Julie & Julia night...

I am currently, for lack of a better word, obsessed with all things Julia Child. It all started when I saw the movie Julie & Julia. If you have not seen the movie, it is a must see! The movie follows the story of Julia Child, during her formative years in France, and Julie Powell, a writer who found her voice by cooking and blogging her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year.

The movie is fun and inspiring. For a self-proclaimed foodie, like me, it stirs something deep in your soul. It makes it okay to love the whole intimate experience of food...the planning, the creating, the smelling, the tasting and the sharing. I feel set free to grab the canvas of my kitchen and express "me" in the meals that I create for my family and friends.

I decided to institute the occasional Julie & Julia night in honor of my new found culinary freedom. So, last night, I kicked things off by recreating a couple of the recipes from the movie. I made Bruschetta and Chocolate Cream Pie. These are not Julia's recipes, but are the first two foods that you encounter when watching the movie.

Here are the two recipes...give them a try...they do not disappoint.

Julie & Julia Bruschetta

Food stylist Susan Spungen developed this bruschetta recipe for a scene in the movie "Julie & Julia."

Here are the directions in Spungen's words, which she sent via e-mail. As with any dish with just a few simple ingredients, the quality of the ingredients and technique are key.

Start with some excellent bread. This is crucial. Choose a rustic loaf with a stretchy interior with lots of holes and a crisp crust. If it's a round loaf, cut it into slices about 3/4 inch thick, and then cut those slices in half on an angle.

For the movie, we fried the bread in olive oil, as is director Nora Ephron's preference, but I usually grill or toast it in a hot oven (400°). Either way, try to get it crunchy on the outside while retaining some softness in the center.

Rub the bread with a whole garlic clove (the garlic will disintegrate into the bread since the coarse bread will act like a grater) and drizzle with the best extra-virgin olive oil you can afford. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Meanwhile, cut tomatoes into chunks, tear lots of basil leaves into medium-small pieces, and toss with more olive oil. Let marinate for a while.

Season with salt and pepper about a half hour before serving. The salt makes the tomatoes release their juices and you don't want that happening too soon.

Top bread with tomato mixture. If the bread is really crunchy, let the tomatoes sit for a few minutes before serving to soften the bread.

Nora Ephron's Chocolate Cream Pie

Makes 6-8 servings

For the crust:

6 tablespoons butter

11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

For the filling:

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, in pieces

4 slightly beaten egg yolks

2 tablespoons soft butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

For the whipped topping:

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons sugar

Make the pie crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

3. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Add the butter and stir to blend.

4. Press the mixture into a pie plate and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool thoroughly before filling.

Make the filling:

1. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt and set aside.

2. Bring the milk to a boil. Lower the heat and stir in the chocolate and let melt.

3. Whisk the milk mixture into the sugar mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken.

4. Add the yolks and stir furiously for a very short time. You want the yolks to thicken the mixture even more but you don't want them to curdle like little tiny scrambled eggs. Sometimes I do this for only 30 seconds or so.

5. Remove from the heat and stir more. Add vanilla and softened butter. Cover with waxed paper and cool.

"By the way," Ephron says, "if the eggs do curdle, pour the pudding mixture through a sieve and throw away all the curdled bits. No one will know."

6. Fill crust with pudding and refrigerate.

Make the whipped topping:

Whip cream until almost stiff. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until cream holds peaks. Spread on pie.