Learning to cook the Julia Child way

But there is one thing that both Powells would rather never eat again - aspic. A jelly made from naturally reduced beef juices, Jones describes it as "absolutely heavenly." But to Powell, it can be described in a word - nasty.

"You know the slime layer that is on the end of a brick of Spam? That's aspic," she says. But, she adds, her cats love it.

Powell also says certain parts of the book, written before her mother married, seem a little dated. Child's rice-cooking techniques seem lengthy, and Powell attributes this to the type of rice available at the time. And there are other quirks that let you know the book was written in the '60s: Rice is called a vegetable, and cooking times can be slightly excessive.

"You really don't need to cook green beans for close to an hour," says Powell.

A former cook and now a web designer in Texas, Hannah Levbarg is a fan of Powell's online diary. "I can completely relate to what she is writing," she says. "For me, it's partly a vicarious experience with cooking, but it's also a break from all the lifestyle gurus like Martha Stewart."

Now halfway through the book, Powell says she probably won't finish every recipe, but she is giving herself a year to see how far she gets. "It's really about expanding myself," she says, "seeing if I can make my way through it.

"And in the end, I'm going to end up a really good cook."

This is a Basque specialty, and quick to make if the pipérade mixture has been prepared in advance. As the omelet is not folded, and is served in its cooking vessel, it is not a disaster if it sticks a little on the bottom. You may therefore cook the eggs in a low, glazed pottery dish, or a fancy skillet.

HAM AND PIPÉRADE MIXTURE
8 to 12 strips of ham 1/4 inch thick and about 2-by-3 inches across
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onions
1/2 cup thinly sliced green or red bell peppers
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 clove mashed garlic
Speck of cayenne pepper
2 or 3 firm, ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced, and sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

OMELET
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
8 to 10 eggs beaten lightly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pinch of pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons minced parsley or mixed fresh green herbs

In an 8- to 9-inch enameled skillet, brown the ham slices lightly on both sides in hot oil or butter. Set them aside, and reheat just before using them at the end of the recipe.

In the same oil or butter in which you browned the ham, cook the onions and peppers slowly, covering the skillet, until they are tender but not browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the garlic and bell peppers. Lay the tomatoes over the onions and sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Uncover, raise heat, and boil for a few minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the juice from the tomatoes has almost entirely evaporated. Season to taste and reheat just before using.

In an 11- to 12-inch serving skillet or shallow, fireproof serving dish, heat the oil or butter. When very hot, pour in the eggs. Stir rapidly with a large fork until the eggs have just set into a creamy mass. Remove from heat and spread the hot pipérade over them, mixing a bit of it delicately into the eggs. Lay the warm ham strips over the pipérade. Sprinkle with the herbs and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

- From 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'

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