julia child

Ever since I read Julie and Julia, the story of a New York woman working and blogging her way through Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking, I've been curious to see how the movie would translate to film. We got a brief glimpse after this year's Oscars, but today the first full trailer is out, and it looks charming.

It appears that writer/director Nora Ephron has beefed up the Julia Child portion of the story, showing her life in France and her own early cooking ventures to go along with Julie's modern kitchen foibles. There's also more physical humor than I was expecting — whacking at things with rolling pins, running from lobsters that escape from pots — and both Streep and Adams seem to pull it off with ease.

Hmm, what would be the appropriate movie theater snack for watching Julie and Julia? The film hits theaters on Aug. 7, and to check out the trailer, just read more

Now that Top Chef is over, I've got another professional chef showdown to discuss: Iron Chef. I'm a huge fan of not only the American version, but also the Japanese version that started it all. Recently, I had an opportunity to catch up with America's very first Kitchen Stadium winner, chef Ron Siegel, now the executive chef at The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.

On a sunny morning I met with the chef in his kitchen, which recently launched a small bites and half bottles menu. I was taken by his humility — "I'm not doing a great service here," he told me, "I'm just cooking" — and his candidness. To see what else he had to say, read more

Late celebrity chef Julia Child may have brought all things culinary to the masses, but there was one secret she kept from the world: She was a spy.

Newly released personnel records reveal that Julia Child was part of an international spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an early version of the CIA created during World War II by President Theodore Roosevelt. Before she became a famous chef, Child helped the OSS develop shark repellent, an explosives coating that was critical to protecting ammunition used to sink German U-boats during the war.

Yesterday, the National Archives released a list of nearly 24,000 names that were in the previously classified records. Are you surprised by this recent news? Does it change the way you perceive the nation's first celebrity chef?

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• Julia Child Was a Spy:
  Newly released files show that famous chef Julia Child was a World War-II era spy. The CIA declassified 35,000 top-secret personnel files that detailed the huge spy network run by the OSS, which later became the CIA. Former OSS agents are pleased with the release of the information, a list which includes other notables like Ernest Hemingway's and Teddy Roosevelt's sons.



• Inflation Hits Major High:
  Consumer prices rose at twice the rate expected to post the fastest rate of growth in 17 years. Costlier energy and food made the Consumer Price Index balloon. Food alone is six percent more expensive than a year ago.




• Lebanon Bombing Kills 15:
  A briefcase bomb detonated in a bus packed with Lebanese soldiers on their way to work, killing 15 and wounding more than 40 people. The bombing distracted from the news from Damascus that Syria and Lebanon were to establish diplomatic relations for the first time since both won their independence from France in the 1940s. The bombing is the deadliest attack in Lebanon in more than three years.

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• Learn how to make a perfectly caramelized creme brulee top. Then invite friends over for a creme brulee making party! — The Kitchn
• Take a behind the scenes look at the upcoming Julia and Julia film. — Serious Eats
• Before planning what type of margaritas you'll serve on Cinco de Mayo, brush up on your tequila knowledge. — Slashfood
• If your wedding is fido-friendly, be sure to know the difference between wedding cookies for dogs and wedding cookies for people. — PetSugar
• Wondering what it's like to eat while in the army? Listen to this interesting podcast that describes — among other things — a replica of Starbucks that's open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. — Crispy on the Outside
• Is there really a food crisis? The Daily Show hilariously investigates. — Eater SF
• This avocado ice cream looks like a luscious ending to a spicy Mexican feast. — Mac & Cheese

If you decide to get your boss a gift these holidays, stay away from a generic gift basket. They'll be receiving tons of gift baskets from PR agencies and other businesses. Instead of the obvious, choose universal gifts that work well for almost anyone. Sushi plates are out of the ordinary and not usually included in an everyday China set.

Wine is a great go-to gift idea. I suggest giving a bottle of California's Ridge because it's my boss's favorite wine!

A classic cookbook, like Julia Child's The Way To Cook, is another option. The book is Child's most creative and comprehensive, making it a gift to be enjoyed by any food lover.

For more ideas, browse below.