the bon appétit cooking club

on the menudinner for 6/

First Course/pissaladière niçoise

Main & side/poulet sauté aux herbes de provenceratatouille

salad Course/green salad with sauce vinaigrette

dessert/reine de saba

the essential julia child Keep the celebration going by getting to know Julia better in

print—and on the big screen.

to Cook/ Does this menu make you want to cook more of Julia’s

wonderful food? Then pick up a copy of Mastering the Art of

French Cooking: Volume One. It’s a classic cookbook that never

goes out of style.

to read/ My Life in France, a memoir written by Julia and her

grandnephew Alex Prud’homme, chronicles Julia’s time at Le

Cordon Bleu, her struggle to write MtAoFC and get it published—

and much more.

Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 542 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen

was based on Julie Powell’s Julie/Julia Project blog. The spunky

New Yorker gave herself a year to cook her way through MtAoFC.

The process taught her a lot about cooking—and even more

about life.

to WatCh/ Julie & Julia, the movie version, takes its cues from

My Life in France and Julie Powell’s book. The cast includes Amy

Adams as Julie Powell, Stanley Tucci as Julia’s husband, Paul,

and Meryl Streep as Julia. The movie opens on August 7.

what to drink The perfect pairings for this special menu.

With the tart and the ChiCken/ Pour a crisp, fruity rosé, like the

2007 Domaine de l’Hermitage Bandol Rosé ($19).

With dessert/ A Port-style wine from the south of France would

be delicious with the cake. Try the Cornet & Cie 2006 Banyuls

Rimage ($16 for 500 ml), which has hints of chocolate and cherry.

happy birthday, julia!August is a big month for Julia Child fans: On the 7th, Julie & Julia, a movie inspired by her life, opens. Then, on the 15th, people all over the country will celebrate her birthday by cooking her recipes. We say make a night of it—cook this party-perfect menu from Julia’s classic cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, then go see the movie.

photogr aphs by gail albert halaban. reCipes FroM Master ing the art of french

cooking , by Julia Child, published by alFred a . knopF

pÂte brisée tart crustMakes one 8-inCh-diaMeter Crust/ To ensure a crispy crust, the pastry shell is partially baked before it’s filled.

Whisk flour, salt, and sugar in medium bowl. Add butter and shortening; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons cold water. Work mixture with fingertips until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 10-inch round. Carefully transfer dough to 8-inch springform pan. Press dough onto bottom and about 11/2 inches up sides of pan, pressing to adhere to sides. Fold down and roll 1/2 inch of dough sides inward, forming double-thick edge at top of crust sides. Using dull edge of small knife, make small indentations at 1/2-inch intervals on double-thick edge. Chill crust 20 minutes.

Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides of crust are set, about 18 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Pierce bottom of crust with fork. Continue to bake until bottom is set and pale golden, about 14 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool in pan on rack.

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 pounds onions, very finely chopped (about 53/4 cups)

1 medium herb bouquet (4 fresh parsley sprigs, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1/2 bay leaf, tied in cheesecloth)

2 unpeeled garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly

ground black pepper Pinch of ground

cloves 1 partially cooked Pâte

Brisée Tart Crust (see recipe), cooled

8 anchovy fillets 16 oil-cured black olives,

pitted

11/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of sugar

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 tablespoons (or more) cold water

s p e C i a l e q u i p M e n t

8-inch-diameter springform pan

Dried beans or pie weights

prep/ 20 minutes

total/ 1 hour 35 minutes

tiMeline/ • UP TO 6 HOURS AHEAD Bake the crust and cool on rack.

shopping list

all purpose flour

salt

sugar

butter

shortening

kitchentimer

prep/ 1 hour 20 minutes

total/ 1 hour 35 minutes

tiMeline/ • UP TO 2 HOURS AHEAD Make tart. Rewarm in 350°F oven about 10 minutes before serving.

shopping list

olive oil

salt

black peppercorns

ground cloves

dried thyme

bay leaf

16 oil-cured black olives

1 head of garlic

2 pounds onions

1 tin anchovy fillets

1 bunch fresh parsley

cheesecloth

kitchentimer

first course/

pissaladière niçoise6 servings/ This delicious savory tart features a light, flaky crust filled with onions, anchovy fillets, and black olives.

