13 March 2012

Book of the Month: January/ February

So...I haven't exactly kept up with my book a month goal.
(Although I did technically read three books in December. That counts for something, right?)

Anyway, it's taken me a little longer to finish my February book:
My Life in France by Julia Child.
(Partially due to the fact that I have a very mobile little one and 
partially because I had trouble getting into the story.)

 [image via]

 Because I had a general knowledge of Julia's life, it was almost as if I already knew the ending. 
So a lot of the details in the middle, while fascinating, didn't really hold my interest.

But I did enjoy reading about her daily life in France and fantasizing about visiting there someday.
The book was interspersed with pictures taken by her husband (who was a very talented photographer), which I liked. It was also interesting to read about her culinary experiences (or lack thereof, in some cases) and the hours upon hours she would spend perfecting a recipe.
And I thought I was a dedicated cook!

My friend Jenna gave me the book/ cookbook Food & Friends by Simone Beck, who also helped author the famous Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I think it will be interesting to read this book now that I have a little more history on how that famous cookbook came about and about Julia's life. Reading My Life in France also made me interested to see some of the cooking shows that Julia filmed during her lifetime, and maybe even visit her TV kitchen!

Overall, I enjoyed the book but just didn't connect with this story the way I had hoped.
For budding gourmands and those with some extra time on their hands,
this book would be a great read. But not so much for a new mom who doesn't have hours to spend making from-scratch veal stock - or reading about the process. ;)

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