Saturday, July 18, 2009

Surreal is the New Normal

So, I spent eight hours yesterday, first in a butcher shop and then in an overgrown field, getting my picture taken with big knives, a bull dog, and a pig leg.  And now this is what my refrigerator looks like:

36 Comments:

Blogger K said...

I just finished reading your book this morning. Naturally I had to come looking for you online. I am very much looking forward to the movie. I feel an urge to go on a culinary adventure, but on a much smaller scale. I will never be able to extract marrow from bones, let alone eat said marrow. And I admit to being one of those women who prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts. We certainly will not be eating organ meat at my house. But I don't need to do all that you did to make changes in my own life. I admire your courage -- to start and finish The Project, and your willingness to share your story, the failures and sticky cat hair on the pot rack with all the rest of us. It makes me feel like I can and should take a step forward, perfection not required to progress, to find my own peaceful place. Thank you.

8:41 AM  
Blogger K said...

And one more thing... although I do find the working area of a butcher shop to be a somewhat terrifying place, I am also looking forward to your new book. I hope you are happy with life. Best wishes and thanks again.

8:45 AM  
Blogger Little Ms Blogger said...

To me, I always said I'd marry the man who'd cook me a NICE meal and CLEAN MY FRIDGE.

I think you tell which one has more importance to me.

A field, pig's leg, knives and a dog....hmmm..now I'm curious - 2009 holiday card?

8:57 AM  
Blogger Amy said...

F'ing awesome. Do you have to use bungees to close the fridge door? I'm imagining shopping for a fridge saying, "No, not that one. I need a bigger one. Big enough for an entire cow. No, really..."

10:03 AM  
Blogger O'Reilly said...

How did you get the bull dog to fit in your refrigerator? Aren't you worried he'll eat the pig leg? ;-p

But seriously, do you have a delicious recipe picked out for the pig leg? I dined at a restaurant in Paris, Au Pied du Cachon. Magnifique! On this side of the Atlantic, a rough approximation is Balthazaar on Spring St in Manhattan. The pig leg can wait but maybw you ought to bring the bull dog with. What's it's name?

PS. I loved the photos of you receiving your honorary degree, especially the photo on the staircase.

11:18 AM  
Blogger Lisa@Pickles and Cheese said...

Nothing like a huge piece of meat taking up all the shelf space in your fridge. Does the door close? Congrats on the honorary degree! And were you posing for the cover of your new book??? Can't wait for the movie opening.

1:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That ... is a very large pig leg. How on earth did you get it back home??

Congratulations on the honorary degree.

2:58 PM  
Blogger Blog4Steven said...

Julie, thank you for a great book. I know you have received a million of these posts, but I JUST closed your book (yes, I finished it, haha) and just loved it! I have been a fan of Julia Child since I was 7 years old and now I am proud to say I am a fan of Julie Powell. Good luck to what I am sure will be a successful film—I will be there opening day.

Best wishes and many thanks again!
SKENN848

3:39 PM  
Blogger Jessica said...

Is that boxed wine I see?? I love it:) I think everyone should post a photo of their fridge interior. What a revealing glance into other's lives.

5:08 PM  
Blogger Alicia Senn said...

Would be nice if this site told me I had to join before I typed my whole comment and then lost it - what a Julie moment!!!

I share Snow World's sentiments. I too, just finished your book this morning (wondering how I missed all this when it was first occuring)and found a kindred spirit. Thank you from all of us who cook and live and move through each day wanting somehting more. You give me hope. Here's to the book in December 2009!!! And Eric really is a saint...

6:24 PM  
Blogger Alicia Senn said...

Would be nice if this site told me I had to join before I typed my whole comment and then lost it - what a Julie moment!!!

I share Snow World's sentiments. I too, just finished your book this morning (wondering how I missed all this when it was first occuring)and found a kindred spirit. Thank you from all of us who cook and live and move through each day wanting somehting more. You give me hope. Here's to the book in December 2009!!! And Eric really is a saint...

6:24 PM  
Blogger tartedepomme said...

I consumed your book in three days, stopping often just because it made me hungry. I didn't know that anyone else knew who David Straithorn but I have loved him since The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd. And to think, you have fed him cake and cookies. Can't wait for the movie.

tartedepomme

7:48 PM  
Blogger sari said...

Dear Julie:

Do you have to sterilize your entire fridge after throwing in a big slab of meat like that? I think I'd freak out and I'm not really an OCD germ person...it's just so...meaty.