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, herb bouquet, garlic cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté 30 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue cooking until onions are very tender and golden, stirring often, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Discard herb bouquet and garlic. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cloves. Adjust seasoning. Cool slightly.

Position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Spread onions in cooled crust. Arrange anchovies over in fan-shaped design. Scatter olives over. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until pissaladière is heated through, about 15 minutes.

Gently run small knife around sides of pastry to loosen; carefully remove pan sides. Transfer pissaladière to platter.

poulet sauté aux herbes de provence6 servings/ The combination of thyme, basil, fennel seeds, and garlic gives this chicken dish a Provençal accent. Serve with plenty of French bread.

ChiCken/ Melt butter in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken pieces; cook only until golden, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken breast pieces to plate. Sprinkle remaining chicken in pot with half each of thyme, basil, and fennel seeds, then salt and pepper. Add garlic. Cover pot; reduce heat to medium and cook 8 to 9 minutes. Sprinkle chicken breasts with remaining thyme, basil, and fennel seeds, then salt and pepper. Return breast pieces to pot; baste chicken with butter in pot. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, turning and basting occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to hot platter; cover.

Remove peel from garlic; mash with fork in same pot. Add 2/3 cup wine to juices in pot; boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, occasionally scraping bottom of pan, about 8 minutes. Pour juices into measuring cup; reserve for sauce. sauCe/ Off heat, whisk yolks in small saucepan until beginning to thicken. Whisk in lemon juice and 1 tablespoon wine. Whisk reserved pan juices into eggs, 1 teaspoon at a time. Set sauce over very low heat; whisk constantly until warm and slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. If desired, whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time. Remove from heat. Stir in herbs, if desired. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken.

C h i C k e n

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 3- to 31/2-pound

chicken, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed, patted dry

1 teaspoon dried thyme or savory

1 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds,

coarsely ground 3 unpeeled garlic cloves 2/3 cup dry white wine

or 1/2 cup dry white vermouth

s au C e

2 large egg yolks 1 tablespoon fresh

lemon juice 1 tablespoon dry white

wine or dry white vermouth

2 to 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 1-inch cubes (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, fresh fennel fronds, or fresh parsley (optional)

prep/ 1 hour 20 minutes

total/ 1 hour 20 minutes

shopping list

dried thyme or savory

dried basil

fennel seeds

1 head of garlic

dry white wine or dry white vermouth

1 bunch fresh basil or fresh fennel fronds or fresh parsley (if using)

1 large lemon

butter

eggs

one 3- to 31/2-pound chicken

kitchentimer

main/

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1/ Whisk 2 large egg yolks in a heavy small saucepan until beginning to thicken. Whisk in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon white wine.

3/ The butter is optional. If you’ve chosen to use it, cut 2 to 3 tablespoons butter into 1-inch cubes. Whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time.

2/ Gradually whisk in the reserved pan juices, 1 teaspoon at a time. Whisk constantly over very low heat until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Keep the heat low or the sauce will curdle.

4/ The herbs are optional, too. If using, whisk in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh fennel fronds, or chopped fresh parsley.

gooD techniQUe/

egg emulsion 101The Poulet Sauté aux Herbes de Provence is finished with a hollandaise-style sauce—the pan juices and butter are whisked into egg yolks to make a delicious and velvety emulsion. Here, the egg serves as a thickening agent called a liaison (French for “bond”). Follow these steps for optimal results.

side/

prep/ 1 hour 20 minutes

total/ 1 hour 50 minutes

tiMeline/ • UP TO 8 HOURS AHEAD Make ratatouille. Cool slightly. Cover; chill. Serve at room temperature or rewarm over medium-low heat before serving.

shopping list

olive oil

salt

one 8-ounce onion

1 head of garlic

2 green bell peppers

1/2 pound eggplant

1/2 pound zucchini

1 pound firm but ripe tomatoes

1 bunch fresh parsley

kitchentimer

ratatouille6 servings/ This classic French casserole is now associated with a cartoon rat, but the dish—a delicious stew of eggplant, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini—inspires rave reviews, too.

