An Inspiration From Julie And Julia

Meryl Streep winning Best Actress in the recently concluded Golden Globe Awards for Julie and Julia didn't appear to me as a surprise. She truly deserves the honor for doing justice to her portrayal of culinary master Ms. Julia Child. She executed it with the flair, animosity  and vibrancy that is indeed Julia's. I am always impressed by Meryl Streep's acting prowess ever since her Kramer Vs. Kramer days with Dustin Hoffman and her unabashed performance as the evil and sinister fashion editor Miranda Priestly. Over the years, Streep have remained  to be one of the few glittering gems in the Hollywood movie industry. Now with her fitting in the shoes of Julia, we see her in a jovial and enthusiastic culinary energy as she show off her chopping, boning and flipping  skills.

Flipping an omelet is no easy task nor is it too chop kilos of onions. Easy as it may seem, only an eager and determined cook can muster the appetite to complete such an endeavor. Cooking is passion. Gustav in Ratatouille said that 'Anyone can cook!", maybe not Remy - the fictional rat as shown in the movie but, practically anyone who has the ability to handle an over easy egg without breaking the yolk in between or fry a piece of bacon till it gets crunchy. These little cooking tasks that will propel the budding cook to learn the more intricate methods and processes that is cooking.

My first attempt in cooking began when I was eight years old.  I would always volunteer myself in helping my aunt cook meals for the family. During those moments of queer culinary curiosity, she never discouraged me to hold the knife and slice the vegetables because of fear for me to get a cut nor scold me for sauteing the tomatoes and onions in the pan. She emphasized on my then intrepid brain  that only when we try repeatedly and learn from failure do we actually learn how to do and appreciate things. Those who never try will never know how. Until now, despite her tragic loss a few years ago, those powerful nuggets of inspiration still reverberate in my heart. 

Julia Child made it possible for Americans to cook like the French does when she published her first French Cookbook in English.Though the task of publishing the manuscript  prove to be not easy, Ms. Child together with her helpful colleagues, Becke and Berthole, still resolved to have it published and share it to those who wanted to learn and appreciate good food. There are no obstacles that can break a food lover's heart to continue loving food in all its form and tastes. Food is a celebration of life. It brings joy, unity and love. If there is no food, what is there to live for? Happy Eating!