Julia Child, Three Books, and a Whisk (Winner Update!)
Monday, July 13, 2009 at 3:48PM in Giveaways Winner announcement!
Here it is, finally August 7th. I want to thank ALL of you that entered, and tweeted & retweeted. And can I just say that reading all of your memories and thoughts on Julia was amazing? Truly, they made this giveaway the best one yet!
I chose the winning entry with the help of the Random Number Generator. The lucky winner was comment #16, Debra.
Congrats, Debra! Waiting to hear back from you so I can get your shipping info.
Stay tuned for more giveaways!
____________________________________________________________________________
What do these things have in common? We'll get to that in a few minutes.
First up--Julia Child.
Julia's was the first cooking show I ever watched as a kid. And oh man, I was hooked. I remember looking forward to it all week--it was on every Saturday on local public television. These were the classic black and white Julia episodes that were so entertaining as well as informative. I had no idea what she was doing some of the time, because, you know--I was just a kid--but she had me at "Helloooo!" I was glued to the TV when she was on.
I think the most important thing I learned from watching her show was that cooking was fun! And even if you made a few mistakes along the way, they could usually be rectified. Or...covered up, if you were lucky enough to be alone in the kitchen. ;) I just loved that about her!
My husband used to watch her show, too. He tells me that one afternoon after watching, he ran right into the kitchen and made a cheese soufflé using just about all of the eggs in the fridge, and an empty coffee can. Was it a success? No, hehe. But it was fun, and he learned that cooking is about learning and experimenting.
And hiding. After your mom finds out you used most of the eggs she just bought. Oops!
So--a couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Kristen Tarnol at Columbia Pictures. My blog was one of the ones chosen to be part of the "Featured Blog of the Day" promotion on the official movie website, Julie & Julia. "Hell yes!" was my reply. I am very flattered, and also excited, since I have been planning to see the movie since I first heard of it. I'm also in amazing company, as you can see from the other listed blogs. I'll post a bit more about that in a week or so, but in the meantime, please check out the site for the other featured blogs of the day!
What does this have to do with three books and a whisk? Well, I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway, since I haven't done one in a while. And what better to give away than the two books that inspired the movie? And I'll also toss in an extra book and a cool retro whisk. Because I love you guys.
First up is My Life in France, by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme. It's Julia's memoir of her time in France with her husband, Paul, and how she immersed herself in the French culture, took classes at Le Cordon Bleu, and became the Julia that we all knew and loved.
Second is Julie and Julia, by Julie Powell. We've all heard of it by now, haven't we? Great book! Julie Powell takes on Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her blog--The Julie/Julia Project--365 days, 524 recipes. I'm almost finished reading this one, and I love it so far.
Third, a book on my own wish list--Julia's Kitchen Wisdom. Because couldn't we all benefit from having Julia herself in our own kitchens to help us out occasionally? Yes. Yes, we could. This one was inspired by Julia's handwritten notes on what works and what doesn't. You can't beat that kind of help!
And lastly, because I think it's very fitting, a whisk. But not just any old whisk, a Retro Whisk from Cuisinart:
I think I want one, too! Hell, I know I do!
And the important stuff--how do you enter?
Well, since I just moved my blog, I lost some people in the process. Where did they go? I don't know! hehe. But I'd love it if you could all help me get the word out about my new address!
1) Leave a comment here with your favorite Julia memory, or how she inspired you, something about her that you loved, etc. Leave a valid email address, please!
2) Extra entries! Please help me get the word out about my new blog's home! Twitter as often as you like about the giveaway. Just be sure to come back here and leave another comment so you get credit for it. Be sure to leave a comment here for each and every Tweet!
3) Well, I guess there are only two rules, hehe!
The contest winner will be chosen on Friday, August 7th, on the same day that the film hits theaters. Good luck! And be sure to check out the Julie & Julia site for the blogs of the day.
The winner can be wherever Amazon ships to!!
Elle | Print Article | Share Article | Email Article | 220 Comments tagged Julia Child, Julie & Julia, giveaway
Reader Comments (220)
How fun! I can't wait to see the movie and learn more about Julia. She's admittedly a little before her time, but I do know she visited a place near where we camp and that always makes it great in my mind, so I guess she does have an influence on me :)
LOVE your new look! congrats! Fave JC memory... well, I pretty much adore the way she cooked w/ wine... throw a little in & drink a little, repeat, repeat :)
I can't wait to see the movie. I read the book and I am a huge Julia fan. She is just great. I loved watching her cooking shows. I also remember her exhibit in DC, it was neat "being in her kitchen." Great giveaway!
Great Blog entry and a Great giveaway.
Congratulations on being selected to be on "Featured Blog of the Day"! That's some really nice recognition for what you do and hopefully will get you a lot of traffic to your site. I'm really looking forward to seeing the movie - and I learned about some more cookbooks that I just have to add to my collection!
I'd love to win!
I read "My Life in France". It was so inspiring the way that Julia embraced her passion. I loved following her growth from timid, inexperienced home cook to "The French Chef". (And I can't wait to see the movie!)
