...an afternoon with Julia and "The Book Club".

I belong to "The No Guilt Book Club". We started 3 years ago. 2 attorneys, 1 attorney/teacher, a computer tech guru, the dog whisperer, and myself. The rules were simple...pick a book and meet once a month to discuss. No guilt if you couldn't finish...or start...or even buy the book...just meet to discuss. And discuss we did, over margaritas, nachos, Thai food, Moroccan, Italian, cheese and wine, just wine, and once a lovely balsamic tasting (luscious over strawberries and vanilla ice cream). We read fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction, and biographies. Sharing our views we often found ourselves wondering if we all had read the same book. Our conversations would drift to movies, current affairs, travel, and always end up on food and personal restaurant reviews. So, as we start 2010, what better books to digest than cookbooks, and what better place to start than at the very top with Madame Julie Child.
"Le c'est magnifique!!"
Armed with our assignment, we each prepared a dish from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Not bothering to consult each other on our choices was both unintentional and risky. But what a wonderful surprise is was when we all sat down to:

Black bean soup
Butter lettuce with herb vinigrette
Quiche aux Asperges
Stuffed roasted red peppers
Coq au Vin
Puree de Pommes de Terre a l'ail (garlic mashed potatoes)
Haricots Verts a la Maitre d Hotel (Buttered green beans w/lemon and Parsley
and a sumptuous mixed fruit tart.

Something wonderful happens as you sit and linger over a good meal...stories unfold of favorite childhood dishes, mom in the kitchen (or not), who was the best chef, cafeteria classics, and how we first learned to cook. Three bottles of wine later the one subject we could all agree on was our mutual love of anything gastronomic.
So here is a toast to the 2010 No Guilt (pass the butter please) Cookbook Club!!
Bon Appetite!!