Book 1 of 52: Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

A little while ago, I read My Life in France by Julia Child. I’m not a good cook, but I have a fondness for Julia. Not only was she great on camera, but I knew she’d led a fascinating life and, being recently dumped, I liked to remind myself that Julia didn’t find her ‘soul mate,’ Paul Child, until her late 30s.

As I read My Life in France, a loose thought jiggled in my brain. Something about someone cooking along to Julia to get out of a funk. I’d read about it in a book catalogue, but I couldn’t remember more than that. A quick google search got me the answer: Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen. Better yet, it had just come out in paperback. Better still, Borders was selling the hardback version for $4.99. And I had a $5 coupon. Sold.

Powell wasn’t trying to get over a break up by cooking her way through Child’s Master the Art of French Cooking, but a general life slump. She worked for a government agency, lived in a crappy apartment, and was stuck in marital ennui. So she started cooking, and doing stuff I couldn’t conceive of trying in my kitchen, including things with ducks and lobsters that would be illegal if it involved humans.

I liked this book. It’s a quick read, and Powell’s informal and casual pace kept me rolling right though. I also appreciate that the book wasn’t just a reprint of her blog entries. The blog was only a minor character in the story about moving past a tough time in your life by doing something different. Great way to start this project, if you ask me.