635592 Fri Jul 10 12:30:35 -0700 2009 35 31 Home Cooking 0 4847062 My chowhound friends and I are excited about making the menu from Bon Appetit's "Happy Birthday, Julia" article. Are any of you planning a party using this menu? Simple menu, but with many folks across the country making the same menu on the same night for the same reason, should be a reason to keep in touch with each other about our successes/failures and just fun home cooking! I'll look forward to reading the posts. Fri Jul 10 12:30:35 -0700 2009 12094 amazinc 1 4848065 I no longer subscribe but I love the idea. Online: http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/cookingclub/happy-birthday-julia/index/index_20090616 MENU First Course Pissaladière Niçoise Bandol Rosé Main & Sides Poulet Sauté aux Herbes de Provence Rataouille French bread Salad Course Green Salad with Sauce Vinaigrette Dessert Reine de Saba Banyuls Delightful. Surely Julia would approve. Fri Jul 10 18:37:09 -0700 2009 4847062 10516 MplsM ary 2 4860811 I love the idea also! She was such a great inspiration to so many! I cherish my signed "Menu Cookbook", tho I confess to not having used it in ages! Her first menu is the Birthday dinner - crabmeat appetizer, Roast Duck with cracklings, the cake! Only Julia could pull off something so rich and decadent! And I love the wine suggestions - Chablis, Burgundy or Pinot Noir & Champagne or Sauternes. Would love to go the that dinner party! Wed Jul 15 09:30:59 -0700 2009 4848065 90755 Phurstluv 2 4863539 mmmmm. I seem to recall that the Reine de Saba was Julia's all-time favorite cake. But the photo shows a layer cake, and the Reine is a bowl-shaped cake. This meal looks (except for the cake) sounds like one of my summertime dinner parties. What a nice idea to make those for Julia's birthday. ;) What a classy lady. Every year after her birthday had passed, she would send out thank you notes to all her friends and fans who had sent her birthday cards. Thu Jul 16 07:01:00 -0700 2009 4848065 52499 ChefJune 3 4863948 She shows the Los Gatos Cake, " a dacquoise type of apricot filled torte", with merinque-nut layers. Don't see the Reine de Saba cake recipe in this edition - circa 1991. Thu Jul 16 08:48:24 -0700 2009 4863539 90755 Phurstluv 4 4864051 this sounds really good. i can't find it published online... Thu Jul 16 09:09:51 -0700 2009 4863948 133265 jeniyo 5 4864110 Which one, the Reine de Saba or the Los Gatos Cake? Thu Jul 16 09:27:33 -0700 2009 4864051 90755 Phurstluv 3 4864769 This Reine de Saba looks amazing... http://www.dessert.net.au/gteau-reine-de-saba-queen-of-sheba-cake/ Thu Jul 16 12:10:08 -0700 2009 4863539 10726 TrishUntrapped 1 4848936 Just an interesting aside about Julia, even though she was a gourmet cook one of her favorite meals was an In-N-Out double double cheeseburger, she had a list of every In-N-Out in California. Sat Jul 11 08:45:06 -0700 2009 4847062 12130 malibumike 1 4850267 Sounds like a nice tribute to her. I doubt I can participate in that elaborate menu even as much as I love her and want to. But what I will do in her honor is probably make a lovely herb omlette in the morning and drink a bottle of, er I mean, a fine glass of white wine... Sat Jul 11 20:39:55 -0700 2009 4847062 50431 chef chicklet 2 4862112 I love the quote from Julia which was the response to the question, "To what do you attribute your longevity?" (or something close to that). Her answer was, "Beef and gin." Wed Jul 15 16:00:24 -0700 2009 4850267 12789 pcdarnell 1 4850710 I have her cookbook Julia Child and Company with her birthday dinner menu. She says her favorite birthday dinner is always Roast duck and a big gooey cake. Neither of those would have been much fun to make on a hot summer day, before central air. The menu in the cookbook also has Chesapeake lump crab apps, puree of parsnips in zucchini boats and broccoli spears with brown butter and lemon. The duck is duck with cracklings and the gooey cake is Los Gatos Gateau , a very elaborate affair with layers of meringue, apricot filling and butter Cream frosting. I watched her make the cake on television- it was impressive. Thought her menu would be an interesting addition to this thread. I can't wait to see the movie- loved the book. Sun Jul 12 06:38:48 -0700 2009 4847062 66281 ginnyhw 2 4859657 I saw her make the cake, too, and loved that she explained that the grat thing about a long rectangular cake such as this is that you can eat a slice as a treat, then put