Julie and Julia with Juliet

I’ve been hyping the Julie and Julia movie for quite some time. I took time out this afternoon to go see the movie with my friend, Juliet. Like so many of us in the food business, I have an emotional tie to Julia Child.

I had met Julia Child four times, the last at the opening of her kitchen at the Smithsonian as well as sitting across from her the first time she had steamed crabs. I am the proud owner of Julia’s charlotte mold, tea towel, pot holder and photograph proof page from her earlier cookbook.

Julia’s book editor Judith Jones was in Baltimore with Marion Cunningham , cookbook author while she was shooting a pilot for a television series at MPT. My late friend, Margaret Sullivan, a producer at MPT invited them to our culinary sorority dinner. While everyone was fussing over Marion Cunningham, I had Judith Jones all to myself. Judith is the editor who discovered the manuscript to the Diary of Ann Frank. Judith recent wrote her own best selling autobiography,

That evening the dish I had prepared was a timpano  inspired from the movie Big Night. I was a wreck but it turned out exceptionally well and I vowed never to make another..

Amanda Hesser, from the New York Times played herself and did a damn fine job it – very realistic. Amanda and I met a few years back through my former position at Vanns Spices and remain in contact through Facebook and Twitter.

The movie’s food stylist and coordinator for the film was Susan Spungen, the former food editor for Martha Stewart. I’ve had the opportunity to style Susan’s food when she was on tour with her cookbook, I organized a book signing at Belvedere Square and a special dining event at Red Dog Café in Silver Spring.

Master the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child has had a resurgence of sales and there is an increased interest in the art of cooking - this is a good thing.

To all my food friends, Bon Appetit!