Click Michelle's Food

I’ve been reading a lot about Julia Child lately, what with that movie coming out and all. Over at Chowhound, someone asked who the contemporary Julia Childs [sic] was. The discussion was interesting, even though I nearly didn’t click on it because of that error with the name. No, it wasn’t a typo, the poster used the same spelling over and over again. I don’t think I’d point out such an error over there on those boards where I merely lurk, but over here on my blog, where it’s just me, I can snicker behind my hand.

This got me thinking about the cooking shows I watched as a child. There was Julia, Justin Wilson pouring the salt into his palm and coming away with EXACTLY one teaspoon, Nathalie Dupree, and some crazy-ass Galloping British guy after we got cable at the house (yes, I know now that was Graham Kerr). Saturdays on PBS were all about cooking, and later in the afternoon, painting with Bob Ross (happy little trees!) and that other German guy who came first (joo use zee magic vite…). My mom did the painting thing, but to my knowledge never attempted the cooking.

Fast forward 25+ years… cooking shows are everywhere, and the local PBS affiliate doesn’t have cooking on Saturday afternoons anymore. I’d give my left arm for copies of Mastering the Art of French Cooking volumes 1 and 2 – and I’m left-handed! My youngest son is 10. He watches all that Nick and Disney Channel crap. And have you ever seen the foodstuffs they advertise to children there? Pop-tarts are probably the most wholesome thing on that ad rotation. Gah! He tries not to eat many of the good and wholesome foods I cook. He wants Lunchables and HFCS-loaded fruit snacks. He wants margarine on his white bread PBJs. And he claims not to eat any vegetables and only a few fruits.

I intend to change that.

I’ve asked him if he will help me with my blog. At least once a week, we will find a recipe he’d like to make, and we will cook it. It has to be something made from scratch. No poppin’ fresh anything. We’ll pick it out and make it and talk about it. Maybe he will pick up some of the skills I remember from my grandmothers. Maybe he will learn to appreciate the unprocessed flavors of real food. He’s been showing signs of developing a palate this year, so I think this is the opportune time. We will call it the Cooking with Bean category.

So tonight we made blackberry turnovers. I’d bought the blackberries on Saturday, with the intention to make them upon his return. It worked out well. We made the pie dough from scratch, then cooked the blackberry filling (approx a pound of blackberries, a scant 1/3 cup of sugar, 4 tsp corn starch, and a little grated lime zest), then we rolled it out and filled them, and he pinched the turnovers shut. He cut the slashes, and we baked them for 25 minutes or so while we were eating dinner. They were not too sweet but Bean raved. And was proud. And ate TWO. (No, THREE now as I’ve been typing this.) Yes, it was adulterated fruit, but it started off as fresh – a step in that direction I want to go. And now he’s in the living room watching the Chronicles of Narnia, talking about how he wants to make beignets next. Oh son, I don’t think you’re ready for 375º oil.

I’m not sure what our project will be this weekend. He will have to go to the market with me on Saturday, so he can pick out whatever produce looks good to him.

Back to that first question, Who’s the modern-day Julia Child? There isn’t one, in my opinion. She was one of a kind, never to be repeated, for many reasons. How sad that Bean will not have a Julia in his memories.