Lost in the Show

Here is what I've always loved about a good performance: it makes the average person believe that anything is possible. Whenever I see a ballet or a musical I cry - especially during the big musical numbers. I think it's a combination of being moved by the performers, combined with the release I feel when I can completely lose myself in someone else's performance, not to mention the fact that I have always loved to be on stage and for a brief while, I can vicariously experience what it would be like to do it professionally.

Tonight I saw Julie & Julia with one of my friends who is not only an amazing cook, but a mother of four with another on the way. The girl time was much appreciated by both of us, and I think it's safe to say we were pleasantly surprised by just how much we loved the movie. It did for me what no other movie has ever done - which is to move me in the same way a good performance does. By the end of the movie, I not only had the urge to come home and cook Boeuf Bourguignon, but the feeling that I could tackle Julia Child's recipes (which heretofore seemed completely overwhelming to me). I had the feeling that I - a decent cook in my own right, but certainly not a great cook - could tackle the impossible. Ever the romantic, I was completely swept away by the idea that I too could debone a duck.

Two hours passed too quickly, and as we stepped out of the theatre, I was met with the reality that I truly have no desire to cook my way through any cookbook. I'm happy skimming my issues of Cook's Country and watching my favorite Food Network shows. I lack the patience that traditional French cooking would require, and I would far rather cook a meal that takes less time in the kitchen. Still, cliche though it may seem, I do plan to try Boeuf Bourguinon!