Julie Powell writes her own autobiography from her blog of a year in her life and how she opens her eyes to life’s possibilities. Her book Julie and Julia is about the ordinary changes that come in human life with perseverance.
Julie is approaching 30, married, living in Long Island City, and working as a secretary day to day. Julie is also insecure, anxious, and discontent. So she decides to reinvent her life with Project 524, cooking every recipe Juli Child’s The Art of French Cooking, Volume One in a year. For the next 365 days, Julie cooks chaotically and obsessively for fulfillment and hope. She reinvents herself and learns that joy is what it takes to find one’s way.
I find it interesting that Julie never met Julia Childs. I find the coincidental parallels in their lives even more interesting–dedicated husbands, culinary interests, and dedication to writing. Too bad their lives didn’t touch if only briefly! Perhaps Julie’s memoriam written on Child’s death at the age of 92 says it all: “I have no claim over the woman at all, unless it’s the claim of one who has nearly drowned has over the person who pulled her out of the ocean.”
I wish the book showed more of the endearing, quirky French cuisine master Julia Childs whose skill earned her Cambridge, Massachusetts kitchen a place in the Smithsonian. By comparison her Art of French Cooking is a heavyweight to today’s back to basic, quick and easy ones.
Julie and Julia is light reading aimed for the adult female audience. Cooks and chefs will find in Power’s memoir kitchen disasters and successes worth laughing about. Readers will delight in the humor in her descriptions and not escape its irony of life.
WIN IT!
FIVE winners of this giveaway will each receive a copy of the book Julie And Julia.
HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)
To enter leave me a comment on this post telling me your worst kitchen disaster.
BONUS ENTRIES
1 – Subscribe to my RSS feed.
1 – Follow me on Twitter AND leave your Twitter name here.
1 – Fave this blog at Technorati AND leave your Technorati name here.
1 – Stumble this giveaway AND leave your Stumble name here.
1 – Blog about this giveaway, including a link here.
1 – Place my button on your blog.
Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.
THE SMALL PRINT.
US addresses only please. This contest will end on Friday 08/28/09 at 11:59 pm est. If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won. Good luck to everyone!
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 7:25 am
I am a pretty good cook, so I’ve been blessed to not have many “disasters.” The most frustrating and embarassing incident for me has to be this past Easter when I made a huge bone-in prime rib for the first time. I followed a friend’s recipe (she had made it for Christmas and it was nearly the best steak I had ever had), but when it was approaching dinner time, I sliced open the meat to find it RAW! After hours in the oven, this huge hunk of meat was completely inedible. It took another couple of hours in the oven at higher temp to get it to approach medium rare. Since everyone was hungry, I just sliced off the ends and served those while the rest of the meat cooked longer. I guess it could have been worse – I could have burned a $100 piece of meat and wasted it!
on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 7:25 am
I subscribe to your RSS feed
on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 9:11 am
Lauren,
Thank you.
Pat.
on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 9:11 am
Lauren,
I once made a cake with baking sooda not powder. No one not even the dog would eat it.
Pat.
on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 3:17 pm
my worst moment was cooking for my then-boyfriend, now-husband. I wanted to do his fave, chicken fried steaks… but the breading just kept FALLING OFF. And the meat looked like roadkill when I was done with it. SO, I hightailed it to Cracker Barrel for a substitute!
on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
and I subscribe
on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Kim,
Enjoy.
Pat.
on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Kim,
Did you tell him or pass he dinner off as yours?
Pat.
on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 7:51 pm
My first Valentine’s Day dinner as a married couple I wanted to make one of my new husband’s favorites –Chicken Limone. Let’s just say that it turned out to be Pucker Chicken. He took a bite while I was trying to pour the drinks . He stated that it really had the flavor of lemon. I took a bite and immediately spit it our. We had rice and peas for that special dinner. Well there was a chocolate dessert that I had bought so I couldn’t have messed that up. I haven’t gotten up the courage to make the Chicken Limone in the 10 1/2 yrs since.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 1:21 am
I haven’t had many disasters or at least many that I can remember. The last one I can think of I tried to make scallop potatoes in a crock pot with a recipe I got off of a crockpot box that it came in. The potatoes never softened up so I decided never to try that recipe again!
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 4:16 am
My worst kitchen disaster was when I tried to make pasta at 14 and ended up not boiling the water well enough before pouring the noodles in. It tasted crunch rather than smooth and yummy. ahhh
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 4:16 am
subscriber via myaol
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 4:17 am
faved on technorati (DG09)
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 4:18 am
I stumbled (Dreamer08)
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 4:18 am
I follow on twitter (Dreamer08)
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:12 am
Back when I was first married I wanted to cook a steak for dinner. I decided to broil it, which I’d never done. I put the pan (which was lined with aluminum foil) to high and the steak and foil caught fire. To this day, I have not broiled another steak.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:13 am
I subscribe
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:15 am
Jackie,
My worst fiasco as the cake I made with baking soda not powder.
