Tonight I crack open Juuuuuulia. First, I must say it like that. I'm sorry. Second, are you a little afraid? I am. I'm making quiche aux epinards. I was a little confused by the fact that, when making the grocery list for Jeff, there was no cream listed, since I thought all French food contained cream, but eggs and butter are close enough. Then re-reading Julie's quiche experiences, it seems that quiche does contain cream, and I just didn't read it properly. Fortunately we have cream.

I flipped through Mastering the Art and am really excited about it. I think I like manual style cookbooks, like Mastering, and also A New Way To Cook and How to Cook Everything, more than just lists of recipes. I like the instructional quality- going into why you do something one way, and why it wouldn't work another, or why it would, but is not preferred by the author (though it may be preferred by you). I also like all the variations and options all three of those books give you. (I'd put A Cook's Bible and all of Cook's Illustrated in that category, too.)

That said, if you're going to get a categorized list of recipes type cookbook, Stop and Smell The Rosemary is mighty attractive. I flipped through it, as well, and enjoyed especially their little tidbits in the margins- things like (and I'm paraphrasing) "Epazote is often used in bean dishes, because it is reported to take the wind out of beans." Take the wind out out of beans. Those delicate flowers in the Junior League. God love them. I think I'll make the sesame shrimp with lime cilantro butter next week- it sounds delicious, anyway.