Julie, Julia & Moi

I recently saw the movie Julie & Julia and was so inspired I went home and made the best bruschetta known to man (if I do say so myself), it was melt in your mouth delicious. I made a similar version to what I saw in the film except I added a few touches of my own, a dab of butter and some fresh parmesan cheese, it was crispy, juicy and bursting with flavor, all at the same time, truly a mouth watering delight. Still reeling from the film...a few days later I created an amazing dessert for my partner's birthday celebration. It was a rich creamy chocolate mousse topped with fresh whipped cream with just a hint of coconut, drizzled with a black cherry cognac sauce reduced down for a lovely sweet and slightly tart finish, all in all, quite delectable. I must admit, I find cooking (when the mood strikes me) so incredibly pleasurable. However, as most italians would agree, the pièce de résistance is when the recipients of my creations are overtly delighted and consume them with the gusto and love equal to that which went into them. That total experience is what I call a little "heaven on earth".

As for the movie, Meryl Streep gave a tremendous performance, watching her as Julia Child was so entertaining, she was just perfection. She had it down, the body language, the voice, all with the added warmth and humor that only Meryl Streep can add.

Other movie critics say it better than I. Here's a review by Kimberly Gadette which aptly expresses my thoughts about Meryl Streep's performance;

...it seems no one can match her dual skill in both drama and comedy, often deftly blending the two. And with this role, rather than giving us a caricature of the famous cook, Streep embraces the woman's inner glow, expressing a childlike rapture that overtakes her face whether she's sampling Sole Meunière or caressing her husband's cheek. Even without the addition of shoe implants and cheated waistlines to create the illusion of Child's 6'2" height, Streep is a magnificent mirthful Amazon, effortlessly carrying the film to delicious pinnacles of delight.
She's found a marvelous complement in Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada). They work beautifully off of each other, a believable couple with a unique sizzle that's both sexy and endearing. Like chocolate and peanut butter, champagne and strawberries, or cookies and milk – they're fabulous alone, but put them together and wow, the combination is simply
irresistible"

Lastly, Stanley Tucci plays her adoring attentive husband flawlessly, in between all of these mouth-watery gustatory delights there is also a tenderhearted love story that brought tears to my eyes.