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:17 am
DG,
Hope you like the site.
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:18 am
DG,
Favorite posts?
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:18 am
DG,
What kind of contesfs dxo you prefer?
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:19 am
DG,
Plan to see the movie?
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:20 am
DG,
Could have been worse.
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:20 am
DG,
Crock pots take adapptation and experimentation.
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:26 am
Maureen,
Haave yoou eaten it outside your own home? Maybe it wasn’t your cooking–recipe .
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:41 am
My worst was when my twins helped with the pizza dough and the flour flew everywhere. It was all over everything and a huge mess to clean up.
denise_22315(at)yahoo(dot)com
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:42 am
I subscribe.
denise_22315(at)yahoo(dot)com
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 am
My worst kitchen disaster was not with cooking, it was with my dishwasher.
I ran out of detergent for my dishwasher so I used liquid dish soap. Should I say more! Well, anyway I had soap suds coming out of my dishwasher all over my floor, what a mess.
There is a positive side to this little disaster, after much clean up I had a nice and super clean floor. LOL!
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:46 am
I subscribe via e-mail.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:47 am
I follow on Twitter.
Jerseygirl137
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Forgetting that I was boiling eggs, and the pan ran out of water and eggs blew up.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
email subscriber
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
follow on twitter-vickers2622
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Andrea,
Appreciage yhour following.
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Andrea,
AHi again.
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Andrea,
I did thagt more than once–even with my tea kettle. You wouldn’t bellieve the burnt food, pots and pans, and evn burnt kitchen.
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Oh Pat, I AM a kitchen disaster just waiting to happen, and happen they do. Last week my oxygen hose caught on the baking dish I had just filled…….on the floor, upside down, it went. Oh well, picked it up put it back in the pan, baked it and we never knew the difference. (well, I didn’t tell) I have pretty clean floors I guess. lol
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 5:35 pm
My worst kitchen disaster was when we were first married and I was taking a cake decorating class. The instructor told us to cover a flat board with aluminum foil and practice our decorating on that. In that way we didn’t have to cook – and eat – so many cakes. I covered a plastic cutting board with aluminum foil and stored it in the oven since we were very short on kitchen storage space. One evening I was cooking dinner and smelled a terrible smell. I had started heating the oven – forgetting about my foil covered plastic cutting board inside. It had started to melt and smelled terrible!
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I subscribe to your RSS feed.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Marj,
You can relly on that couple of second rule.
Pat.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Brownies made from scratch. But them in too small of a pan.
Brownies all over the oven. Burnt. Leaking out the oven door. The stink! The clean up!
oy!
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 11:35 pm
when i started a fire on my stove by wiping up sauce with a paper towel while the stove was still on. Not a good idea. The paper towel caught on fire.
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I follow you on twitter: MissBlondie919
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Miss Blondie,
Apprerciate that.
Pat.
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Miss Blondie,
Hopefully nothing else.
Pat.
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 12:03 am
Miss Blondie,
Appfreciae your following along.
Pat.
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Tammy and Parker,
I have done that with cake batter that oozed all over. Yuk!
Pat.
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 2:13 am
I subscribe! Thanks!
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 2:13 am
I follow on Twitter! natdey
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 2:14 am
I have your button!
http://theadventuresofpaulnatalie.blogspot.com/
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 2:16 am
I blogged! Thanks!
http://theadventuresofpaulnatalie.blogspot.com/2009/08/julie-and-julia-book-giveaway-5-winners.html
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Nataliie,
Thanks.
Pat.
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Natalie,
Great.
Pat.
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Natalie,
Appreciate it.
Pat.
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Natalie,
Good luck.
Pat.
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
My hubby would say everytime I step into the kitchen….LOL!
But really I would go with the time I was making a romantic dinner and forgot to buy some of the ingredients and decided to substitute….talk about ewwww….
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Subscriber!
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Marci,
Thanks.
Pat.
on Aug 24th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Marci,
we all have done that–luckily at times but others–drats.
Pat.
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 6:23 am
I once tried to make a cheesecake for Thanksgiving dinner. I did not soften the cream cheese first. When I went to mix up the ingredients with a mixer, the ingredients flew all over my kitchen walls and all over my clothes. Needless to say, we did not have cheesecake with our Thanksgiving meal.
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 6:24 am
email subscriber
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 6:24 am
I follow you on Twitter, partymix25.
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I went to heat a kettle of water and accidently turned on the wrong burner. I had a glass baking pan sitting on that particular burner. Yikes. Luckily for me, I had stepped out of the kitchen into an adjoining room when I heard a loud KABOOM! The baking pan had exploded sending glass shards flying! I was so glad nobody got hurt. (My nephew and the family dog were in the house too–but thank God not in the kitchen.)
