Julia Child’s birthday is right around the corner, as is the much-anticipated (at least to us food lovers) new film Julie & Julia. To take part in celebrating Julia’s life and her contributions to the culinary world, we thought it apropos to have a “Week of Julia” here on the Foodista blog. We’ll highlight some of our favorite Julia dishes, as well as some we think are just simply great dishes to cook at home – even if you don’t have a lot of time.

Oh, Julia taught us so much (and continues to do so through her books)! She began by showing us how to master the art of French cooking at home, which became the title of her first book aptly named Mastering The Art of French Cooking. She taught us that the more we know about food, the less mysterious it is, and the easier cooking becomes. As we all became more health conscious and more interested in knowing where our food comes from she continued to teach us the principles of good cooking. If you knew nothing about cooking, she’d teach you the basics to get you on your way; if you were a seasoned cook, she always had new ideas and ways of approaching a recipe. She taught us how to build on our culinary experiences, how to plan an excellent meal in half an hour, how eat in moderation (yes, a chef told us that!), and how to not fear food (try those escargot!)

So here’s to Julia, and here’s to a lovely week of wonderfully French recipes!

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One my favorite guilty pleasures is a rich and decadent New York style cheese cake covered in fresh raspberries or tangy tart cherries all on top of a crumbly graham cracker crust. And since it just so happens to be national cheese cake day, I feel the need to over indulge!

Historically speaking there have been several versions of the cheese cake for centuries, but the original “New York style” cheese cake that has become a staple on restaurant menus nationwide is said to have originated in 1929 at the Turf restaurant on 49th and Broadway, when  restaurant owner Arnold Reuben tried to replicate an amazing cheese cake he had one night while dining at a friend’s home.

Since then, several restaurants and bakeries all over New York have created their own spin on this historical dessert. Even though the classic version is pure and plain, a thousand and more variations have been created from banana cream pie, chocolate, Oreo and even key lime pie cheese cake. Thankfully for all of us cheese cake lovers, there are no rules against celebrating this creamy cake all year long and discovering new creations along the way.
Want to celebrate at home? Here is a recipe for New York’s famous cake:

Above photo by Bloggyboulga.

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I’m from New York City, my mother and grandmother were born in Rockville, Maryland. They always told me to never eat oysters in a month without an R (May, June, July, and August). Originally one of the most prolific oyster producing regions in the world, East coast water temperatures vary dramatically from winter to summer. I now live in Seattle, where water temperatures are always cold and people eat oysters year round, but I still hear that bit of folkloric advice from time to time even here. When it comes to food and folklore, I’ve found that folklore is usually spot on, which got me wondering if there’s more to this. My thinking was that it all had to do with modern refrigeration. Turns out the issue is more complex.

Last night I volunteered to do a bit of oyster shucking at an event for the Northwest Women’s Law Center. The oysters were provided by “Oyster Bill” Whitbeck, the market manager for Taylor Shellfish. Bill is one of the world’s leading authorities on oysters and co-author of The Joy of Oysters. Since we were about to shuck and serve 17 dozen oysters in July, I asked Bill about the whole “R” thing and offered my theory about water temperature. Bill smiled big and said “Oh that old wive’s tale! I get that question all the time.” He then went on to explain that, while refrigeration and water temperature used to be a part of the reason people didn’t eat oysters in the summer, the most important reason is because that’s when oysters spawn. In fact, a law was passed in 1762 in Connecticut prohibiting consumption during those months as a way of combatting the already declining oyster population. Today, it’s still important what type of oyster you choose to eat for each season. Last night we were shucking Pacific Oysters (crassostrea gigas) and Kumamoto (crassostrea skimea) Oysters.

Originally from the warmer waters of Japan, these two varieties are at just the right point in their breeding cycle (just before spawning) during the summer months here in Washington. During spawning, oysters use up much of their stored glycogen (a natural sugar) and lose their firmness. Still perfectly safe, they are just not as tasty. So, if you have been depriving yourself…stop it! Go get some oysters and enjoy! Do be sure to keep them very cold on ice. Also try my Yuzu Shiso Granita as a topping, it was very popular among our guests.

Oh and don’t forget the wine pairing! Jameson Fink, local wine steward and blogger at Sparkling Vouvray, brought a great set of whites for us to try. My favorite was an Austrian Grüner Veltliner.

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I wish I could say that I came up with the brilliant idea to bake chickpeas, but alas, I cannot. The truth is I was getting ready for work one morning and overheard Mark Bittman talking about this healthy snack on the Today Show. I don’t know why I never considered baking chickpeas!

On my way home that evening I stopped by the store and purchased two cans. I mixed the chickpeas with some olive oil and zatar spice and baked until crispy. The perfect quick and easy snack food! My next batch? A Mexican chili and lime version.

