Julia Child and Company

Well, it's a decent enough book for what it is, but I guess I'd tend to expect more from Julia. Little more than a record of the first series of Julia Child and Company (her second series, from the late 70s), this book presents menus rather than individual dishes and broadens its focus outside Julia's French tradition. In that regard, it branches out rather nicely. In addition, there are a great deal of pictures in the book, showing things in a way that was not practical for much of her earlier material. The problem is that it has a spartan feel to it, similar to the French Chef Cookbook. It has Julia's helpful hints and such all over the place, but there's a rushed feeling to the whole thing that takes away from the essential Julianess of the book. It is not the sort of cookbook that encourages you to get comfortable with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee -- it really is more suitable for someone who is watching a JC & Co rerun and just wants the recipes. As a result, I'm not too sure who to recommend this to. It's a must-have for the Julia completist, but if the show reruns aren't on in your area it's at best an impulse purchase from a used bookstore. Good enough, but not one of her great works by a long shot.

A sentimental favorite, this is one of the earliest cook books I remember that provides step-by-step photographs. It presents complete meals, includes suggestions for using leftovers and main component alternatives, and is dotted with pages devoted to brief but thorough and entertaining explanations of main ingredients. I recall a discussion of rice and one about tomatoes, for instance. My daughter, establishing now her own household, asked to take my copy, and I am searching for a replacement!