by Teresa Ringholz

Created on: August 26, 2009   Last Updated: August 27, 2009

"What eez deez Marshmallow Fluff?" - Simone Beck: "Julie and Julia"

It's hard to imagine what would have happened to cooking in America without the influence of Julie Child. It's even harder to imagine a nicer tribute to this cooking icon than the movie: "Julie and Julia."

I was fortunate to relish this movie sitting next to Jen, a friend of mine who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute America in Hyde Park. In the 1990's she actually attended a lecture with Julia Child. Other than being "in awe" of the cooking icon, my friend said: "She was a big lady."

I must say I was curious how Meryl Streep was going to grow 6 inches to Child's stature. She also had big shoes to fill with the unmistakable voice of Julia, embedded in the minds (like mine) of so many who enjoyed watching her cooking show on television and imitating her (like me) while experimenting in the kitchen as a kid. If you closed your eyes you would have thought the mighty chef reconstituted.

In addition to enjoying the plot, I noticed little details on how Meryl was transformed into the statuesque Julia: a lot of shots never showing the feet and when shown, then very high heels, high-waisted pants to give the impression of longer legs, low surfaces and putting her next to shorter people.

Director, screenplay writer Nora Ephron does an excellent job dove-tailing the two stories: "My Life in France"- the budding culinary life of Julia Child and Julie Powell's "Julie and Julia" - the year long blog and experiment to cook her way through Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Julie is played by Amy Adams who gives a lovely sympathetic portrayal of a young woman trying to find herself through Haute Cuisine.

If you love the fine art of cooking then you can really appreciate the sensual description of something like "buerre blanc" or just the mention of truffle oil. My friend and I smacked our lips and let out audible "mmms" from time to time. I reminisced about my time in Paris where I savored excellent meals, ate warm baguettes on the street and shopped at outdoor markets. All this is very well represented in this delightful collage.

Jen said it brought back memories to see Julia, the lone female in the Ecole de Cordon Blue. At Hyde Park, Jen was one of two females in her class and as Julia does (one of the funniest scenes in the movie) had to prove herself beyond her male colleagues.

But one is reminded how much Julia Child actually did for cooking in America, she French revolutionized it and made it accessible. Today there is a resurgence of this fine art through food networks which are inspiring a whole new generation of cooks and healthier ways of American eating.

The movie is worth seeing and understanding that without Julia, perhaps American cooking would have been just been Fluff!

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