My Life in France

Julia Child wrote a book about her years abroad with her husband on government assignment. It's called My Life in France and it is wonderful. I started it on the plane. Julia recounts her and her husband Paul's experiences and especially the saga of her cookbook writing and her chef training at Le Cordon Bleu. She has a keen interest in people and the art of cooking and her charming sense of humor comes through each page. I highly recommend this book, although be warned you will want to get her cookbook and make the recipes she slaved on for so many days and hours. It is one of my favorites already. I have a staunch admiration for Julia and her work ethic, determination, willingness to try new things, mess up and then work until it's mastered. She is a lesson in developing talents.

Yesterday I went to the American History Museum with the express purpose of studying her Cambridge house kitchen on display on the bottom floor. She was a self-professed gadget freak, copper freak, knife freak and all other kitchen-y things freak. I loved the copper pan selection she had, so shiny and begging to reduce some delectable sauce. I am dying to get my cookbooks out of storage and try my hand at some of her painstakingly perfected recipes.



Last night, with no desire to go to a restaurant, we made a stuffed puff pastry roll here at Paige's house. We put sweet italian chicken sausage, garlic, brie, fresh basil, heirloom tomato, onion and asparagus onto a puff pastry sheet, did a litte egg wash and baked it in the oven until it was golden. Then we ate it. It was absolutely delicious. Looking at the ingredient list, you couldn't really go wrong, right? Here it is before it went in the oven.