annies home: Dress up Those Chops Julia Child's Way

Julia Child one of the worlds most famous chefs, authors and teleevision personalities was born on this day August 15th in 1912. Child's was responsible for bringing french cuisine to Americans. She was the first women to host her own cooking show on T.V. making way for the many women to follow behind. On her T.V. show she would share tips and lessons to help prepare French foods simply and easily. However, it may surprise you that Julia did not come from the country of France at all.

Julia Child was born August 15th, 1912 in Pasadena California. As Julia McWilliams she grew up with much wealth and privilege as was often demonstrated by her actions as an adult. Her father was a banker and her mother was heir to the Weston family who had owned the Paper company in Massachusetts. Her parents were civic minded and her father demanded that of his children as well. Julia attending boarding school during and during highschool would also attend a girls prep school in Northern California. While she was not great in academic work she oftn enjoyed sporting activities and was active in a number of school groups.

One thing that often stands out in my mind about Julia Child is that she was 6 feet 2 inches tall. This made her a leader among many sporting events. After High School Julia Child would attend the same college her mom and aunt had, Smith College in Massachusetts. Following college Julia would work as a secretary til she was fired However, this would not be the end of her secretarial work

During the war Child's would volunter with the American Red Cross. Leading the Department of Stenographic Services she would work in the Aircraft Warning Service. However, while Julia Child wanted to do more and applied for the military she was denied entry because she was too tall.

Julia would meet her husband Paul Child thru he work with the military. In 1948 the couple were both in Paris due to work allowing Julia the chance to enroll in the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. In addition she would meet two other ladies Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle and publish the cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The book would be published in 1961 and would launch Julia Child's cooking carreer.

During the 1960s the Child's would return to Cambridge Massachusetts. Another rewarding opportunity would occur allowing Julia Child to host her first cooking show. The French Chef featuring recipes from her book would be shown on a station later known as PBS. The T.V show helped to build her popularity among both national and international fans. Thus allowing her to win many awards and publish many more cookbooks.

Julia Child did not stop at just cookbooks and T.V. shows, she truly wanted others to know and share her love of food. Helping to create organizations like the American Institute of WIne and Food in 1981. Her enthusism for the love of food and desire to share it with others found her being awarded with many honorary doctorate degrees from many schools including Harvard

Child would leave this world on August 13th , 2004 just 2 days shy of her 82nd birthday. She would leave her mark on the world one that many will never forget. Her kitchen that was featured in many cooking programs was donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Now It's Time TO DO Some Cooking of Your Own:

Per 1 pound of pork:
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper (I think I doubled that...I like me some pepper)
3 TB lemon juice (I didn't have any lemons so I used limes instead)
3 TB olive oil
3 parsley sprigs (didn't have any so I used a couple teaspoons of dry parsley)
1/4 tsp thyme or sage (I used sage...not a big fan of thyme)
1 bay leaf
1 clove mashed garlic

Combine all ingredients and pour over meat in a zip lock baggy. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours....6 to 12 hours would be better. Turn baggy over every so often.

Cotes De Porc Poelees (a.k.a. Casserole-sauteed Pork Chops)

6 pork chops, 1" thick and marinaded
3 - 4 tablespoons pork fat, lard, or cooking oil (Yes....I put my lard to use)
2 TB butter
2 cloves garlic, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine, dry white vermouth, brown stock, beef bouillon or marinade liquid (I used vermouth)

Preheat the oven to 325' F
Dry the pork chops on a paper towel.
Heat the fat in a heavy large oven safe skillet or fireproof casserole dish over medium heat. Brown the chops on each side for 3 - 4 minutes. As they brown transfer them to a dish. You will probably have to work in batches of 2 to 3 at a time. You don't want to crowd them when you brown them....this will cause them to steam instead of brown.
Pour the fat out of the pan and discard (when it is cool and save). Add the butter and garlic to the pan. Return the chops to the pan. It's ok to overlap them. Baste them with the melted butter garlic. Cover and heat until the meat sizzles. Place the pan in the lower 3rd section of your preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes. Once or twice during the cooking time, turn the chops over and baste with the butter and juices.
They are done when the meat juices run clear yellow with no traces of red.
Remove the chops to a hot platter.
Remove all but 2 TB of the remaining juice in the pan. Pour in the liquid (in my case, vermouth) and boil rapidly....scraping up all the good yummy crunchies off the bottom. Boil for just a few minutes until the juice has reduced down to 1/2 cup.....this is your concentrated sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
Pour over chops and server