One thing led to another and another . ..

Recently one afternoon on a DART train, a woman sat next to me, pulled out a book and was soon engrossed in My Life in France by Julia Child.

I had recently seen the movie, so I was curious. When I had to bother her to get out for my stop, we chatted briefly about it. She was enthusiastic, so, while I was out shopping, I picked up a copy of the newly printed release featuring scenes from the movie on the cover. I started reading on the trip home. (You can click the image to follow the link to Amazon to buy it for much less than my impulse purchase that day.)

As I had really enjoyed the "Julia" scenes in the movie, I was happy to read much more of her adventures in France throughout her life. I confess to a little bit of something akin to homesickness when she wrote of her house in Provence, trips to Grasse, stories about her friend and chef, Roger Vergé and his two fabulous restaurants in Mougins. I never knew she and I were nearly neighbors when I was lucky enough to be living and working in that corner of the world. There are still two versions of Vergé's Cuisine of the Sun cookbook on my shelf–one in French and one in English.

Meanwhile . . . a friend in California–curiously, a male friend that I would have never suspected of an interest in such things–has been reading Julie Powell's book, Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously. He sent it to me when he finished; it arrived on Thursday. I finished reading it with my cafe latté this morning.

It has been fascinating to see the film, then separately read each perspective presented over the course of only a couple weeks . . . and, as usual, noting the poetic license and subtle ways the movie differs from the books.

I suppose the only thing left for me to do to wrap up this particular literary and film adventure would be to go to the cook book at the heart of both of these books and cook a fabulous French meal for friends. (All this reading about cooking yummy french food has inspired this foodie to get back to some serious time in the kitchen!)

As you might expect, there's a new printing of this one coming soon, and, yes, there's a photo of Meryl Streep as Julia Child on a wrapper around it, too. The original volume is quite pricey, as you'll see if you click the book and follow the link to the 3rd party sellers on Amazon.

I think the cross-merchandising is complete with this new edition, but maybe there will be giant-sized mortar & pestle sets and Julia's favorite copper pans for sale in your favorite kitchen store with "Julie and Julia" tags (and photos of the actresses who portrayed them) soon . . .