Congrats! And my best memory of Julia was her episode about the different chickens. "The Chicken Sisters..." It was corny and hilarious at the same time. Best episode. And when she would tease Jacques about the difference between him and american cooks.
You'll be pleased to know that I came on here from a twitter shout-out :) I love Julia Child, and I love how ahead of the times she was! Congratulations on being chosen as featured blog of the day! I cant wait to watch the movie!!!
http://twitter.com/suziwong66
Being Australian, I have no cultural history with Julia Child; she wasn't a part of our cultural 'diet', so I can't answer rule number one (hope that doesn't render my entry invalid?). Anyway I really want to see the movie, and I really want to one day visit the Smithsonian to see her kitchen in it's original form; does that count in responding to rule 1?
How do you link your tweet to this comment? Not sure how to do it so i've linked my profile page where my tweet is located.
I also have a link from my blog to your new website; hope that helps with traffic!
cheers
Darlin' Elle, I'm here and I plan on collecting! My favourite Julia memory was enjoying her series with Jacques Pepin...two esteemed chefs working together, without egos.
Julia started my love of cooking (along with my grandmother). I loved the way she could drop a chicken! Can't wait to see the movie and would love the read those books.
I love that she always puts "just a touch" of wine in most her dishes! Oh, maybe just another touch! ;)
I too loved how Julia always cooked with wine. A little here, a little here, a little more here! Love it!
I tweeted it
http://twitter.com/nofearentertain/status/2631404935
I remember watching her with my mom and grandma when I was really young. She was always exciting and made you feel like you could make anything. I believe that is why I love to cook so much. I will always remember all the funny things she use to do on her show to break things up a bit. Thank you for sharing with all of us it is very kind of you.
For the first time, I finally cooked from Mastering the Art in the last few days. I also just recently read My Life in France, so the incredible amount of work that went into Mastering the Art had been made apparent. It's such a great book, and it's so well done. Now, I'm looking forward to cooking from many more times.
Love your blog, I hit on a tweet link as well. I saw the movie trailer and cant' wait to see it. I love Julia Child, she was one of the first Female French "Chef's" to be taken seriously, well I took her seriously even when Dan Aykroyd spoofed her on SNL back in the 70's. Okay now I'm dating myself. If you're too young to remember check this link to Hulu http://www.hulu.com/watch/3523/saturday-night-live-the-french-chef hope that's okay.
Love your blog, so inspiring and I can't wait to see this movie!! Annalisala: RT: @elleskitchen: New Blog Post: Julia Child, Three Books, & a Whisk http://foodurl.info/2viq Giveaway! ~ Love it!
Have to admit, I'm feeling a little out of the whole J & J loop! Everyone is posting about it, and i haven't read the book, the blog, seen the movie....
However, your new site looks amazing, so congratulations on that step!
I'm adding you to my blog roll.
I tweeted about the giveaway. Don't know how to find the exact link but I promise it is there: http://twitter.com/TwoPeasandPod :)
What a great giveaway! Love that whisk :) I think the best thing about Julia is that she encouraged people to cook great food and she was a food super star before we had the Food Network.
http://twitter.com/NicoleDula
I tweeted! http://twitter.com/SingleGourmet
I have to say my favorite Julia Child tips had to do with wine in dishes - a little in the pan, a little for me! Still the way I cook :)
Oh dear...the blog ate up my LONG comment. Here i go again. Am glad to be back Elle. Found u through a tweet. This is a great way to get back to your wonderful blog. I love Julia Child's quotes, & your post takes me back to the Julia Child French Bread we did with the Daring Bakers. I read up so much about her then...can't wait for the film to get released here in India. (Might take a while though). I RT'd for you
RT @RiaMathew: RT @ TwoPeasandPod @elleskitchen: New Blog Post: Julia Child, Three Books, & a Whisk http://foodurl.info/2viq Giveaway!
O BTW, the whisk is PRECIOUS!! WOW!!
This is just such an amazing story! A real victory for all food bloggers! YAY for Julie and Julia! I remember watching Julia when she was older and cooking with Jaques Pepin! She would tease him so much, and it was just a delight to watch - not just for the food, but for their lights jabs at each others cooking methods!
I just tweeted about the giveaway, but I can't figure out how to find the link to show you....I am still not that good at using twitter! LOL!
She is one of the reason I cook today. At 14 I got Baking with Julia and with in weeks I was hooked and even made my own puff pastry. I love her!
O! no! Elle your blog ate my previous comment!! Good that I checked it...just an intution! I love everything about JC!! From her love for cooking to her being an icon for all of us!!
This is my second tweet for you!!
RT @ TwoPeasandPod @elleskitchen: New Blog Post: Julia Child, Three Books, & a Whisk http://foodurl.info/2viq Giveaway!
Tweeted http://twitter.com/saltandchocolat/status/2632967416
What a great giveaway. The movie/book sounds so cute. I don't know how I missed reading it before now. I saw Julia's kitchen at the Smithsonian. Definitely an American institution!
