I don't know which is more exciting: the opening of a Sex and the City movie or the "Julie and Julia" film which will be released in theaters on August 7th. Starrring the grand dame of stage and film, Meryl Streep, as La Grande Dame du Cuisine, Julia Child, I believe this movie will be pure enchantment.

The film is based on a series of blogs written by a young girl (Julie Powell, played by Amy Adams) who, after reading Julia Child's book, "My Life in France," purchases "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." It's hard not to take this road, because her slim little tome detailing her life in France as a new bride with her husband Paul (played by Stanley Tucci, whom many of you will remember from "Sex and the City") brings the reader to discover just how Julia Child became a world famous master chef. Julie, the girl with the cookbook, decides to learn each recipe and write a blog about it. From what I've seen to date, I think the movie will not disappoint, as it appears to have interwoven stories from Julia's book (which is an utterly delightful read--you can almost hear her voice telling the story) with Julie's adventures in recreating the recipes.

"Mastering the Art of French Cooking"

As soon as I closed the book on "My Life in France," I drove straight over to the bookstore and bought "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." I've cooked all my life and know my way around a kitchen so it did not intimidate me. In the past several years, however, I have given up alcohol and strive for a simpler diet. Once the weather had finally cooled down, I tried a few recipes in the book. On a particularly nippy day, I tackled Beef Bourguignon, substituting grape juice for red wine. It took hours to prepare, multiple pans, saute this, deglaze that, but in the end, ahhhh, words cannot describe the flavors that unfolded on the tongue when we sat down and enjoyed our dinner. There is a reason the French so enjoy their food. It is because they know how it is to be prepared, using the best possible and freshest ingredients. Perhaps that is why they are such legendary lovers, n'est pas?

This movie is as eagerly awaited (if not moreso for the avid cooks out there), than "Sex and the City."   For SATC, Women held parties complete with Cosmopolitans and wore their Manolos to the opening. I wonder how this opening will be celebrated. Julia was an inspiration to so many of us who love to cook and create in the kitchen. Vive la Julia!