Dear Eater, I can honestly say that although I’d been aware of MTAOFC for years and years — knew it was a classic, groundbreaking masterwork and veritable Bible for American cooks interested in French cuisine — it wasn’t until I made my first recipe from Volume One, La Reine de Saba (Queen of Sheba Chocolate and Almond Cake), that I truly realized what a culinary masterpiece it truly is. That the words, “master” and “art” are part of the title says it all. More on the magical cake in a bit.
Julia with co-authors Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle by Paul Child (courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University).
“Oh please take me fishing, oh please, pretty please,” insisted my sister the pest. She drives me bananas when she’s at her worst, she bugs me when she’s at her best.
She wouldn’t give up, so I’ve got her along, but I’ve not decided her fate. Maybe I’ll patiently teach her to fish — maybe I’ll use her for bait!
~ from A Pizza the Size of the Sun (Greenwillow Books, 1996).
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Unlike the sister in Prelutsky’s poem, I was never a pest (*cough*), but the narrator sounds very familiar.
While my brother and Dad went fishing, I stayed home and played with my Ruthy doll and read Madeline’s Rescue. When it was time to take a picture of the day’s catch, I was only too happy to oblige. Even though I didn’t go fishing, this is still my favorite childhood picture. It hangs in our den and makes me very happy.
Newton and I spent a lot of time together growing up because we were latchkey kids. During the summer we rode our bicycles all over, bought fuzzy chicks at the carnival, tried to sell the macadamia nuts from my grandma’s tree, played marbles and ate hamburgers at Dairy Queen.
I’m baaaaaaaaaack — just in time to celebrate five years of Alphabet Soup!
Wow, it’s very hard to believe it’s been that long and that I’m still here after 1400+ posts on 2 different platforms, 348 15 pies, 569 a few cupcakes ☺, 145 book reviews, and many, many days when I asked myself, “Why am I doing this again?”
Who’d have thought a very private, non tech-savvy introvert who’d never even read a single food blog (gasp!), could somehow keep finding something to say week after week?
Wonders never cease.
I named the blog, “Alphabet Soup,” because at the time I was writing my first chapter book about an alphabet collector who acquires a miniature uncle via mail order for the letter U, and included, “soup” because of my first picture book, Dumpling Soup. I was intrigued, and still am, by blogging as an art form, a unique creative outlet that allows me to indulge my love for journaling and creative nonfiction, letter writing, children’s literature, photography, culinary history, typography, food art, food memoirs and baking.
I have learned SO much in five years, only to realize how little I actually know about everything. I have new respect for professional book reviewers, renewed love for teachers and librarians, even have a new appreciation for editors, i.e., “inappropriate submissions.”
Fruit tart with raspberries, blueberries, kiwi and mango.
Isn’t it a beauty?
My half-sister Sylvia, who is a passionate foodie and chef extraordinaire, recently made this gorgeous fruit tart for her grandson’s birthday. Doesn’t it perfectly capture the essence of summer — all its colors and sweetness with its bounty of fresh fruit that’s ours just for the taking?
Of course when I saw it, I just had to ask for the recipe, which she graciously agreed to share with us. Next time you visit your farmer’s market or grocery store, look for a colorful selection of fruit to make your own tart. This is a nice dessert to celebrate Independence Day or to take to any picnic or cookout, sure to impress all your friends and guests.
Sylvia: To make the fruit tart, bake the crust until golden brown and pour enough of the cream filling to line it well (it doesn’t have to be too thick). Arrange any selection of fruit that appeals to you on top of the cream layer, just keeping in mind contrasting color and design. To finish it off and give it that polished, professional look, melt some currant jelly and brush it carefully onto the tops of the fruit. Bon Appétit!
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11″ TART SHELL
1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 1-1/2 sticks butter 1 T sugar 1/8 T salt
1. In food processor, combine flour, butter, sugar and salt and process until the mix resembles coarse meal.
2. Add one at a time, 3-4 tablespoons of cold water and process until mix resembles small peas. Do not mix until it forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly just until dough comes together. Flatten into a 6-inch dish and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or longer.
3. Roll dough into 15-inch disk. Press dough against the fluted side of the pan and trim off any excess. Prick the bottom, cover with plastic, and freeze for about 30 minutes before baking.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add pie weights and bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is almost dry. Remove foil and weights and bake for 5-8 minutes longer or until the crust is lightly browned.
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VANILLA CREAM FILLING
(for 8″ pie or 11″ fruit tart)
½ cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ tsp. salt 2 cups milk 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon vanilla
1. Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt in a sauce pan.
2. Blend egg yolks and milk together and gradually stir into sugar mixture.
3. Cook over medium heat , stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens.
4. Boil and stir for one minute.
5. Remove from heat, blend in butter and vanilla.
6. For fruit tart, pour into bowl and cover with waxed paper or parchment.
7. Refrigerate until at room temperature.
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Thank you so much, Syl! I’m still hoping you’ll adopt me, so I can pretend it’s my birthday all the time and I can eat treats like this every day ☺.
Imagine my surprise and delight when I checked my inbox a few days ago and found a totally cool and delicious poem written just for me!
It was from Father Goose himself, the one and only Charles Ghigna — award-winning poet, children’s author, nationally-syndicated writer, speaker, and of course, Poetry Friday regular.
Well, his poem got my toes a tappin’ and my spirits risin’ and my crazy thoughts all wrapped up in heads of crisp, garden fresh lettuce.
Who needs Ice Cube when you’ve got iceberg, Cee-Lo Green when you’ve got the Bibb?
Paul Child in Noël Riley Fitch’s biography, Appetite for Life (Doubleday, 1997), and marveling anew at both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Knopf, 1961, 1970).
Jama's Alphabet Soup 