Tune-In Tuesday: Julie & Julia

Usually when I see a preview for a great-looking movie based on a book, I immediately want to go out to the bookstore and pick up a copy of the text. That is exactly what happened when I saw the trailer for Julie & Julia light up the big screen. Today’s Tune-In Tuesday post reviews the tale that inspired the major motion picture starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen is an autobiographical look at Julie Powell’s attempt to find fulfillment in her life (not to mention dominate the butter shelf at her local grocery store).

An almost-30 year old living in a dingy Manhattan apartment and working at a soul-destroying secretarial job, Julie decides to cook all of the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s famous Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a one year period. Crazy, right? I’ve flipped through this cookbook before, and I can’t pronounce half of the words in it, let alone begin to fathom deboning a duck.

Julie starts a blog to record this cooking endeavor, and soon her task is fueled by comments from loyal “bleaders” (blog readers), an ever-encouraging husband, and a stubborn personal drive. She takes the reader on her journey of prepping lamb stew meat for Navarin Printanier, perfecting the pan flip to make Gateau de Crepes, and crying over a pan of Pate de Canard en Croute. The book details breakdowns, electrical outages, maggot-infested cupboards, and regurgitating kitchen sinks.

In the end, it seems the lesson learned is not how to enjoy eating liver or poach an egg, but rather how taking on a difficult task can help you mold your best life (what’s more EYC-approved than that?!).

Perhaps what I loved most about this book was hearing about the kitchen mishaps. I personally can relate to the demoralizing feeling of failing at a culinary action. This past summer was my first time living on my own—no mom or dining hall to provide me with food. The first time I attempted to cook up a meal in my apartment kitchen, the results were less than successful. In fact, I found the Facebook message I sent to my two best friends from home following “the incident”:

May 27, 3:49 PM

Remember when i said i was gonna make a nice chicken dinner two days ago? yea that didn't go so well. i had kinda a stressful night and then i had a kitchen mishap and then i couldn't cook the chicken right and then i got really mad at the laundry machine and then i burnt my finger and then i didn't want to get salmonella poisoning and then i threw all of the chicken away and got a salad at panera and then i started crying for no reason.

See Julie Powell? You’re not alone in your kitchen breakdowns!

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read. Want to know my specific thoughts?

What I Liked: As a food-related blogger, I enjoyed learning about another blogger’s experiences. It was inspiring to hear how Julie’s online writing blossomed into a career. I liked how the book did not just focus on cooking, but also detailed the ups and downs of Julie’s everyday life.

What I Didn’t Like: Julie’s writing style is raw, but a little too border-line vulgar at times. At first, her somewhat whiny tone annoyed me. However, I eventually found myself rooting for Julie.

The movie adaptation combines Julia and Julia with My Life in France, a chronicle of Julia Child’s life written by the chef herself with Alex Prud’homme. Although the movie misses the edginess and grittiness of the written narrative, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The trailer is equally entertaining:

Have you read/seen Julie & Julia? Have you ever experienced a demoralizing kitchen mishap?

Today’s Recommended Read: Should You Go Organic This Thanksgiving? (Food Network Blog)