Here’s how to whip up this healthy snack:

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Family picnics,  Friday night barbecues and last minute invitations to a friend’s potluck doesn’t always require that you bring a dish to share, but more often than not it’s a good idea to bring a little something even if it means a bottle of wine, olives or some good cheese. But, if you like to cook and want to bring a little something to the party that doesn’t take up too much time in the kitchen, here are a few simple ideas that are quick and easy to make and celebrate summer’s freshest ingredients.

Summer tomatoes, garlic, sweet and spicy garden basil and tangy balsamic vinaigrette over toasted baguette slices are heavenly and a snap to make!

Fresh figs stuffed with sweetened ricotta and drizzled in honey is a a great appetizer to bring to a wine pairing party.

And lastly, one of my favorites is peppadew peppers stuffed with herbed goat cheese. The sweet and vinegary peppers mixed with the tangy and creamy goat cheese is a marriage made in heaven. One quick stop to the grocery store and a maximum of 20 minutes pre-party and you’ve got yourself some great potluck or party appetizers.

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One of the easiest and most flavorful appetizers you can make is olive tapenade. The olive tapenade that is common on appetizer menus today does not often reflect the classic Provencal dish from which the name applies. Tapenade comes from the word tapeno, which is French for caper. Besides olives, classic tapenade contains anchovies, capers and lemon juice and it is served as a spread for toasted baguette slices.   In America, most people think of olive tapenade as a puree of strongly flavored kalamata olives, olive oil, garlic and herbs.  Regardless of its translation, tapenade is now a word that is attached to many dips that don’t contain capers or even olives.  Whichever recipe you choose to make, olive tapenade is great for entertaining in hot weather  since it doesn’t require cooking and since olives are jarred, olive tapenade is a great year-round dip to make. It’s great for sandwiches, used as a pizza sauce or simply as a dip for a veggie tray.

Here is a list of four tapenade recipes we like on Foodista.

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One of the most satisfying things about having an herb garden is reaching an arm outside the kitchen window and plucking off some fresh thyme from your thyme plant or walking no further than your back yard for a sprig of rosemary for a recipe. But what do you do with all the lovely herb blossoms?

If you have a chive plant that is sprouting purple puffballs, don’t throw them into your compost- eat them! Seriously try it! If you gently pull out a chive blossom petal and give it a nibble, you’ll taste a light, sweet onion flavor that is much milder than the chive plant itself. The same goes for thyme, rosemary and oregano blossoms- each have their own delicate flavor that imparts just a hint of the herb without overwhelming the dish. I like sprinkling rosemary blossoms on caprese salad, garnishing a soup, grilled vegetables or even homemade pizza. The other cool thing about herb gardens is unlike a big vegetable garden, they are not as much work and instead of gasping at the price of fresh herbs for sale at the grocery store, you can smile at clipping $4 worth of herbs right off your porch.

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It’s Friday and you know what that means. It means we get to kick back, put our feet up, and pat ourselves on the back for doing such a fine job all week. What better way to celebrate your goodness (and take a well-deserved load off) than to sip a lovely cocktail in your sunny backyard. I’ve got the drink for you (the yard is up to you). It’s a delicious Lemon Lavender Martini.

What inspired me was the beautiful lavender bushes in our yard. I looked longingly at them one evening, knowing that soon I would have to cut them back, and commented on how they looked pretty enough to eat (or drink!) So we cut off a bunch of stems and made a lavender infused simple syrup. With our simple syrup we mixed in vodka, a splash of fresh lemon juice, and gave it a shake with ice. Adjust the syrup citrus ratio according to taste.

Now there’s some lemon lavender love for you.

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When I was a kid I hated black licorice and subsequently anything anise-flavored. Fortunately I was too young to drink Ouzo, but my mother thought it was a darn shame that I didn’t like licorice. Like most people, as I aged my taste buds changed and I developed a passion for the flavor of anise. Ouzo, Sambuca, fennel, and yes…black licorice (mmm, Good N’ Plenty!)

If you’re a fennel fan (that alone is fun to say), you’ll love this easy and delicious coleslaw. To me, plain old cabbage slaws are too often boring, drenched in mayo, or both. This version has the lovely sweet crispness of fennel and the creaminess of Greek yogurt. For best results, allow it to macerate a bit in the fridge before the final dressing. But if the natives are restless you can serve it immediately and still earn two thumbs up.

Click below for the recipe:

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It’s Pi Approximation day! What’s that, you say? Think back to your math class…remember that old Greek guy Archimedes? He’s the one whose famous approximation of Pi (Π) was 22/7, not 3.14 (that Pi day is March 14).

But since we’re food lovers here at Foodista and not mathematicians (unless you count our brilliant engineers, Colin and Jesse) we thought we’d change it up a bit and make it PIE day!

Sorry, Archimedes, but I think it’s still a win-win for us all!

Search Foodista for all kinds of pies, sweet and savory!

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