Julie, Julia, and Me

I took some time away from my pottery yesterday to go see the movie, "Julie and Julia" with a couple of girlies...and, I am so glad that I did. Not only is it great to take time out to be with girlfriends to chat and laugh together, sharing this movie with them was such a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Even if you just go to see Meryl Streep's amazing portrayal of Julia Child...go see it. And, like one of my relatives said to me, "Don't go hungry" in that there are some mouth-watering foods in the film.

For those who may not know, the movie is based on the book written by Julie Powell that was taken from her blog. (note to all of you bloggers out there---a book deal may be in your future---be careful what you write!) Julia's book, My Life in France, was also part of the inspiration and adaptation.

Julie was in an unfulfilling dead-end job and decided to commit herself to cooking all of the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook, The Art of French Cooking, while documenting the whole experience in her blog. Of course, her journey becomes a lot more than just cooking...she also learns a lot about herself and life in general.

One of the first dishes that she prepares to conquer is Julia's Beef Bourguignon. I was smiling to myself thinking back very early in my marriage when I was a slave to my red-checkered Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and I attempted to make this dish. Of course, I just called it "Beef Burgundy"...but, the basic ingredients and procedures were the same...brown the beef, cut up the veggies, add the burgundy wine and braise for hours on end. Mmmmmm.

(Those early days were when I wasn't quite as concerned about all of the red meat and butter that we consumed. Things are quite different now as I do try to cook and eat more healthily.)

After the movie ended my friends and I just stayed seated in the theater chatting about it all. They teased me a bit about my blog and said that I should post a recipe or two every once in a while. This, they thought, might increase my readership some. It sounded like a good idea....

So, girlies, this one's for you! : )

Aunt Selma's Unbelievably Tender and Delicious Beef Brisket

Sprinkle a whole beef brisket with the seasonings of your choice such as garlic, pepper, paprika.

Brown on each side with a little olive oil in a pan on top of the stove.

When browned, place in a large cook pot that can be used in the oven. To this add cut up onions, carrots and peeled and chopped potatoes. (I also like to add fresh mushrooms....and fresh garlic cloves can be used instead of dried garlic powder.)

Sprinkle an entire package of dried onion soup mix on the top of the beef. Next spread a bottle of chili sauce over that and blend together. Finally, pour enough Coca Cola (diet coke works just as well if you are watching your calories) over the whole thing to almost cover the veggies.

Cover tightly and slowly cook in a 325 degree oven for about 2-3 hours. (Your house will smell wonderful as it cooks!)

Remove from oven when tender and let sit for a while as it cools down.

I like to slice the cooled meat, put it back into the gravy, and serve it the next day. You can eat it right away....but, there is something delicious that happens to it when it sits in the refrigerator overnight. (Plus, as an aside, this allows any fat to rise to the surface and solidify-- making for easy removal and a healthier dish. Also, since I don't eat red meat anymore, I have made this same recipe with chicken-----delicious!)

Open up a bottle of wine...and, enjoy! : )