2. Do you still live in the same apartment that you did while you were doing the project? Just wondering.

Have a great day.

9:55 PM  
Blogger Erin said...

You know, if you just said to someome, "I've got cat food, boxed wine, Heineken, and a pig's leg in my fridge" it would sound a lot worse than it actually looks ;-)

5:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi, Julie.

I'm Nichole and I'm a 13 year old girl living in Philadelphia, PA. I just wanted to tell you that you are such an inspiration to me... and you seem like such a cool person. I just hope one day that I can have the skills that you have to do amazing things with my blog, and hopefully write a book even though I have no writing skills outside of literature class essays. I'm planning on buying your book very soon, and watching the movie (that I have been waiting for over a year to see!)

Thanks alot for listening to me rant on and on... and that pic of your fridge made me laugh. It looks really crowded in there, hehe!

Good luck with everything!

x Nichole

5:43 AM  
Blogger Janice said...

So this is the 3rd attempt on my blackberry to make a comment. I hope.this is the charm. I am the VP at "the peppercorn" in boulder colorado. It is a 17,000 sq foot housewares and you name it store. :Hate to say it, but we put the sur la tables to shame. We have the largest selection of cookbooks west of the rockies. I am ashamed to say that I walked by your book and ordered you book many many times. Just thinking that it was "just another jc" book. I am embarassed that I did not go farther until the other day. I was heading off to LA for a little weekend with my family and needed something new for my ipod. While reading an article in a mag. I read about Meryl Streeps new venture. She is my fav actor of all. Then I realized like a lightening bolt it was your book. I literally ran down the back steps to grab the audio and the book. I got home downloaded it and headed off for the trip. I was immediately hooked. Your writing style is perfect and I loved that you nararrated it yourself. After hearing the whole audio, I started the book. Crazy right! But it was great because I could hear you and visualize you doing everything. It made it even better. I am looking forward to the movie. If you are ever in boulder, please come and do a book signing. My boss has a great gourmet kitchen and is the best cook. She would love to have you over and make some julia things. Although I do hate lamb!!! Anyway I can send you a few copies to be signed? My email is jmpcorn@yahoo.com. And janice @peppercorn.com. I look forward to your future endevors. And if you need any great gadget, you let me know. I am on my blackberry at the beach so please forgive the typos!

12:30 PM  
Blogger G said...

I'm in the middle of reading your book (utterly charming), and have decided to start my own project, though I can't imagine taking on such a momentous task, I am inspired. Thank you.

1:30 PM  
Blogger Simones Kitchen said...

Wow... I was planning on leaving a comment as I have just started reading your book and ofcourse had to come and look at your blog. But then I got a bit overwhelmed by reading all comments your receive on a daily basis and almost decided against it but what the heck... I love your book!! Just wanted to say that... Really looking forward to seeing the movie too. (although I do hope it's gonna be airing in Holland as well!)

1:49 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Julie - I just finished your book (late to the table, I know). I had stopped and started so many times, but for the last week I've been greedly reading and ignoring my children when I can.

I love life's twists and turns, and that I would finish today to read about your reflections on Julia's death, just as I was trying to sum up my feelings about Frank McCourt's death (Angela's Ashes changed the way I look at life).

I'm sure you're tired of hearing this, but thank you for sharing your story. You've motivated me to work on some photography projects I've had on the back burner, and to be okay with making mistakes.

I have a group of friends who are reading your book too, and I we are eagerly awaiting the opening of your movie! Amy Adams will make an adorable YOU!

Gratefully, Nicole

8:56 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Julie,
Here is rave no. 10,958: I picked up your book because I was waiting in line at Barnes & Noble, took it home, and three days later, very reluctantly, turned over the last page. For me it wasn't so much the feat, though it was an impressive one, but your comments about the intrinsic relationship between food and love. All I can say is "thank you!".

5:10 AM  
Blogger SPA Alpine said...

Hello Julie,
I just finished reading Julie/Julia and LOVED it. It is surreal that it wasn't fiction and I can actually post here to your blog! I totally remember eating Ouefs in Gelee (made with gelatin) when I lived with a family in Paris during my semester abroad. You were so brave to make them with aspic! The French are crazy, but they know how to eat. Your writing is fabulous ~ honest and so funny. I plan to catch the movie on opening day. Congratulations!

10:20 AM  
Blogger Nat said...

