December 21, 2008.

The French Chef 1 & 2.

Rating: 5
I have been waiting for years for these DVDs to appear. Julia Child was an amazing woman who inspired me as a young bride to cook. She was, in addition to being a superb chef, a wonderful teacher. Her techniques and the recipes stand the test of time. My daughter, an excellent cook in her own right, has heard me talk about Julia Child and now she has her own copies of both DVDs. My daughter had watched Julia Child as a guest on television shows but now that she has actually seen the "Master Chef" in action she appreciates why I have been in love with Julia Child for so long. Julia Child goes back to the basics of cooking, showing the techniques that you have to master to become a really good cook.

December 16, 2007.

Not Just Nostalgia -- Useful.

Rating: 5
This is a culinary time capsule. I was one year old when The French Chef debuted on TV, and yet tonight I made the creamed spinach featured in the series, and not only was it simple, economical, and DELICIOUS (truly, like something I might have had in a restaurant), but it also used just a tiny bit of butter and a tiny amount of cream, and the rest was stuff you'd have on hand (plus the spinach).

This is an EXCELLENT way to be cooking (perfectly Atkins even). I topped it off with two poached eggs, just as Julia suggested, and that was dinner.

So many recipes today require lots of ingredients and you end up using only a portion of what you have to buy (usually only to find the recipe wasn't well written, could have been improved, and wasn't all that worthwhile). This is truly real-world and economical cooking, and even better than that, what you learn cooking one thing (in which you've learned a simple little technique and dish to add to your repertoire) transfers to cooking other things, and before you know it you're a good cook and INSPIRED cook, not having to stick slavishly to someone else's recipe, but just cooking based on experience.

There's excellent kitchen wisdom in this series to go along with the nostalgia, and I'm looking forward to trying more -- tomorrow for lunch, in fact.

It was also fun to hear Julia say things like that you could pick up a French omelette pan for $2.50 or so when the particular episode was made, and to correct herself to say "brown" a dish after saying "gratinee" and thinking (at the time) no Americans would know what she was talking about -- same thing with common cooking terms we know today like "bouquet garni" that Julia's audience was being introduced to for the first time but that today most any cook is going to know. Additionally, Julia makes suggested wine pairings that I'm certain still hold up today.

This series was particularly good for the episodes on vegetables and eggs, as, again, you will have a small repertoire of things to try that are easy, excellent, and use ingredients you're likely to have on hand or can easily and economically pick up.

Enjoy.

December 24, 2007.

The Queen of cusine.

Rating: 5
Who wouldn't enjoy this down to earth, witty teacher of cooking!
Awesome!

December 09, 2006.

Another enjoyable visit with Julia!.

Rating: 5

Like the first, this too is yet another great opportunity to experience Julia at her best! Bombard WGBH and tell them to release #3, #4, #5, etc.!!! Also ask them to release episodes of the "Julia Child" of plants--Thalassa Cruso, star of "Making Things Grow" filmed on the same set as Julia!

December 28, 2005.

Magnifique!!!.

Rating: 5
OK...........so my French vocabulary isn't that good, but this DVD sure is something to behold!! LOVE LOVE LOVE this visual Julia library!

I dream of the title of "chef" and there is no greater role model than Ms. Child. She is THE hero upon which all other chefs have made their fame in culinary history. Her style, her incredible deadpan humor, and her encouragement to learn one of the greatest cuisines, make for a thoroughly enjoyable DVD.

The series began in 1962 and initially the public did not know what to make of this rather tall and quirky woman who dared to teach us the culinary world of French cooking. To many, France was the only place that had the ability to cook as such. But Ms. Child removed the mysteries and overwhelming sense of details that one felt was needed to produce French masterpieces.

You feel that you are in her kitchen and that she is speaking just to you. She has no airs about her, no pretensions, just a very earnest interest in showing you the incredibe world of flavor courtesy of our French neighbors.

You also need to take into account that this was the first real TV cooking series and that it was the start of the 60's; so much history was just beginning during that decade. So what was she going to teach us in the midst of this turbulence? Well, an awful lot.

There are 3 dics within this particular DVD. The first section is named "Starters and Side Dishes"; it covers:
1. Vegetable: The French Way
2. Vegetable Adventures
3. Elegance with Eggs
4. More About Potatoes
5. Terrines and Pates
6. The Hollandaise Family

The second section is "Main Courses":
1. French Crepes I
2. Cooking Your Goose
3. Roast Suckling Pig
4. Fish in Monk's Clothing
5. Cheese Souffle
6. Sole Banana Femme

The third section is "Baking, Desserts, and Other Classics":
1. French Crepes II
2. Buche de Noel
3. Croissants
4. Gateau in a Cage (WOW!!)
5. French Bread
6. VIP Cake

Disc number 3 was the best, in my opinion. If you would like to impress friends with desserts, go with this one. The "Gateau in a Cage" looks so beautiful, that her fun and friendly teaching style makes you realize that it is not out of your reach to make this stunning dessert!!

Another enjoyable aspect contained within this DVD is in part her self-effacing, deadpan humor. She doesn't worry about that she has spilled anything or that something is not releasing itself from the pan just right. Mistakes and problems happen and she lets you know that it happens to everyone, including herself. That's the beauty and comfort that is her secret. Just to give an example, who would think of using a sword to talk about cutting poultry? Why would ANYONE use a sword to talk about cutting poultry? Julia did.

Also contained on the jacket are photos of how the show had to be taped in that people had to be positioned just so on the set so that they could help her with certain segments but remain out of sight of the cameras lens.

I truly hope that they continue to make all the episodes from all her shows available as that would make quite a cherished DVD collection for anyone who loves to cook and/or bake.

To borrow from my queen: "Bon appetit!".