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Karin,
I do things like that often–am using the micro more and more.
Pat.
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Terra,
Appreciate your following along.
Pat.
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Terra,
Hi again.
Pat.
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Terra,
A picture of the site would bring endless smiles once you cleaned up.
Pat.
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
My worst kitchen disaster was when I was first learning to cook. I didn’t know how long to boil potatoes…so I only boiled them for about 10 minutes. They came out rock hard….needless to say,I know how to boil potatoes now!
on Aug 25th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
I subscribe to your feed via RSS!
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 1:05 am
WHICH cooking disaster you mean, LOL…how about the time when I left the stove on and it melted part of a pot on my stove with spaghetti in it…the smell…HORRENDOUS…we woke at 1am am to the smoke alarm!
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Subscribe to your feed via bloglines.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 1:08 am
Following on Twitter, @themomjen
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Favorite on Technorati (themomjen)
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 1:13 am
Your button is on my scrolling list at http://www.themomreviews.com
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Mom Jen
Hi.
Pat.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Mom Jen
Welcome.
Pat.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Mom Jen
Appreciate your following.
Pat.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Mom Jen
Good luck.
Pat.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Rebecca,
Hi.
Pat.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Rebecca,
I assume you put them back on the stove.
Pat.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
On my sons first day of school a few years ago I wanted to make some cookies for him to come home to. My first and second batch burned! Found out that my oven was off. We were in a new home and it was the first time I had used the oven. I’m a good cook but this threw me for a loop until I figured it out.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
I’m subscribed to your rss feed via email.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
I’m following you on twitter. @klmram
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Kium,.
Glad you are along.
Pat.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Kim,.
Thanks.
Pat.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Kim,.
I can’t bake at all.
Pat.
on Aug 26th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
[...] Here And There – Julia And Julia book (Aug 28/US) [...]
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 12:22 am
My husband has some pretty strict dietary restrictions and when we first started dating, I worked super hard on a meal for him. But then, as soon as he arrived, our oven stopped working. The pilot light went out and I couldn’t fix it. I had the landlord come out and even he couldn’t get it. I ended up having to call my now husband and invite myself to cook at his place!! It was awful and I was embarrassed. But he married me anyway!
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 8:20 am
NGS,
Love finds its way.
Pat.
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
i wanted to make hubby brownies and the oven spilled with smoke, still not sure why
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
The first time we barbequed for company, we went with chicken. Turns out we needed a few practice runs to confidently serve chicken that was done all the way thru.
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
RSS subscriber
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
follow you on twitter bettycd
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
faved your blog on technorati bettycd
on Aug 27th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
posted your button
http://morecoffee-bettycd.blogspot.com/
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Betty,
Hope you enjoy the site.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Betty,
Which ones do you prefer?
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Betty,
Appreciate your following.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Betty,
Good luck.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Betty,
I like to parboil’ hubby doesn’t. I hate charcoal skin.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Melilnda,
Greasy buildup perhaps.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Don’t Laugh…I was going to make deviled eggs one afternoon, and I put the eggs on to boil. I sat down at my computer and forgot the eggs. Quite a while later, I smelled something burning. When I arrived in the kitchen, the eggs were exploding and shooting the hard yolks across my kitchen. It would have been fine, but my CHEF hubby walked in and saw my mess. I’ll never live that down!
thanks for the chance to win!
bleatham(at)gmail.com
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 8:11 am
I subscribe to your feed!
bleatham(at)gmail.com
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 8:12 am
follow on twitter and tweeted
http://twitter.com/sleatham1/status/3601122150
bleatham(at)gmail.com
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 8:13 am
faved on technorati as sleatham1
bleatham(at)gmail.com
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 8:13 am
stumbled as allysmama
bleatham(at)gmail.com
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 8:13 am
your button is on my blog
http://sweepnsave.blogspot.com
bleatham(at)gmail.com
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 9:32 am
At breakfast one morning I forgot a couple slices of Cinnamon Toast broiling in the oven. They caught fire and smoked up the entire house. The kids were terrified.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Definitely anytime my husband cooks — the kitchen becomes a huge disaster area!
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I’m a subscriber.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I follow you on Twitter: hillfam2005
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Technorati fave: hillfam2005
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Stumbled: hillfam2005
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I have your button.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Amy,
Hi.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Amy,
Welcome.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Amy,
Glad for the visit.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Amy,
Appreciate it.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Amy,
Good luck.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Amy,
How’s the food?
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Janelle,
At least you did not burn your kitchen.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Shelly,
Glad you found your way here.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Shelly,
How old is Ally?
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Shelly,
Glad to have you as a reader.
Pat.
on Aug 28th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Shelly,
I just burned the potatoes I was boiling to mash.
Pat.