| DVD set shows how Julia Child paved way for today's TV chefs
Would Julia Child make it on today's food TV shows? I wondered this as I viewed a three-disc DVD set called "Julia Child! The French Chef" (WGBH Boston, $39.95).
The first disc is a biography, with clips, photos and commentary by people such as Ruth Reichl, editor of Gourmet magazine; Boston chef Jasper White; and Judith Jones, the editor who talked publisher Alfred Knopf into publishing Child's first book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."
There are some fun anecdotes from Child's youth, as well as the tale of how she met her future husband, Paul, while working for the Office of Strategic Services in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) during World War II.
He remarked in a letter to his twin brother that she was "a sloppy thinker" and that her "gasping and giggling" mannerisms got on his nerves.
Head to Kentucky to see horses and more
Lexington, Ky., has earned itself a few very appropriate nicknames, including horse capital of the world, Athens of the west, and the city in the park. In the spring, average temperatures, ranging from 65 to 75 degrees, are ideal and mixed with sunny skies and budding flowers. Sitting in the heart of Bluegrass country, the city is home to the University of Kentucky and is the perfect spot for just, well, horsing around.
Equine haven
The first stop on a visitors agenda should be anything horse related. The city is an equine haven, boasting the Kentucky Horse Park, Keenland race course and the Red Mile race course, just to name a few.
Sprawling over 1,200 acres of green pastures, the Kentucky Horse Park features a showcase of museums, galleries, theaters, and working farm exhibits.
Creating food fusion confusion
I CAN appreciate good food. Indeed, I think if more did there would be fewer fatties in the world at the McDonald's drive-through claiming that genetics made them do it. But there comes a time when a line must be drawn, when food goes from gourmet to gour-maybenot. Such a moment occurred this week with the news that London's Fat Duck restaurant, voted the world's best, is to launch a new dish to be eaten while listening to "surf sounds'' on an iPod. Described as a blend of seafood on a bed of seaweed and "sand-like'' tapioca, the dish is the latest from a restaurant that brought us such classics as snail porridge and sardine sorbet. There are a few obvious points I wish to raise here; but when you have this much material it is difficult to know where to start. For starters, the words "sand-like'' belong in geology classes, not menus; and seaweed is a favoured food of fish, the Japanese and desert castaways, and as such should be avoided by anyone without gills, a Hello Kitty handbag or a house made of palm leaves.
How Jaci Rae Learned the Value of a Dollar - The Early Years
My life has been anything but ordinary. I began life impoverished, but with poverty came a street knowledge that I might not have found otherwise. It is because of my early years that I came to learn how to get something for free or next to it. Even though my story is quite different today, I still use these same strategies to save money and get the most bang for my buck. I have been to the depths of financially disparity and I don't want anyone to have to suffer the same. I know what it's like and I have been there pinching pennies since I was very young. As my Grandmother always used to say, when she sat me on her lap to read me a story, "It's always best to start at the beginning." The beginning for me is my early years and how I learned at a very young age the value of a dollar.
Charlie Trotter style
As if taunting us with one restaurant we can't afford isn't enough, now uber-chef Charlie Trotter is touting his restaurant at the One&Only Palmilla resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, in a new cookbook. The recipes showcase his light, crisp and fresh approach to traditional spa cuisine. But, sorry, Charlie: Though we'd love to join you for a culinary spring break, we're pinching our pennies these days. We can, however, pony up enough cash to give our taste buds a little R&R with spa cuisine on the cheap.
Naturally, our first stop is Trotter's To Go , a haven of fancy foodstuffs. Yeah, it's pricier than your average grocery store, but just perusing the shelves is enough to make you feel a little pampered. While there, you could pick up your copy of "Spa Cuisine" ($39.95) and get cracking on the Trotter recipes for grilled beef tenderloin with tomato-and-leek strewn quinoa and roasted garlic sauce.
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