also Irma S. Rombauers the Joy of Cooking. Simply because they will both make you better cooks. These cooking bibles were also written, pre crisco, fake butter, splenda and other chemicals you see today.If I read another recipe calling for Cream of something soup, W/O the recipe For the actual soup....

Anywho, please wish me luck on my domestic mission this weekend-MB