Boeuf Bourguignon sans Champignons #MoviesandMunchies

I am posting this after watching this month's Movies & Munchies pick: Julie & Julia.

On the Screen

I've seen the movie before, thoroughly enjoyed it, and was happy to watch it again.

Julie & Julia is phenomenal on so many levels. It's the story of how two women from completely different generations claim their identities through food: Julia Child and Julie Powell.

Meryl Streep is astonishing as Julia Child; not surprising as she's amazing in every movie she does. But it's almost eerie to watch her inhabit the roll. She becomes Julia. She is Julia. Amy Adams is charming as Julie Powell, the blogger who sets out to cook through Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a single year. 524 recipes in 365 days.

There were so many different things to cook from the movie...

Chocolate Cream Pie, a comfort food if ever there was one. "I love that after a day when nothing is sure and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. You can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. That's such a comfort." Julie explained to Eric.

Artichokes with Hollandaise, though I personally think that artichokes should be enjoyed naked - the artichoke not the eater! Julie muses, "...hollandaise sauce...is melted butter that's been whipped into a frenzy with egg yolks until it's died and gone to heaven. And let me say this. Is there anything better than butter?"

In the Bowl

But, in the end, I decided a classic, well sort of a classic. I made Boeuf Bourguignon without the mushrooms because D was home from school and is adamantly fungi-averse.

• 6 ounces bacon, diced

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 3 pounds beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

• 3 to 4 carrots, scrubbed and diced

• 1 onion, peeled and diced

• freshly ground salt

• freshly ground pepper

• 3 cups red wine (a full bodied red wine)

• 3 cups beef stock

• 1 tomato diced or 1/2 cup tomato sauce

• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and mashes

• 1 sprig herbs, fresh (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) - traditional is thyme, I had oregano

• 2 bay leaves

• Also needed: Dutch oven

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 Tablespoon olive and add in the ground bacon. Cook until the bacon is cooked through. Add in the beef chunks and brown on all sides. Then add in onions, carrots, garlic, and tomatoes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Nestle the herbs and bay leaves into the pot. Pour in the stock and the wine. Bring the liquid to a simmer.

Cover the pot and place in the oven. Let braise for three to four hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily. When the meat is tender, remove the Dutch oven and bring it to the stove top. Bring the liquid to a boil to reduce the sauce to your desired thickness.

To serve, ladle into individual serving bowls. Garnish with herbs and serve immediately.

Stay tuned for the other bloggers' posts. I will add them here soon.