more buttercream on the end, and your guests will never know. That shows her signature down-to-earth spirit and enjoyment of her own cooking to a tee. Tue Jul 14 21:30:25 -0700 2009 4850710 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 4850826 Wow! ginnyhw! My friends and I WON"T be doing that menu...we'll do the simple one in Bon Appetit Mag. I have that Julia Child and Friends book and am going to try that cake one of these days, when the weather around San Antonio cools off a bit... but it won't be min-August! Thanks for the post on her "real" birthday menu. We'll report on how the easier one goes. Sun Jul 12 07:44:36 -0700 2009 4847062 12094 amazinc 1 4862036 Since my birthday is August 15, the same as Julia's, I'm open to anyone who wants to make me Julia's dinner.... ;-) Wed Jul 15 15:27:31 -0700 2009 4847062 10726 TrishUntrapped 1 4862935 Told my sister last week that I thought I'd do this 8/15 menu for the family. I rather like the thought that Julia's fans from all over would be making the same dinner that evening. Very pleased that Bon Appetit picked ratatouille; the vegetables will be available fresh from local growers (shoot, might even manage to use peppers from my own little patch), and the Reine de Saba has been on my "to do" list for a long time. Maybe this is the impetus I need to make it. Being that it's my family, of course I'll have to make a change. The pissaladiere won't fly, alas. So I'm thinking of subbing a small cup of vichyssoise for the first course, Julia's, natch. And I'll cheat and do the Bittman/Lahey bread. Somehow, I don't think Julia would give me any grief on that. Wed Jul 15 21:44:53 -0700 2009 4847062 81822 Old Spice 1 4864131 my birthday is on the 14th so i think i'll make this menu but with an extra quiche for my vegetarian friend instead of the chicken saute or duck breast... i've never tried these cakes, the reine de saba sounds fairly simple for a birthday cake (no layers). so... it's rich enough and birthday worthy? Thu Jul 16 09:33:06 -0700 2009 4847062 133265 jeniyo 1 4870088 We are all excited about our event and we are currently working on our invitations and after that will come selections for the night's menu, in her honor! Sat Jul 18 11:03:15 -0700 2009 4847062 1094711 skyequeen25 1 4872759 I was inspired by Bon Appetit's suggestion but have decided to prepare the Birthday Dinner from Julia Child and Company at our restaurant.. It was almost thirty years ago when I first prepared it for my husband's and my anniversary dinner. It was a wonderful menu with crab and roasted duck and a fabulous apricot torte. We had just remodeled our kitchen and had put in a convection oven. The duck was wonderful. And we toasted it all with Dom Perignon with our favorite couple. A memorable evening . . . and I think a perfect way to honor Child. I so hope the movie is a hit. In the clips Meryl Streep is almost as good as Dan Ackroyd who back in the 1980s had a wonderful Julia Child sketch in which she/he severs an artery but continues to keep on cookin'. Sun Jul 19 19:24:39 -0700 2009 4847062 322843 Lucindy 2 4873227 Where is your restaurant? Mon Jul 20 03:35:22 -0700 2009 4872759 10726 TrishUntrapped 3 4877897 Looks to be the South: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/507838#4713629 Tue Jul 21 12:19:11 -0700 2009 4873227 10532 LindaWhit 4 4879263 Thanks, guess I am out of luck.... Gonna have to make my own Julia birthday dinner for myself... Tue Jul 21 19:52:48 -0700 2009 4877897 10726 TrishUntrapped 5 4879297 Let's see - the 15th is a Saturday, and you're not too far from me, I don't think...... ;-) Tue Jul 21 20:02:42 -0700 2009 4879263 10532 LindaWhit 6 4879928 Live in CT, but will be in Cape Cod for birthday week. Wed Jul 22 05:35:10 -0700 2009 4879297 10726 TrishUntrapped 7 4880017 A very nice place to spend your (shared with Julia) birthday! Wed Jul 22 06:11:47 -0700 2009 4879928 10532 LindaWhit 8 4881380 Thanks, Linda! I'll be toasting to her! Wed Jul 22 12:03:02 -0700 2009 4880017 10726 TrishUntrapped 1 4877795 i've sent out the word that i'm cooking and there are now around 10+ people coming for dinner. I thought there are just going to be 4 or 5 of us.. =) I don't have the official book. I'm heading out to B&N tonite to pick it up! please let me know if you have a crowd worthy dish you like to make in this book, i think i might end up with 15 people (*_*). Thanks! Tue Jul 21 11:52:41 -0700 2009 4847062 133265 jeniyo 2 4877910 At the end of