Product: Baking With Julia
Rating: 4.0
Oh............... to be in HER kitchen!
If you've ever been even the slightest bit interested in Julia Child, you would understand the fascination of generations of fans who by all means, feel that she was the start of what would eventually become the myriad of the cooking and baking genre. But where some cooking shows are all hype, flash, and gimmicks, Julia was the purest form of the truly pristine art of good cuisine.Granted, she wasn't the first, nor perhaps the greatest French chef (think Escoffier), but she was the first to bring the haughtiness of that marvelous cuisine, to a level that all could enjoy, comprehend, and cook. She came at the right time when the television age was still a toddler, and her decidedly quirky and straightforward manners entertained and relaxed us all as she generously shared her mistakes and triumphs with this grand food.Throughout her true vocation as chef, she had many a program or series. "Baking with Julia" was one of her best in that she gladly shared the stage with some of the world's finest chefs and did so with the image one would conjure of a no-nonsense school marm who was watching over her pupil, not so much as to scare them, but to enjoy the experience with them."Baking with Julia" was a 39 part series filmed in 1996 and aired in 1997 and Julia was about 85 years old at the time. While she was, and will always be, dear Julia, one can't but help feel protective with her, as she had visibly aged since her last series from 2 years earlier, and so each episode was that more precious to watch. The respect that she quietly commmanded from her guest chefs was obvious and one would be hardpressed to feel otherwise if one was in her presence. Each episode was the best of the best.The DVD comes in the usual container without any accompanying material, which I felt was a bit of a let down for those who are new to Julia or who just wanted this particular DVD. I think that a recipe booklet might have made the package complete but you could go to the Alacarte TV website to download the recipes or just look in the companion cook book for this series.The back of the DVD shows the 8 photos of baked goods that are taken from the 8 episodes contained within, along with the name of the guest baker in each episode. I wonder if just being in her kitchen was a big a treat for the bakers as it would be for the fans of Julia. (If you ever have the ability to go to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, you must go to the Julia Child Kitchen and see what it would have been like to be in her kitchen; it has been lovingly recreated with as much original items as possible from Julia's own kitchen and it is fabulous!).The episodes, recipes, and bakers are:Muffins, Scones, Soda Bread, and Popovers by Marion Cunningham (cooking teacher and author)Chocolate Raspberry Ruffle Cake by Alice Medrich (master teacher and chocolatier; what an absolutely exquisite cake; worth the price of the DVD alone!)Custard Brioche Tart by Nancy Silverton (owner of LaBrea Bakery in California)Decorative Loaves of Bread by Steve Sullivan (master bread baker of Acme Bakery in Berkeley)Focaccia by Craig Kominiak (executive chef of Ecce Panis Bakery in NYC)Nectarine Upside Down Chiffon Cake & Chocolate Bundt Cake with Creme Brulee by Mary Bergin (head pastry chef @ Spago's in Vegas)Fruit Tarts by Leslie Mackie (pastry chef and owner of MACRINA in Seattle)Crispy Chocolate Napolean, Fettucine Ice Cream Sandwiches by Gale Gand (pastry chef at several Chicago area restaurants both as partner and/or owner like Brasserie T and Tru)I have noted that some of the chefs/bakers would tend to go through the recipes somewhat quickly because they are used to the fast-paced world of baking, and so at that moment, Julia would ever so gently ask them about the type of ingredient used or the amount needed for that particular step so as to help the viewer understand everything used to bring about the perfection of that creation.The recipes are easy enough, though some labor or time intensive, and delicious. You feel the coziness of learning in Julia's home as compared to a large sterile working kitchens as in some teaching DVD's or shows. And the fact that it is Julia's kitchen, where she lived and worked and loved everything and everyone in her life, makes this series more invaluable and precious.I am hoping that they offer all the episodes to this great series, especially the one where she made a gorgeous wedding cake with Martha Stewart. But we will have to wait and see and hope that the "powers that be" understand the impact and import of anything Julia.And yes, if you haven't yet seen the 2009 movie "Julie and Julia", by all means, please do. It was a wonderful little journey into her life and you will be thoroughly entertained. And if you really can't get enough, consider reading the book, " Appetite for Life" by Noel Riley Fitch, a glorious, thick book of the unconventional life of our unconventional Julia. Bon appetit!