Bon Appetit interview

A short, but fun interview from bonappetit.com – and what a cute illustration!

In her new movie, Julie & Julia, the actress takes to the kitchen as Julie Powell, a frustrated government employee whose life changes when she vows to cook and blog about all the recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. We caught up with the Oscar-nominated star to ask about her own culinary skills and why simplicity is the best ingredient of all.

Did reading Julie & Julia, the book on which the movie was based, influence you at all?
It did. The writer wasn’t a professional chef. I think cooking can be a bit intimidating if it’s something you don’t do all the time. The book gave me courage to try new things in my own life.

For the movie, you learned how to debone a duck. Did you learn anything else?
I learned how to poach an egg, which sounds easier than it is. How to cut a tomato and an onion properly was a big deal. I made lobster thermidor, hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise, trussed chicken. I also learned to make an omelet without using a spatula.

What’s your favorite recipe to make at home?
I keep it pretty simple. One of my favorite things to do is cook and have friends over. I have to say my new thing is the brussels sprouts from the book, with butter and cheese.

What would people be surprised to find in your kitchen?
I have a lot of hot sauce. When everything else is gone from the refrigerator, hot sauce always remains.

Do you have a favorite kitchen gadget?
I know it sounds absurd, but I love the rubber tube that peels garlic. I love garlic, but I hate the smell on my hands. And I love my garlic press.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?
Olive oil ice cream in New York. It was so good.

Of all the places you’ve traveled, where did you have the best food?
I’d have to say Italy. Although, when we were working on Julie & Julia [in New York], Peter Luger was our favorite. The hamburger with raw onion. I love raw onions—though they’re not so good for your partner.

Do you have a favorite romantic meal?
Anything that my fiancé [actor Darren Le Gallo] cooks—because he doesn’t cook that often. He recently did a very nice chicken with mushrooms and rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. It’s really very simple. But after you’ve been working all day, nothing beats coming home to a meal. That’s the most romantic thing. When he does that, it doesn’t matter what it is.

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