Stephanie's Kitchen

Julie and Julia is easy to love.

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:48:29 +0000

There is not doubt, everyone will be able to find something about this movie they will love. I enjoyed every minute of it. I have never been to cooking school, nor have I attempted a great challenge similar to the one Julie Powell undertook. But I can relate to both women. On one hand, like Julia I find myself wondering what exactly I should be doing and what am I good at. Like Julia I always go back to food. Whether it is making, eating, preparing, serving or plating, I love to be around it.

On the otherhand, similarly to Julie I too have a full-time job and a family. Being bored is not something I have experienced since I began working full-time. But nevertheless, I want to accomplish something close to my heart. I want to make my mark in the world, even if it is for a “deranged assignment.”

If you do not particularly appreciate food (which is no one that I know), you will still find this movie both entertaining and endearing. It is truly a love story, not just between our appetite and food, but between two very different women and their understanding husbands. Eventually Julie, who has had the pleasure of experiencing a part of Julia Child, even comes to love the woman who became her inspiration.

I hope you enjoy this movie as much as I did. It is a wonderful insight into the life of an American icon and the story of a woman who’s life was forever changed by simply cooking her recipes and writing about it. I may be alone in this analysis, but from the movie I got the impression this was Julia’s intent all along, to change the lives of American housewives. Perhaps she would not have understood the blogging world of today or Julie’s desire to so tirelessly cook her way through the book. But I have a feeling that if the two women would have met when Julia’s book was still a work in progress, Julia would have understood Julie very well.

Julia said in the movie that she needed to find something to do, and Julie wanted to accomplish something important. Julie wanted to change her life and she did. Julia wanted to change the world and she did.

Lamb is way underated.

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:38:43 +0000

I am not a nutritionist, but I have learned that in controlled portions, lamb is pretty good for you (unless you have high cholesterol). Besides being generally healthy, lamb is the most tasty meat I have ever had (when cooked right). What I mean by this is that there is not a part of the lamb that I do not absolutely LOVE to cook with and eat.

I have cooked an entire leg of lamb on numerous occassions and this is probably my favorite cut of lamb. However, I prefer to cook a lamb shank. When cooked right, it’s meat is tender and flavorful, and they are so simple to cook. I stuck this lamb shank in a roasting pan with whole cloves of garlic, chicken stock, carrots and rosemary. The result was outstanding.

Lamb shanks are more pricey than beef, but if you want to treat your family to an amazing meal for far less than eating out, this is the way to go!

Christmas cookies are coming!

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:17:10 +0000

Christmas may be a few months away, but it is never too soon to start thinking of great gifts for the holidays. For the last several years I have been working tirelessly for two weeks before Christmas to make my family’s favorite cookies. Santa has been feasting on exceptional cookies recently. I believe that most sugar cookies taste the same. They are satisfying but extremely boring. My spin on these festive cookies makes them the most anticipated dessert of the Holidays. I use a generous amount of a great tasting icing and it buries any hint of boring. I start out by making my cookies rather large. You have to keep them fairly thin, however so they retain their shape. The key is to make sure you do not overbake them, so they stay firm but chewy. I have decided that simply icing them would be disappointing so I make an effort to make them as intricate as possible. While this art does take some time, you do not have to rush. You can ice them (do not use gel if you are going to stack them) then freeze them for up to 2 weeks. This allows you to go at your own pace. Choose a large rubbermaid container, freeze the cookies then go in and add a layer of parchment or waxed paper (after the icing has hardened). Then lay down another layer. Every Christmas I make my own gift baskets. I choose a high quality basket (in christmas colors if you can find them). Then I fill it with things like Christmas ornaments, cinnamon sticks, bags of peppermint sugar sticks, christmas decorations, candles and a bag of my own homemade cookies.

Cupcakes are the new wedding trend.

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:11:45 +0000

I just learned first hand, how popular cupcakes at weddings can be. For the decorator, these tasty treats can be just as difficult to decorate. The options are endless, so really you are only limited by your own creativity. However, it is possible to make cupcakes both elegant and simple which can easily mean a much lower cost to the bride and groom. You can save of the expense of hiring someone to do this. (Often caterers do charge for this service.)

You may think you have your heart set on a 7 tier wedding cake, but consider this: less time spent on serving the cake means more time for everyone to enjoy your reception, cost savings means more to spend on the honeymoon and the convience of a cupcake can help to make the whole occassion more successful. Cupcakes are a simple way of making each guest feel like a dessert was made just for them, while keeping your to-do list short and sweet. Happy baking!