Food ‘n Flix? What? You don’t know what this is? You’ve never heard of it?
If you don’t know about this cool little monthly foodie film club, you must check it out as soon as you are able. Every month a foodie film is picked, culinary inspiration is gleaned from it, and talented bloggers post their masterpieces. This month’s film is the quintessential foodie film, Julie & Julia.
Julie (Amy Adams) paying homage to Julia (Meryl Streep).
Leslie at La Cocina de Leslie is hosting this round. Thank you, Leslie.
Now, on to the post.
Actually, I should have entitled this post “Baking Brioche with Julie & Julia & Chris.” Chris is the one woman show behind The Café Sucré Farine and her recipe saved my bacon for not only Thanksgiving, but also for this post.
I have always admired and found inspiration from Julie Powell to blog (as do a lot of people, I am sure) and I admire her resolve and dedication to the Julia/Julie Project. (And, I covet her success since then.)
Julia Child? What more needs to be said? Everyone who has ever set foot in the kitchen since her seminal Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her eccentric but educational PBS series has been inspired. I know that is a bold statement, but I challenge any cook to say he/she has not been influenced by Julia in some way—whether they like her or not.
That being said, both Julie and Julia have their idolizers and their haters. They both have my admiration.
(And, Julia would be 100 this year. If you missed the NPR Morning Edition Story on Thanksgiving Eve, click here.)
I needed bread for the Thanksgiving table, so I was inspired by Julia’s Pâte a Brioche recipe. I do not own The French Chef (in which this recipe first appeared) but I did find her recipe here on the WGBH site.
Julia, although she humorously accepted kitchen mishaps, was a purist. When I read through the recipe for Pâte a Brioche, I knew myself well enough to know it would be a disaster. I do not have the patience to mix this dough up. Julia instructs (and you must read this with the distinct Julia voice-over):
Begin lifting dough and throwing it roughly down on the board with one hand; it will be very soft and sticky. Continue lifting, throwing, and scraping dough back into a mass; when dough has enough body, begin kneading with the heel of your hand.
After a few minutes of vigorous work, dough should have enough elasticity and body so that it barely sticks to your hand; it is now ready to receive the butter. Soften the butter by beating it with a rolling pin, then smearing it out on your board with the heel of your hand until it is perfectly smooth and about the same consistency as the dough.
Where did the stand mixer come in? I hate to knead. Hate it, hate it, hate it. It all stems back to mom “forcing” us to knead dough by hand for baking contests for 4-H. I really dislike to knead.
Enter Chris of Café Sucré Farine fame. I had already pinned her Decoupaged & Sesame Seed Brioche Rolls to make for Thanksgiving. I eagerly (and thankfully) read her recipe. Waaaahhh! She used a stand mixer! Chris is the woman!
Rolls ready to rise in my new brioche pan bought especially for Thanksgiving.
Risen, decoupaged and sprinkled.
Fresh from the oven.
I am not reprinting her recipe for this post because you can find it on her beautiful blog. And, you must read about her adventures at the CIA.
Chris’ are decoupaged a bit better than mine.
If you want to join in the Food ‘n Flix fun next month, prepare yourselves for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the original 1971 classic. Well Dined will be hosting.
The check out my other Food ‘n Flix posts, click here.
Aside: My last Food ‘n Flix post was over It’s Complicated, another Streep film, and at the end of that post I discussed a little movie starring Streep that is filming in Oklahoma, August: Osage County. I am still fascinated by the filming around our part of the state. I still have not had a star sighting. If you are interested in the latest on the filming, click here.
I propose that when this film is out, we consider it for Food ‘n Flix. I know the play has a very dysfunctional meal in it! Green bean casserole anyone? (Anyone who has seen or read the play, that is.)
Lovely bread, would love to have one with coffee right now. That was a pretty good movie. I liked the book more but that’s typical! Nice post.
This is one movie that I probably liked the movie more—mainly because of Streep.
My daughter has been wanting me to make some brioche for ever – I will go check out the recipe. Obviously there is no bread baking, 4-H, kneading, or cooking (unless you could the Girl Scout Cooking Badge) in my past so I really mean it when I say I’m a little hazy on what exactly “kneading” means……….but I DO understand picking dough up and throwing it down! This makes me very happy. I will check out the blog and make the bread!
Use the dough hook! That’s my mantra. Let me know what you think of this recipe. I think it is a keeper.
I recently re-watched an episode of Julia Child on PBS and was astonished at how much I learned … I think her shows were done in the 1950’s or 1960’s so I was stunned 🙂
I think that would be a hoot. I should rematch some.m I really was trying to find the Dan Ackroyd parody on YouTube to post here as well. I can’t think of her without thinking of that skit.
These brioches look marvelous. I love the parsley garnish.
I thought Julie was the cutest thing in the world, but then I found her original blog online (it’s since been taken down) and now I can’t stand her. Foul-mouthed, complaining, whiner. I don’t own a stand mixer so do all my own kneading. I kinda like the stress relief.
I remember those rolls from Chris at the Cafe. Hers were gorgeous and yours are as well. Perfect.
I didn’t know that, but I did wonder about her blog. I really couldn’t find it to refer to in this post. Maybe I do need to knead for stress relief.
what a fun movie that was! I’ve seen it at least 3 times. 🙂 Your brioche looks very beautiful and delicious! Like The mom chef, I don’t have a standmixer either and have never found the need for one. I love kneading bread and yes, it’s a great stress reliever.
It was fun rewatching it. Stress reliever? I need to so that soon!
I think you’ve done Julia Child proud with this!
Also, I’m just starting a new party at my blog called Pantry Party. Join us! http://lawstudentscookbook.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/introducing-pantry-party/
Cool. I will check it out. That is a great idea. See my pantry clean out odyssey that was mildly successful. 🙂
The food ‘n flix sounds like fun! I did see these on Chris’ blog, they are beautiful and it looks like yours turned out perfect!
Hers were more professional looking. 🙂
I am sorry its taken me so long to give you a shout out to thank you for my winning jelly from Veronica’s bake sale fundraiser!
I just had the serrano mango jelly this morning and it was amazeballs – thank you!!
So sorry you ended up in SPAM. Not good! Now I am trying to comment on your blog and am having probs but I think it is an iPad issue. Thanks for the shout out today. Veronica emailed me to head over to your site. Glad she did. I will try my darnedest to keep you out of the Spam box. Glad you liked the jelly.
Perfectly inspired thing to bake in honor of this flick – I love the ones you topped with a parsley sprig – so pretty! Once that film is released, you can host that edition of F’nF ;P
I would love to. We’ll have to see if it makes it to the screen and not on the cutting room floor.
These are so beautiful. I went to visit Cafe Sucre and I have to say that I think your’s are just as beautiful!
You are a sweetie!
Decoupaged rolls?!? Those are amazing. Nice job.
Can’t take credit for the idea.
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I missed this post, we actually had a new grand baby on the 27th of November so I was out in lala land for a few weeks 🙂 Thanks for your sweet, kind words. Your rolls look fantastic. I’m still making that recipe all the time. Just made them for a Christmas Eve dinner and have been making the recipe in little bread pans, so nice for a dinner party. Hope you have a lovely Christmas. I know it will be delicious!