After spending a long, long time working as a temp, Julie Powell now writes in her pyjamas in Long Island City, Queens, where she shares a "loft" apartment with her husband Eric, their dog Robert, their cats Maxine, Lumi and Cooper, and their snake Zuzu Marlene.
Life wasn't working out the way 29-year-old Powell had anticipated-working a dead-end job at a government agency; living in a cramped, dingy apartment in Queens; and worrying about a health condition that could make it impossible for her to have children. Reaching a point of emotional meltdown, she visited her parents' home in Austin, TX, where she rediscovered her mother's old copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. A short time later, she made the instinctual, yet somewhat arbitrary, decision to give her life direction by making all 524 recipes included in the classic cookbook. She set out to do this in exactly 365 days while maintaining a blog that chronicled her culinary attempts. This very funny work reflects on Powell's experience, but listeners should beware: this is not for conservatives or those unable to tolerate a hearty smattering of the "f" word, nor is it a dignified tribute to Child. In fact, the strength of the author's humor resides in her blunt, irreverent tone and mordant descriptions of meals consisting of unconventional ingredients such as kidneys, brains, and homemade jelly boiled from calves' hooves, which she describes as making her kitchen "smell like a tannery." Powell provides a well-executed narration of her entertaining memoir; recommended for all collections.-Dawn Eckenrode, Daniel A. Reed Lib., SUNY at Fredonia Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Powell became an Internet celebrity with her 2004 blog chronicling her yearlong odyssey of cooking every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. A frustrated secretary in New York City, Powell embarked on "the Julie/Julia project" to find a sense of direction, and both the cooking and the writing quickly became all-consuming. Some passages in the book are taken verbatim from the blog, but Powell expands on her experience and gives generous background about her personal life: her doting husband, wacky friends, evil co-workers. She also includes some comments from her "bleaders" (blog readers), who formed an enthusiastic support base. Powell never met Julia Child (who died last year), but the venerable chef's spirit is present throughout, and Powell imaginatively reconstructs episodes from Child's life in the 1940s. Her writing is feisty and unrestrained, especially as she details killing lobsters, tackling marrowbones and cooking late into the night. Occasionally the diarist instinct overwhelms the generally tight structure and Powell goes on unrelated tangents, but her voice is endearing enough that readers will quickly forgive such lapses. Both home cooks and devotees of Bridget Jones-style dishing will be caught up in Powell's funny, sharp-tongued but generous writing. Agent, Sarah Chalfant. (Sept.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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