The first time Peter made dinner for me back in 1965, I noticed that his copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and her friends was more worn than my copy. I thought this meant I was dating a very good cook. Later, I realized that it was worn because he was a sloppy (but very good) cook. When we married three years later, we kept my copy and tossed his.

Thanks to the1961publication of Julia's book, Americans learned the secret of French cooking, i.e., cream and butter. In 1963, "The French Chef" was the first cooking show on television, and Julia Child taught her enchanted audience the basics of classic French cuisine. Each show ended with her booming voice declaring "I'm Julia Child, Bon Appetit!"

So naturally, Peter and I were in line to watch Meryl Streep re-incarnate Julia in "Julia and Julie" on its opening weekend. This delicious movie brings Child back to life and also tells the story of a young woman determined to, and successful at, cooking every recipe in Julia's classic cookbook.

Of course, we got out our copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and thought about making fish à la Julia. Even in her honor, we couldn't bring ourselves to follow her recipe.

Too much cream and butter