Last Wednesday, August 15th,
would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday, an event which was
widely reported in the media. In honor of this occasion, I reflected on how
Julia influenced my own life and career. As a child, I religiously watched her
on The French Chef, just like every
other cooking-crazed youth of my generation. As a teenager, I decided I wanted
to go to Smith College pretty much based on my knowledge that Julia was an
alumna. And after
graduation, when I met Julia and her husband Paul at a party,
I asked her where she thought I should go to cooking school. She suggested La
Varenne in Paris, so that’s where I went (when Julia talked, I listened…). I
met Julia a few other times. One year, the magazine I edited (Chocolatier), named her our Hall of Fame
recipient (I mean, really, who could top Julia for this honor?). She came to
the event and made a little speech, and I walked her around a bit, though she
was a little shaky on her feet. A&E was filming, so we both ended up in the
final two minutes of Julia’s biography program. What I loved most about Julia
was her love for life, which
she displayed so fervently through her love of food. She always seemed to be comfortable in her own skin, always ready to laugh, have a little drink and then something wonderful to eat. And when she made a mistake during one of her cooking segments, she didn’t take it too seriously – she understood that one little slip-up did not necessarily spoil the soufflé.
she displayed so fervently through her love of food. She always seemed to be comfortable in her own skin, always ready to laugh, have a little drink and then something wonderful to eat. And when she made a mistake during one of her cooking segments, she didn’t take it too seriously – she understood that one little slip-up did not necessarily spoil the soufflé.
In honor of her birthday, I made a recipe
that came from the TV series Baking With
Julia. It’s a Nectarine Upside-Down Chiffon Cake, a simple recipe that
suited Julia’s taste perfectly. Nothing too over-the-top, just a simple cake
made with deliciously ripe nectarines and a layer of almond streusel. If I had
remembered, I would’ve stuck a few birthday candles in the finished cake. But
then again, I don’t think Julia was so big on gimmicks. For her, it was all
about the food and, of course, the technique.
Thanks for everything, Julia – you’ll always be the best, in my book.
From Baking
With Julia (Morrow, 1996; recipe contributed by Mary Bergin)
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup (239 g) packed dark brown sugar
4 to 5 ripe medium nectarines, each cut
into 8 pieces
Streusel:
¼ cup (30 g) unblanched whole almonds
1/3 cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (60 g) packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut
into small pieces
½ cup quick-cooking (not instant) oats
Chiffon Cake:
1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, separated
½ cup (107 g) vegetable oil
½ cup (121 g) fresh lemon juice
2 large egg whites
Maket the topping:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the butter
into 3 or 4 chunks and toss them into a 10-inch diameter sprinform pan that’s 3
inches high. Place the pan directly over medium-low heat and melt the butter,
tilting the pan so that it covers the bottom evenly. Remove the pan from the
heat and scatter the brown sugar evenly over the butter, patting it down with
your fingertips. Arrange the nectarine pieces in concentric circles over the
sugar. Wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil to catch any butter that
might drip during baking and set the pan aside.
Make the Streusel:
2. Put the almonds on an ungreased baking
sheet and bake them until fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.
3. Line the baking sheet with parchment
or a silicone baking mat. Put all of the streusel ingredients into the bowl of
a food processor and pulse just to mix the ingredients and chop the almonds and
butter. The mixture will be rough and crumbly. Spread the streusel out on the
pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown.
Cool. Leave the oven on.
Make the cake:
4. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup
of the sugar, the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk in the salt and
set aside.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the
yolks, oil and lemon juice until blended. Gradually add the dry ingredients to
the yolk mixture, whisking all the while; set aside.
6. Beat the 6 whites in the bowl of a
mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. At low speed, beat the whites until
they’re foamy and form very soft peaks. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high
and gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar, beating until the whites are thick
and shiny and hold peaks. Fold about one-third of the whipped egg whites into
the yolk mixture to lighten it, then turn the yolk mixture into the whites and
fold it in gently but thoroughly.
7. Scrape half of the batter into the
fruit-lined pan. Smooth the top, using an offset spatula, and sprinkle over the
streusel, reserving a little for decorating the finished cake. Top with the
remainder of the batter, smoothing it with the spatula, and place the pan on a
baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the
center comes out clean. Cool for at least 25 minutes before inverting it onto a
cardboard cake round or cake plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped
cream.