I too just finished reading your book, while on vacation in Nova Scotia. I had lobster for dinner the same day I read the part about homard a l'americaine. I don't think I'll have lobster for another ten years. I was totally creeped out, but not as much as the maggot scene. I had to check my dish rack this morning.

Courage: That you share your story with the world is pretty amazing, but to post a photo of your fridge? Well done. You are my hero!

11:33 AM  
Blogger Libby D said...

You are back! Good for you. Stop beating yourself up about your weight. (At least in public.) You need to come up w/ some kind of witty reply that exposes all the anorexic journalist types for their superficial obsession with weight. That should be easy for you to do, because you are geniunely witty. It is a crying shame that women in this country buy in to equating our self-worth with our dress size. I am heavier than I have ever been, which doesn't make me happy. However, I am in pretty good health, have a job I like, 2 great dogs,a wicked kitty and a husband that loves me. We both love to eat and cook and entertain, so if we are carrying a few extra pounds around, so be it. Let's get off the self-loathing train and congratulations to you for your amazing accomplishments in the last two years! Two published books and a movie starring Meryl Streep! Man, life is beautiful, right? BTW, wasn't the movie "Doubt" amazing? Just watched the DVD last night with a big snort of wine. Good stuff.

2:02 PM  
Blogger Catherine said...

OK. So I finished your book last night, and I must say it was very entertaining.
I do believe my favorite part was where you were ripping the skin off of a pork shoulder and then you proceeded to use it as a prop quoting the line "it rubs the lotion on it's skin or else it gets the hose again."
At this point, I start laughing and my loving husband asks if it's a good book, so I tell him what I had just read.
Well guess what, he reacted much the same way Eric reacted when you had that bit of pork skin flapping around. Men! Balls to them.
I desperately hope that part is in the movie, and if not, I may just have to reenact it on my own :)

Have a good one.

2:23 PM  
Blogger Shell said...

I also just finished the book today and I'm noticing that the trailer is not matching the book much, but I'm not surprised. I really did enjoy your book and I'm trying to not gush or be overly stalker-ish though I have a feeling Joss Whedon would understand how you feel after Buffy really took off. I'm always surprised and flattered when someone leaves a comment on my blog. Though usually more on the surprised side really.

8:03 PM  
Blogger tayates said...

I am nearly two-thirds through your novel and could not be more impressed by your brilliant writing and inspiring story. With that said, though, I thought I was purchasing a book about your life experience with the Julie/Julia Project and not a partisan political rant. If any of your intolerant anti-Republican spew had any relevance to your story, I would grin and bear it. However, I find it difficult to ingest (much as you found it difficult to ingest the numerous aspics you created...) the unnecessary and irrelevant political rantings you have chosen to pepper throughout the novel. If your political ideology were pertinent to the story I could power through, but your intolerance of all things GOP seem mindless at best. With that said, I am hopeful that you will apprise me if the soon-to-be-released movie will contain the same intolerant political undertones so that I can save my hard earned and soon to be highly overtaxed dollars and see another movie instead.

9:36 PM  
Blogger HRH Teri said...

I just saw your movie, and I'm totally inspired to cook more! I'm not at all prepared to tackle "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," but, if you could do all that cooking after a wicked Manhattan-Queens commute, I can invest in a few good knives and expand my repertoire beyond crock pot ribs and the occasional french bread. I'm buying your book - thanks for the motivation!

11:43 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Would you believe it if I told you that it was the preview for the movie that made me want to read your book? It's true. It was Julia Child and the fact that Meryl Streep was playing her that drew me in. When I found the book I immediately bought it and began reading it out of curiosity. I loved it! Of course, I'm also one of those people who has to find out everything they can so naturally I came looking for you online as well. I love the way you write and I am looking foward to the next book!

Congratulations and I can't wait to see the movie!!

12:15 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Julie, I'm a reporter with the Washington Post trying to reach you for a story today. Please email me at shulmanr@washpost.com and tell me how! Thanks, and best, Robin

6:53 AM  
Blogger Catherine A. Mulligan said...

You MUST tell us how on earth you used that pork shoulder. That'll make for one heck of a pot luck dinner!

8:04 AM  
Blogger Katie Aberbach said...

Hi Julie-- I'm also trying to get in touch with you for a story about the movie/book for the Washington Post Express (not the same publication as Robin's!). Please let me know how best to contact you. many thanks! Katie.aberbach @ readexpress.com

8:43 AM  
Blogger Willow Dreamer said...

yeah! so excited to have found your blog! Just reading Julie & Julia right now, love it!

2:32 PM  
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