Mondays With Michelle: Happy 100th Birthday, Julia!

For those that don't know, the culinary world celebrated Julia Child, Americas "French Chef", 100th birthday this past Wednesday. Julia was truly an icon in the food world. Sadly she passed at the age of 91 in 2004, but she left behind a lifetime of wisdom of french cuisine and technique that every home cook has benefited from in one way or another. 

To commemorate her, I invited some of my foodie friends over and I cooked up a Julia inspired meal that I'm sure she would have been proud of.
For a little pre-dinner nosh, I made some Maître d'hôtel butter to go with the fresh french bread I picked up from the bakery. (Maître d'hôtel butter is also know as compound butter, which is butter that has had herbs whipped into it, then it is usually formed into a log then chilled again to harden.) For dinner I made Julia's traditional Coq au vin (Chicken in red wine sauce)... which was amazingly delicious. If you have never made it you MUST try it. There are several steps, but it is not as time consuming as you may think. Finally for dessert I made Julia's Tarte aux Fraises (Fresh strawberry tart with vanilla custard) which also turned out deliciously yummy. 

Julia Child's Coq au Vin

Julia Child's Tarte aux Fraises

Next time you are looking for recipes to impress someone or maybe just a little kitchen adventure please give these a try, you will be impressed! 

 What is your favorite Julia Child dish? Post your comments below!

**Side note: In the spirit of Julia's birthday, I am hosting a giveaway via my Facebook page. The winner will receive either a $25 Whole Foods gift card or a Julia Child cookbook. Check out the rules here. You have until this Thursday, August 23rd to enter. Good Luck!**

Don't forget to visit my Foodie Blog for more recipes, food tips and other foodie fun. 

See you back here on Monday, September 3rd... Thanks for reading!

 

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