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Child’s ‘Wisdom’ is a dividend of new film A paperback version of “Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom” capitalizes on new interest

By Kim Davaz

A paperback version of Julia Child’s 2001 book, “Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes From a Lifetime of Cooking,” has been released as a result of the new movie, “Julie and Julia.” The film is based on the book “Julie and Julia” by Julie Powell about cooking her way through Child’s iconic books, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and “My Life in France.”

Think of this new release as the grown-up equivalent of a toy tie-in to a movie or a movie-themed prize in a kid’s meal from a fast-food chain.

“Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom” is really so much more than that. I like to think of it as being able to call Child on the phone with a food question and having her talk you through a recipe. That’s just the way the recipes are given, in conversational style with the ingredients mentioned as they are used, not listed at the beginning.

Child says in her introduction that this book is not meant to replace an instructional cookbook like “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” (also available with a movie tie-in cover with a photo of Meryl Streep as Child). “Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom” is for cooks who know their way around the kitchen but need a bit of memory prodding and encouragement from time to time.

The final recipe is a postscript. She says she forgot the biscuits and how could one have a cookbook without a proper recipe for biscuits? This recipe is her interpretation of one New Orleans chef Leah Chase baked on Child’s “Master Chef” television series.

To make the strawberry shortcake variation, increase the sugar to two tablespoons, patting the dough into one large 1-inch tall shortcake instead of many small ones, if you like. This being August in Oregon, make blackberry shortcakes topped very generously with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Baking-Powder Biscuits

For about 1 dozen 2 1/2 -inch biscuits, baked in a 425-degree oven. Preheat the oven. Provide yourself with a pastry blender or two knives, a pastry sheet either covered with parchment paper or buttered and floured and a round 2 1/2 -inch cookie cutter.

Measure into a large mixing bowl either 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup plain bleached cake flour or 2 cups soft wheat (pastry) flour, plus 1 2/3 tablespoons fresh lump-free double-action baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix thoroughly and then, with the pastry blender or 2 knives, rapidly cut in 3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I use Crisco) until the flour-covered fat particles look like small peas. With a wooden spoon or your hands, lightly and rapidly, but in big dollops, fold in 1 cup of milk to make a rough, somewhat sticky dough - do not attempt a smooth mixture at this point.

Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface and, as a gentle type of kneading, lift the far side up over onto the near side, pat it out gently into a fat circle, sprinkle on a little flour as necessary, then lift the left side over the right, the right over the left, and so forth, giving 6 folds in all. Finally spread and pat the dough into a reasonably smooth rectangle 3/4 -inch thick.

Cut out biscuit circles and place them close together, but not touching, on a pastry sheet. Gently gather the scraps together and give 2 or 3 folds as before, pat out again into a rectangle, cut out the circles and place them on the baking sheet, and continue until the dough is used up. Finally, pressing the sides of each biscuit shape with your finger all around, plump them up slightly. Set in the middle or lower-middle of the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly browned.

Serve warm or at room temperature. (Leftovers, if any, are best frozen, then set from freezer for a few minutes into a 350-degree oven.)

Kim Davaz writes a biweekly cookbook review column for The Register-Guard.

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