The reclamation has gone in waves. There was a spate of soup-making this winter, bouts of bread-baking, and the ever reliable cookie escapades. I started actually reading some of the cookbooks on the shelf, thumbing through the pages and marveling at the pretty pictures, while trying to be realistic about dishes I might try making. Then my well-intended enthusiasm would wane and I’d be back to take-out and thrown together bits of food eaten while standing up at the counter.

There is nothing like a good foodie movie to stir up inspiration. A recent viewing of Julie & Julia provided just such the thing. If you have ever tried to cook something beyond your normal reach or ever been lucky enough to find your true love, you should see this movie. It is a love story about food and a food story about love. And what two things go better together? After all, food is a fabulous way to show one’s affection. I had read the book, but to be honest, I didn’t know much about Julia Child before seeing the movie. I was inspired. Inspired to cook great food or at least try on a somewhat regular occasion. Inspired too that the mutual adoration and respect that creates true love really can happen, but that’s a whole other story. I would start by making it a Sunday goal to cook myself a proper, healthy meal, perhaps even incorporating something from the garden. As for a project, a recent visitor had left a vat of blueberries in my fridge, so finding the perfect blueberry muffin recipe seemed like a good place to start. In the near future, I decided I must acquire my own copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, as well as read Julia Child’s autobiographical, My Life in France.

A trip to the used bookstore yielded a surprising armful of goodies. Finding something particular you are looking for is always a bit of an ambitious goal, so I was loose with my expectations and came up in excess. Although I did not find Mastering the Art of French Cooking - not to my surprise - I did find a well-loved (or spilled upon), yet spine-in-tact copy of the Joy of Cooking. This got me thinking. Having once had access to a small library of cookbooks, I realized that there are certain books that are crucial as a sort of starting point or reference for everything else. I would consider those books to be:

• The Food Lover’s Companion – for quick in-the-kitchen reference and general bet settling
• Larousse Gastronomique – for when you need more information than what the Food Lover’s Companion can offer and for general knowledge and education
• The Joy of Cooking – a good starting point for basic recipes on most dishes
• Mastering the Art of French Cooking – ditto, and then some

From there you can then augment with books on specific cuisines, from special restaurants, or by favorite chefs. Speaking of favorite chefs, my second used-book score was a copy of Jamie Oliver’s Naked Chef. I’d have to say that the Naked Chef was one of the best shows to air on the Food Network – long before food became hip and hacks like Racheal Ray got airtime. Oliver made dishes that felt doable and all from his small, but well-appointed London flat, instead of some large made-for-TV kitchen set. My final book score was a copy of My Life in France. Brilliant! I enjoyed reading the introduction while lounging in the garden post-dinner before whisking off to bed for some reading-time before sleep.

Sunday’s dinner was a simple, but well-flavored meal of cooked tomatoes and kale over jasmine rice and with a bit of seasoned ground beef for protein. Besides the kale, I flavored the sauce with fresh lemon thyme, oregano, and parsley from the garden. I had finished out my earlier culinary shopping spree by picking up a muffin tin at Peppercorn and doing a bit of drooling over all the shiny toys as is too easy to do in that place. Once dinner was done, it was time for blueberry muffins…