Ode to Julia Child

After seeing "Julie and Julia", I was inspired to make Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon.

I printed the recipe from the internet weeks ago, cooking it in my head. There were recipes that were shortcut adaptations. But, I didn't want those. No way. I'm going to do this the way Julia would've done it. This was an ode to Julia.

After 3 hours of solid cooking, I thought, "Where are those shortcuts?" It was SO labor intensive. I had no idea what I had gotten into. No wonder there are so many adaptations. Man! I cooked for hours. HOURS. Mind you, it wasn't the only thing on the menu. But, it may as well have been because, like a spoiled child, it needed attention. It took a long time to brown 3 lbs. of beef because you can only do it a few pieces at a time. It took a long time to peel the pearl onions, then cook them. It took a long time to brown 1 lb. of quartered mushrooms because if you don't do it just a few pieces at a time, they don't brown.

My friends: It smells delicious!

Me: Savor it. I'm never making this again.

Friend: 'Never'? What if we begged?

Me: Well...maybe.

Friend: The flavors are really layered.

"Layered"? oooooo. Maybe Julia knew what she was doing after all.

All those hours of slaving over the stove, standing on my feet (walking miles in the snow to get to the store) paid off. They weren't just tasting boeuf bourguignon. They were tasting love in a dutch oven.

Julia, I miss you. But, your legacy lives on in red wine and little pieces of beef.