Julie and Julia

I just took a walk through my house counting...as it turns out I have 84 cookbooks. But what I don't have is "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," the book that the entire movie is about.

I am floating right now! What a fabulous movie for someone who loves not just cooking, but reading cookbooks.

I tried reading the book "Julie and Julia" a few months ago and ended up putting it down because I just plain didn't like Julie Powell, the author. It's a rare thing for me to give up on a book, and I was disappointed because I was so sure I was going to love it. But I was still so excited about the movie and it did NOT disappoint. Tonight I fell in love with Julia Child. I remember my grandmother watching her on PBS once in a while when I was kid, way before the Food Network appeared on the scene and took over my existence. But I never paid much attention to her. What an amazing woman she was, and who better to portray such an eccentric and lovable persona than Meryl Streep. I also don't have enough good to say about Stanley Tucci, who plays Julia's husband, Paul. They were so in love and fun to watch. I was laughing hysterically as Julia and Paul cried while she sliced mountains of onions.

As the movie jumped back and forth between Julie's present day life and Julia's life in Paris, I was riveted watching Julie's quest to find herself while cooking through the book Julia was trying desperately to get published some 50 years before. What a wonderful story! I'm going to bed happy now, dreaming of boeuf bourguignon...