A Harte Appetite: An American cook in Paris

Everything about Paris is enchanting: from Montmarte (Toulouse Loutrec's Paris), to the Right Bank (Napoleon's Paris), to Notre Dame and the city's amazing sewers (Victor Hugo's Paris). But for me, you may not be surprised to learn, the most enchanting Paris of all is Julia Child's Paris.

Recently, after reading Child's "My Life in France," the book that was part of the basis for the celebrated movie "Julie and Julia," I was inspired to go back to Paris in search of Julia's favorite haunts.

I began by tracking down the Childs' old apartment at 81 Rue de l'Universite (or Roo de Loo as they called it). It's still there in the Seventh Arrondissement, on the Left Bank, just one block from the Seine, looking much as it did when the Childs were in residence.

It was here that Julia began to dabble, for the first time in her life, in cooking and where some time later, appropriately, she would take her Cordon Bleu final exam. "How terrible it would have been," she would observe years later, "had Roo de Loo come with a good cook!"

As important a French landmark to me as the Eiffel Tower, it gets little attention. There's no plaque marking it as the house where America's first celebrity chef fell in love with French cuisine. That's because Julia Child is practically unknown in Paris. Her classic tome "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" hasn't even been translated into French. So there were no crowds in my way as I sat on a bench across the street and imagined Julia upstairs rustling up coq au vin.

Then, ready for breakfast, I ventured up to Place St-Germain des Pres to the Deux Magots cafe where on their first Saturday in Paris, Paul and Julia Child sipped hot chocolate. It's still the best, though the Childs might be shocked that it now costs $10. The two statues that give the place its name still look down from the cafe's central pillar and the wicker chairs outside look like the ones Paul and Julia sat on as they munched croissants. They might even be the same ones.

Fortified, I set off for Le Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville, the second-oldest department store in Paris. Situated in an elegant building dating to 1856, it's now a purveyor of fashionable goods, not the market filled with "aisle upon aisle of cheaply made merchandise" Julia refers to in her book. However, she would doubtless recognize the huge basement hardware store. It can't look much different from when she used to buy her dishpans and pails here.

Finally, after a stop at Shakespeare and Company, the bookstore where Julia hunted in vain for French cookbooks in English (before deciding to write one herself), I went in search of the holy grail -- Dehillerin, what Julia called "the kitchen-equipment store of all time." It still is. More warehouse than Williams-Sonoma, you can see why Julia was "thunderstruck" the first time she shopped here. Were she to walk in today, she'd feel right at home. It doesn't look like anything has changed since the store opened in 1820.

Walking in Julia Child's footsteps I soon realized that the city she knew still exists. In fact, it's as appetizing as ever.

Sole Meuniere

This dish constituted a culinary epiphany for Julia Child at her first lunch in France. The recipe is adapted from "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom."

4 fillets of sole

salt and pepper

flour

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 teaspoon oil

1 tablespoon minced parsley

juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon capers

Season fish with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and shake off excess. Heat one tablespoon butter and the oil until foam begins to subside. Saute fillets for about one minute per side, taking care not to overcook. Sprinkle with parsley. In another pan heat remaining two tablespoons butter until lightly browned. Remove pan from heat, squeeze in lemon juice, toss in capers, and spoon over fish.

Tom Harte's book, "Stirring Words," is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs Fridays 8:49 a.m. on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at news@semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702-0699.