Julie & Julia

I just saw "Julie & Julia" yesterday. What an inspiration. As it happens, I don't have "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," but I do have "The Way to Cook." I've used it a lot over the years, but I have to admit it's been mostly sitting on the shelf lately.

Time to get it out and remember what's in it. No, I won't be tempted to make every recipe in it. In fact, I'd love to know how Julie Powell did it without gaining fifty pounds. Maybe she did gain that much. And what did she do with all that food? She and her husband couldn't possibly have eaten it all.

Maybe she gained a hundred pounds.

Anyway, I am inspired to try a few things. The first thing I looked up was pork chops, since I just - you know - brought home thirty pounds of various cuts from a Berkshire hog.

But Julia's pork chop section is pretty basic (after all, "The Way to Cook" is about the basics), and lo, I already know how to cook a pork chop, even accoriding to Julia.

So in honor of summer, I'm going to cook them with peaches or plums (probably plums since I already have 'em). Should be good.

By the way - I LOVED the movie. Funny and touching and definitely inspirational. A real keeper.