Tomorrow is Julia Child’s 100th birthday celebration. Les Dames d’ Escoffier, an organization I belong to, is celebrating this very special occasion here in Hawaii, as well as chapters throughout Julia’s home state of California, New York, Phoenix, Texas, Canada
Tomorrow is Julia Child’s 100th birthday celebration. Les Dames d’ Escoffier, an organization I belong to, is celebrating this very special occasion here in Hawaii, as well as chapters throughout Julia’s home state of California, New York, Phoenix, Texas, Canada and London.
Born to a wealthy family in Pasadena, Julia Child did not cook due to her privileged life. She joined the Office of Strategic Services as a top secret researcher for the head of OSS, General William J. Donovan. She was responsible for the placement of the agents in Southeast Asia. While in Ceylon, she met Paul Cushing Child, also an OSS employee. They married, and in 1948, Paul was assigned to Paris as an exhibit officer with the United States Information Agency.
While in Paris, Julia attended Le Cordon Bleu cooking school and joined the women’s cooking club, Cercle des Gourmettes. This is where she met Simone Beck, who was writing a French cookbook for Americans with her friend Louisette Bertholle. They collaborated on their first project together, using Julia’s degree in English from Smith College to make the book appealing to Americans.
This friendship led to the three women opening an informal cooking classes in Julia’s Paris kitchen. Ten years later, Julia was in Cambridge, Mass., but still worked with Lousisette, testing recipes, translating them into English and making the recipes detailed and practical for the American cook.
I used to enjoy Julia’s television show, “The French Chef,” which debuted on Feb. 11, 1963, with a 10-year run. Her shows with PBS were also very popular and sometimes funny, especially when she had guest chefs like Jacques Pepin.
Julia Child’s recipe for split pea soup is great for a cold night.
Split Pea Soup
Serves 6
Make a bouquet garni by placing 3 garlic cloves, 4 allspice berries, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme, 8 sprigs of parsley wrapped in cheesecloth or a bouquet garni muslin bag.
Pick over and remove any stones, wash and drain:
1 pound green split peas
Place in a soup pot:
4 1/2 cups water
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large leek, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large garlic clove, halved
Bouquet garni pouch
2 well-rinsed ham hocks
Bring to simmer, skim off scum off the top of the soup. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally so the peas do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Remove the ham hocks and bouquet garni from the soup. Using an immersion blender (a must in anyone’s kitchen) blend soup until all vegetables are pureed. If you want a smoother soup, you can pass the soup through a sieve.
Add salt and pepper to taste. You can garnish with croutons or chopped parsley or chives.
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Have five hours? Julia’s Boeuf Bourguignon a La Julia Child from her cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” has 45 step-by-step directions to turn a simple beef stew into a complicated French cuisine.
I can just hear Julia Child say “scrumptious!” when she makes this chicken ragout. All it needs is a side salad and bread to sop up the delicious sauce.
Chicken Ragout
with Onions
and Red Wine
Serves 4
In a large skillet with: 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Brown on both sides:
3 pounds chicken parts or only thighs
Remove chicken from pan and set aside, leaving the liquid in the skillet.
Add:
3 cups sliced onions
Sauté until tender over moderate heat.
Drain liquid over sieve into a small bowl. Set aside.
Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and return to skillet.
Add:
1/3 cup canned tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, mined
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
3 cups any dry red wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
This amount of wine and broth should cover the chicken.
Simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.
Remove chicken and place on platter. Pour juices and onions into a saucepan and adjust seasonings. In a small bowl, whisk together:
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoons red wine
Add to sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the back of the spoon. If you have lots of liquid, you may to double the amount of flour slurry. Pour sauce over the chicken on the platter and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with rice and crusty bread.
Foodie Bites
Get together with friends tomorrow night, have some French wine, a simple French dinner, and toast Julia Child who brought French cooking to American kitchens!
Don’t forget Slow Foods Big Island Chapter’s Waipio camp-out at the Mock Chew’s this weekend. Prices are $100 for members and $125 for non-members.
Call Clara at 936-6511 for more information and to reserve a spot. If you do not have four-wheel drive, there will be shuttles to take you down into the valley.
Please feel free to e-mail me at wilson.audrey@hawaiiantel.net if you have a question. Bon appetit until next week.
