Julie and Julia

Julie & Julia and French pastries on an open air patio. Don't you think that is the perfect birthday evening for me? Last night my dear friends, Phyllis & Helen, brought me along to their book club's movie night.

You just took a cooking class in Paris, they said.
You've seen Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian, they said.
You have a blog, they said.

When I told them that I had read both books that the movie was based on ("My Life In France" and "Julie & Julia"), it was clinched.  I was "crashing" their book club on my birthday.

And what fun I had. The movie was darling and made every girl in the theater want to try cooking Boeuf Bourguignon. What struck me the most was that it showcased passion in a way that you never see it in the movies.

Passion for cooking.
Passion for one's spouse.
Passion for a project that no one understands.

Bravo. We ended the evening on an open air patio talking about a book I wanted to write on Paris  (And I did! Click the link) and eating cream puff swan. I assure you, nothing could be better than that.