Elle - I own like 4(?) (5?) of JC's cookbooks and baking books. I've always loved her style and that she never took herself that seriously. I'm also fascinated by her and her husband's story in France during the war. All of it combines to make her one of the most interesting people, ever. Dying to read these books and see the movie when it comes out!
You already know I love your site and your food... you're on my blogroll, and I'm just over the moon that your blog was chosen! Congrats!
How cool!
And yay for a fun giveaway! My favorite memory is also just watching her show on tv. I don't have a twitter account.
And here's a Tweet for good measure! http://twitter.com/RJFlamingo/status/2633404396
Hey Elle! I just posted about your event on my blog! http://www.leftoverqueen.com/2009/07/14/perfect-summer-peaches-and-some-foodie-events
I loved Julia and Julia, and have always loved Julia (as much for her sense of self and for her sense of food/cooking). Especially like that she just improvised all the time, even if it meant picking something up off the floor....
I'm actually counting down the days until the movie comes out - I really can't wait. A culinary movie about Julia Child? So exciting!
I tweeted - http://twitter.com/kaitsplate/statuses/2635280777
The memory of Julia that has stuck with me all these yrs. (Im 56 now) was the show where she talked about good and bad rolling pins. The one that was awful she tossed behind her and you heard it banging stuff as it landed. I laughed so much and from that point on I never took cooking as a serious thing. I am a former chef too and Ive taught. Even in any classes Ive done, Im more like Julia than professional. My motto has always been "Life is and Adventure". And so I have funny everywhere and even when I worked. I always wanted to meet her....and never got the chance to. I want to see this movie tho, I have that first book and it was great to read about how her life happened. But I want that last book! Enter me please!
I recently started recording old "Jacques and Julia" segments on PBS, What Ilove about Julia is she wasn't perfect. She spilled, she got egg shells in the bowl, she couldn't flip an egg flawlessly - but none of that mattered because she was relating to the home cook. There was something comforting in knowing that even if we all were not as mastered as Jacques, we could still pull it off at home with our family.
Can't wait to read these books. They have ben on my list for a while!!
Julia Child's kitchen exhibit at the Smithsonian was the inspiration for my blog!!
See for yourself at http://www.wherewecook.com
Can't wait for the movie!
My favorite memory is when Julia was tenderizing meat by pounding it with a baseball bat. Works for me!
I love that she had no fear - she was willing to give it ago even if it meant being unconventional.
Great, great giveaways! I read Julie & Julia and had to return it to the library, so I'd be thrilled to own a copy of each of these!
~Michelle
Most of my JC memories involve her show and my mother, we watched it together religiously. I can credit Julia for my love of trying new things in the kitchen! (I came here from a tweet and I'm going to go tweet about it now! - Thanks!)
AND I tweeted... http://twitter.com/MissIss/status/2637518966
My favorite memory of Julia is seeing her dining with her family at Red Bones in Cambridge, she was having fun and laughing.
Julia Child's recipe for liver, made bu Julie toward the end of "Julie and Julia" is the only time in my entire life that I have thought 'Liver sounds really, really good right now....'! And thus the cycle of magic and learning is complete. Also, that is one seriously awesome looking whisk.
My mom was watching Graham Kerr(The Gallouping Gourmet)and Julia long before I was able to put on an apron at her elbows in the kitchen. I have been waiting for the movie with abaited breath!!
I must admit that I only discovered Julia later in life. Having lived in the Philippines for more than half my life, I have no recollection of seeing her shows as a kid. However, reading about her and going through her cookbooks, I admire her chutzpah to follow her passion with such zest and unwavering drive. What an inspiring woman!
I twitted Elle but don't know how to link it..I am such a newbie:D
I can't wait to see the movie! I am blown away by how much Meryl looks like Julia! (By the way, I am really digging the retro whisk!)
I remember the first time my mom ever typed "OMG" was in an email to me containing information about Julie & Julia. She was telling me that it was "so (my) movie." When I started watching the trailer, I thought maybe it reminded her of me because my trip to France in April was, like Julia Child, for the food. Then I saw Julie's part. The girl who felt like she wasn't going anywhere and decided to start her own food blog. I can't wait for the movie to come out, and hopefully to read the books at some point because I think I'll be able to connect to them both in different ways. I don't think anyone has come near the type of success Julia Child had and I truly think of her as one of the pioneer women in the food industry. I am *SO* jealous that you are being featured on the Julie & Julia website, and so unbelievably giddy & excited for you. Congrats on such an amazing achievement! I tweeted for you :) http://twitter.com/Byte_Size/status/2636597264 I like your new setup here at squarespace ;)
Wow!! Congratulations it is so amazing that you were chosen to be featured on the site!! Julia is one of my earliest inspirations. I used to sit and watch her when I was a little girl, either alone or later on with Jacques Pepin (such fun chemistry)...I knew that this woman was amazing, funny and kind...AND THAT SHE COULD COOK!! She's definitely one of the main reasons I decided to grow up and go to culinary school!
I just tweeted about this fabulous even!! (girlichef)