Friday 19 February 2010

Jane / Julia


I just started to read the book “Julie/Julia”, on which the very successful film with Meryl Streep is based. I have had a number of girlfriends tell me that I MUST see the film. One young friend, in her 20’s told me that I reminded her very much of Julia Child and that she’d chuckled at the similarities.
I still haven’t got around to seeing the film, but I have already learned from the book that Julia was 6’2” (I’m also tall, but not QUITE that statuesque), worked for a division of the secret service (ahem, I also aspired to that kind of work post graduation), and didn’t know a bull’s derriere from its elbow when she first started to write her book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”.
I suspect that the similarities end there. I’ve never lived in Paris (dare I say, I don’t particularly like the place) and did not teach an entire nation to cook.
What started me on this? Well, I have wandered down yet another memory trail this evening. It involves another cook book, known and beloved to anyone who was raised in Britain in the 1950s or 1960s; The Be-Ro Book. Be-Ro is a brand of flour (a bit like Edmonds in New Zealand). The book contains basics like pancakes, Victoria Sponge, Rock Buns and Melting Moments. The exotic Cream Horns and Choux pastry come later in the book, when you’ve got a few dozen cheese scones and Maids of Honour under your belt.
My Be-Ro book is the Centenary Edition that I purchased in 1980, just before heading off to University. It is dog eared, and marked with imprints left from fingers that had just rolled out marzipan or nipped together short crust pastry. As I flipped pancakes this evening, I have been thinking it would be fun to relive my childhood and student years by baking my way through the Be-Ro’s floury pages. I could impress visitors with my Marmalade slice and Madeleines, and sink the odd battleship with a steak and kidney pud.


Not quite in the league of Julie/Julia, more Jane dreaming of Delia.

4 comments:

rutimizrachi said...

This was delightful! I especially enjoyed your choice to juxtapose "Rock Buns and Melting Moments." And "sink[ing] the odd battleship with a steak and kidney pud" brings to mind my dear Rumpole of the Bailey (which I know you would love, if you are not already a fan). I look forward to meeting you one day. You are too much fun!

Kat Mortensen said...

I saw the film with my mom and it was quite good. I related more to Julie than Julia, since she was a devoted blogger.
I had a set of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in mint condition, but I knew it was not ever going to be used by me since I prefer very simple cooking and don't use butter very often.

Kat

sparrow said...

Ruti - ditto! Let's make a date the next time I am in Israel. If hubby can hang out at Chez Treppenwitz, I can certainly have a girls day over the hill with you:-)

Kat - I am trying hard not to buy MtAoFC, because I am a great butter fan, and this is not good for the hips:-)

Unknown said...

I haven't seen the J&J movie, but the shorts looked interesting. When it comes to memories I think few are more evocative than those of cooking especially those associated with early days. Mmmm my grandmother's home made bread...
Love the snake and kidney sea mine image!