Today we celebrate Julia Child’s birthday!

Julia Carolyn Child was born on August 15, in 1912. She was an American chef who was made famous as she made French cooking do-able with her most famous book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963.

Julia often says her first taste of amazing gastronomy was in Rouen and has been noted to say the simple meal of oysters, sole meunière, and fine wine to be "an opening up of the soul and spirit for me." Clearly her time in France was well inspired, as she was a student at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school (and later studied privately with Max Bugnard). As the wife of a foreign military man, she kept her engagement in her new society up with her love of French cooking and joined the women's cooking club, Cercle des Gourmettes, where she met Simone Beck (who was writing a French cookbook for Americans with her friend Louisette Bertholle). Over afternoon teas, the ladies baked up a plan to teach cooking to American women in Child's Paris kitchen, and even gave their informal school a name,  L'école des trois gourmandes (The School of the Three Food Lovers).  From there, she published books alone, and with her friends, and enjoyed a fabulous writing and media career thereafter. At Conch, we love her style. We love how she took what life circumstances were around her, and made the best of it. With food, we often find it brings people together and that is why we celebrate Julia Child, she used gastronomy to fit into her new country, and bought home tips to share with her friends too.

 

 

Julia Child‘s Chocolate Mousse

She has many recipes for mousse and we decided to feature this one because it is with butter instead of cream and totally extravagant in the way it is made. You will get covered in mousse and the only way to make it is to turn on her cooking show in you tube, listen to her gorgeous voice and pour yourself a sherry to sip on.

You need this …

4  eggs, separated

¾ cup plus

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

¼ cup orange liqueur

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

¼ cup strong liquid coffee

¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

Adapted from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”

1. Have on hand 10 ramekins or custard cups ( ⅓ cup each) or 6 small bowls (¾ cup each).

2. In a bowl combine the egg yolks and ¾ cup granulated sugar. Beat for 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and pale yellow and leaves a ribbon trail on itself when the beaters are lifted.

3. Beat in the orange liqueur and continue mixing until blended.

4. Place the bowl over not quite simmering water and beat for an additional 3 minutes until the mixture forms tiny bubbles and is too hot for your finger.

5. Transfer the bowl to a cold-water bath and continue beating for an additional 3 minutes until the mixture is cool and again forms a ribbon. The consistency will be similar to mayonnaise.

6. Set another bowl over not quite simmering

water. Add the chocolate and coffee and let the mixture sit until the chocolate melts.

7. Remove the chocolate from the heat and beat in the butter a little at a time to form a smooth cream.

8. Beat the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture.

9. In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until they hold soft peaks. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

10. Gently stir one-quarter of the whites into

the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites.

11. Spoon the mousse into the dishes. Set on

a tray, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

GARNISH

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Grated chocolate or a few springs fresh mint (for garnish)

1. Chill the bowl and beaters for the cream. With an electric mixer, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks.

2. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until the cream holds stiff peaks; do not overbeat.

3. Garnish the cups with whipped cream and chocolate or mint.

 

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