The movie Julie & Julia is the reason I started this blog. Julie, who is doing a job that darkens her soul, decides to spend a year recreating over 500 French recipes by renowned chef Julia. The story also includes Julia's journey from learning French cuisine to publishing a book while living in France. This film, filled with dishes like red wine-braised beef, butter cake, chocolate pie, and stuffed duck, may not bring tears to your eyes, but it truly relieves some anxiety and leaves you feeling genuinely happy at the end. Films from a female perspective always have the power to warm your soul through the details.
I believe that life is not always perfect. In the ups and downs or the mundane days, people always need to find their own comfort. For me, cooking is something that relaxes my nerves at the end of a busy day. As the movie begins, it says, "I love that after a day when nothing is sure, and when I say 'nothing' I mean nothing, you can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. It's such a comfort." The charm of cooking may come from the sense of achievement when the food turns out delicious, but the other half definitely comes from the relaxation of emptying your mind and focusing only on the ingredients in front of you. Don't think about anything, don't look at anything. The world may be in chaos, forests may be burning, financial markets may be brewing the next crisis, industry trends may be rapidly changing, people may be ecstatic or angry, elated or depressed. But you, you only have this steaming garlic baguette in front of you. You quietly hold it and eat it slowly, not thinking about anything, not looking at anything.
The aroma of soup filling the entire house while simmering, lamb chops sizzling in the oven, opening the pot lid to see the plump pork ribs stewed with green beans in a pool of broth, a beautiful cheese and ham salad that looks like a work of art. The energy that food brings is far more than just filling your stomach. It is a reasonable excuse for me to temporarily escape from this world, saying "I am eating."
Of course, there will definitely be people who question that you can't guarantee that every result will be delicious, just like you can't guarantee that you will always be able to cook a perfectly tender and juicy medium-rare steak. However, that is the wonder of cooking. The meaning of this activity lies in my willingness to spend time on something I enjoy, not in needing an extraordinary outcome to give it meaning and excitement. This principle applies to anything that readers may enjoy.
At the end of this blog post, I made two thick and juicy Sirloin on the bone ❤️ So, bon appétit, enjoy your meal :)