Peel eggplant; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut into 3-inch-long, 1-inch-wide strips. Cut zucchini into same size strips. Place vegetables in large bowl; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain and dry.

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add eggplant and zucchini to skillet; sauté until light golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to plate; reserve.

Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet; heat over medium heat. Add onion and peppers; sauté until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Place tomato strips atop onion-pepper mixture in skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover skillet; cook over low heat until tomatoes begin to juice, about 5 minutes. Uncover; baste vegetables in skillet with juices. Boil until juices are almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer 1/3 of onion-pepper-tomato mixture to 21/2-quart pot; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Top with half of eggplant and half of zucchini, then remaining onion-pepper-tomato mixture; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Layer remaining eggplant and zucchini over; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Cover; simmer over low heat 10 minutes. Uncover; tilt pot and baste with accumulated juices. Increase heat to medium; simmer uncovered, basting several times with pan juices until only 2 to 3 tablespoons juices remain in pot, watching closely to avoid scorching, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

1/2 pound eggplant 1/2 pound zucchini,

trimmed 1 teaspoon salt 7 tablespoons olive oil,

divided 1 8-ounce onion, thinly

sliced (about 2 cups)

2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced into strips

2 garlic cloves, pressed 1 pound firm but ripe

tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut into 3/8- to 1/4-inch-thick strips

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

salad course/

prep/ 15 minutes

total/ 15 minutes

tiMeline/ • UP TO 4 HOURS AHEAD Make vinaigrette. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and rewhisk before using.

shopping list

white or red wine vinegar

olive oil or vegetable oil

one 5- to 6-ounce package baby greens

fresh basil, chives, tarragon, and/or parsley

dry mustard (if using)

kitchentimer

green salad with sauce vinaigrette6 servings /

Combine vinegar and mustard, if using, in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in herbs.

Place greens in large bowl. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat and serve.

2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (optional)

6 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (such as basil, chives, tarragon, and/or parsley)

1 5- to 6-ounce package baby greens

reine de saba6 to 8 servings/ Slightly underbaking this chocolate and almond cake ensures its creamy texture.

Cake/ Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Combine chopped chocolate and rum in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over medium saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Cool melted chocolate, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale. Add egg yolks and beat until blended.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and pinch of salt in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.

Fold chocolate mixture, then almonds and almond extract into yolk mixture. Fold in 1/4 of whites to lighten batter. Fold in 1/3 of remaining whites. Sift 1/3 of flour over and fold in. Fold in remaining whites alternately with flour in 2 more additions each. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Push some batter 3/4 inch up sides of pan with rubber spatula (batter will slip down).

Bake cake until puffed and gently set in center and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides and carefully turn cake out onto rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

C a k e

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tablespoons rum or brewed coffee

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 large eggs, separated Large pinch of salt 1/3 cup finely ground

almonds

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)

C h o C o l at e b u t t e r i C i n g

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon rum or brewed coffee

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

prep/ 1 hour total/ 3 hours 35 minutes

tiMeline/ • 1 DAY AHEAD Make cake. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.

shopping list

sugar

salt

cake flour

almond extract

5 ounces semisweet chocolate

rum or brewed coffee

1/2 cup almonds

unsalted butter

eggs

kitchentimer

dessert/

ChoColate butter iCing/ Combine chocolate and rum in small metal bowl. Set bowl over small saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Using wooden spoon, beat in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth. Place bowl over medium bowl filled with ice water. Continue to beat until icing is cool and thickened to spreading consistency.

Place cake on platter. Scrape icing onto top center. Using small offset spatula, spread icing evenly and thinly over top and sides of cake.

test-kitChen tip/ Slightly pushing the cake batter up the sides of the pan before baking (even though the batter will slip down again) can help ensure that the cake will stay level and bake more evenly.