the book are several bonus recipes that weren't on the TV series. One is an egg and mushroom dish to 'bring for a crowd' that I used to make. I'm not home so don't have the book in front of me. There's also the world's easiest dessert with "store bought' ice cream, rum and instant coffee served in a wine goblet. It's delicious. Tue Jul 21 12:22:10 -0700 2009 4877795 66281 ginnyhw 1 4877868 Does anyone remember her 80th birthday party? I think it was on PBS. Several teams of chefs fed a huge birthday crowd. Dungeness crab and lamb I believe were on the menu. But what I remember most was an ensemble from the Boston Pops, I think, who performed a special piece for her using only kitchen equipment as their instruments -- pots, pan, whisks, old-fashioned egg beaters, wooden spoons, etc. I've often tried to find a rerun of it, to no avail. No YouTube back then! Happy birthday, Julia! Tue Jul 21 12:13:02 -0700 2009 4847062 84890 nemo 2 4878015 Was it a crab bisque & Gigot Farci en Croute? It was her birthday dinner menu from Mastering the Art of Frech Cooking, Vol. 2. Great book. Ginnyw, you must be talking about the Eggs Interallies - Scrambled eggs and mushrooms gratineed with cheese. Looks really good! I have not used any of these menus - but I think it would be hard to go wrong. So awesome how in the suggested wines area of the menu she would put "Jugs or magnums"!! Tue Jul 21 12:50:27 -0700 2009 4877868 90755 Phurstluv 2 4880293 I was on that team of chefs. I worked with Chef Jimmy Burke to make Roasted Scallops in their Shells with a very fancy version of Brandade de Morue (we just talked about that....) It was tons of fun being in the kitchen that night. Everyone helped with the plating. You never saw such assembly lines and precision in the kitchen. As part of the entertainment, Julia requested the showing of Dan Ackroyd's skit, and actually, he was her dinner partner that night. ;) Afterwards, when we were doing the cleanup, the FOH sent us back lots of Champagne for a thank you. Great memories. ;) Wed Jul 22 07:27:37 -0700 2009 4877868 52499 ChefJune 1 4878046 i've just never heard of these names to these dishes! how fancy. I can't wait. Tue Jul 21 12:57:25 -0700 2009 4847062 133265 jeniyo 1 4878229 I simply had to update you folks regarding the "Julia birthday dinner" Too much fun. Our local newspaper heard about it and the Leisure Editor is so excited she's going a whole spread on Julia....our dinner, with photos, a movie review and an article about her. We are now getting phone calls from people who were not included and they are miffed!! We are saying "make the dinner with other friends who cook"! A friend who is part of the dinner e-mailed her cousin who lives in Paris. He told his friend in San Francisco and they are astonished that ladies from "Po-Dunk, Texas" are cooking Julia Child's foods. What a hoot. Tue Jul 21 13:48:40 -0700 2009 4847062 12094 amazinc 2 4879014 Very fun! Make sure you post a link to the article, etc. when it's out! Tue Jul 21 18:24:39 -0700 2009 4878229 10532 LindaWhit 2 4881555 I think that was the whole point of Julia Child: that she demystified French cuisine and brought it to "Podunk Texas." Wed Jul 22 12:54:26 -0700 2009 4878229 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 4879657 I like the first course, and the dessert, and the salad course is okay. If I were planning this menu from scratch, I'd probably pick a whole different main course than that offered by the Magazine. The entree for my menu for a Julia Child Birthday dinner would include potatoes, for one, maybe potatoes anna or "pomme de terre sautees" or "gratin dauphinois." Julia is brilliant at potato recipes. Why not include one? Second, I'd do a different chicken recipe from her repertoire, maybe her classic roast chicken or chicken fricassee, or chicken tarragon. I think the editors of the article may have simplified the main course to make the menu attractive to the regular Bon Appetit reader. As for the vegetable course, ratatoullie is not a classic side for roast chicken, either, I'd do a different vegetable side, like braised leeks, or, given that it's summer, peas in butter, or roast corn. Otherwise, its an okay menu and a great time to celebrate good cooking generally, and Julia in particular. I may personally have picked different items for a menu honoring Julia myself, but it's nice to see people getting exciting about cooking in her honor! Tue Jul 21 23:47:05 -0700 2009 4847062 11028 DanaB