Up close & delectable

Get set to salivate.

Julie & Julia, a film that pairs the true tales of Julia Child, who brought French cooking to American kitchens in 1961, and Julie Powell, a Queens nobody who hit the celebrity jackpot by emulating Child 40 years later, opens tomorrow.

The film stars Meryl Streep as the high-pitched Child, who died in 2004 at 91; Amy Adams as the adorably squeamish Powell; and one close-up after another of food, glorious food.

Tight shots of crisp bruschetta reveal tomatoes at their juiciest (see recipe). Chocolate pie filling looks finger-licking good. And lighter-than-air omelets appear fresh from the pan, even as Powell sweats through failed attempts at separating whites from yolks.

It's all there: Child's apple tart tartin (see recipe), lobster thermidor, and Queen of Sheba cake.

The dishes display a repertoire as remarkable as Streep's, evoking laughter, pain, passion, and cravings. If you leave the theater hungry, thank director Nora Ephron (herself a foodie) and culinary consultant extraordinaire Susan Spungen.

Spungen was food editor of Martha Stewart Living magazine for a dozen years and has a strong local connection. She grew up in Huntingdon Valley, graduated from Lower Moreland High and the Philadelphia College of Art, and had her first kitchen experiences at the Commissary and the Warsaw Cafe. She wrote Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook (William Morrow, 2005) and is working on another cookbook.

Spungen cooked all the food that appears in the film and worked with the actors so they'd look comfortable holding chef's knives and stirring pots.

She's as much a perfectionist as Ephron, who insisted that the food in the movie be and look real. There were no tricks for the camera's sake, and to reinforce that we see the actors eating the food.

Ephron's own culinary passion became evident in Heartburn, the 1983 novel that was so closely based on the demise of her marriage to reporter Carl Bernstein - he of Watergate fame - that the book is sometimes referred to as a memoir.

For her script, Ephron combined elements of My Life in France, the memoir Child wrote with her grandnephew Alex Prud'homme (Knopf, 2006), and Powell's 2005 memoir Julie & Julia (Little, Brown). The stories meld nicely as both Child and Powell sought to banish self-doubt by cooking.

Ephron wrote lines for the actors, but scripted the food, too. And in every scene, the food steals the show.

Picture Paris, 1948: Child, who is betwixt and between about her purpose in life, has just arrived on the arm of husband, Paul, an American diplomat on a new posting. They're poised for their first meal: Dover sole meuniere with beurre noisette. When the fish is filleted at the table, Child goes orgasmic (not quite as graphically as Meg Ryan in 1989's When Harry Met Sally. . ., which Ephron also wrote).

"Julia always spoke of that as her Proustian moment, when all of life changed for her," Ephron said in a telephone interview last week. "And I wanted you to look at that dish and think, 'Oh my God, I want that!' "

In another scene, lobster ditches its normally regal pose to become the comic foil when Powell flinches at the idea of cooking the creature live. (Representatives of the American Humane Association were on hand to ensure the lobsters only appeared to be boiled.)

Later, Powell attempts an aspic - a difficult brown meat jelly - with gloppy results. Then she attempts to discard the mess in the garbage disposal only to have the device spit it back. It's a tour de force performance by the aspic.

Spungen made only slight tweaks to Child's sacred recipes. For one scene, she added mozzarella to Child's onion- soup recipe so the cheese would melt better on camera. She even reheated the cheese with an electric paint remover to enhance its drip factor, as required in the script:

"Julia eats onion soup and the cheese extends from her soup to her lips."

But Ephron says the boeuf bourguignon (see recipe) deserves to be in the opening credits because it is cooked so many times in the movie.

It's the dish Julia's editor, Judith Jones, makes to test Child's as-yet-unpublished cookbook. It's one of the dishes Powell burns her first time out.

"And, of course, that's the dish you made when you first bought the cookbook in the 1960s, which is when I bought it," Ephron said. "It was the dish everyone made at dinner parties. It became a rite of passage to adulthood."

Spungen said she found Ephron as refreshing as a mojito on a steamy summer day (after 4 p.m.).

"It would have been hard to have the food play such a prominent role in the finished film if the director wasn't passionate about food herself," Spungen said.

In a pretty smart marketing move, Sony Pictures invited certain food and film bloggers to attend preview performances in Los Angeles and New York, backed up by interviews with Powell and Spungen and a meal of J&J dishes: boeuf bourguignon, watercress soup, and Ephron's chocolate cream pie (see recipe).

One lucky attendee was Kelly Schmickle, 35, a high school English teacher in Alton, Ill., who, like Powell and Child, had recently been in the weeds, to use restaurant-kitchen parlance.

Schmickle's 13-year marriage was ending when she read J&J in 2007. So she threw herself into cooking, making one new recipe a week, and started her blog, "Sounding My Barbaric Gulp."

Soon she landed a a part-time job teaching cooking classes, published her first food story, and got a tattoo on her left ankle that displays the words "bon appetit" across an illustration of a knife and fork.

That's passion.

Food stylist Susan Spungen developed this bruschetta recipe for a scene in the movie "Julie & Julia," in which Julie Powell, an unhappy government worker living in Queens, fixes on the idea that she will cook all 574 recipes from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, and blog about the experience.

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. And then either fry or grill.

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.

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Makes 8-10 servings

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6-8 Granny Smith apples

3/4 cup sugar

2-3 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up

Chilled pastry dough

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1. Choose a pan: A copper tarte tatin mold will be perfect, but you can also use an iron skillet (as long as it doesn't smell like salmon or something) or even a heavy stainless steel or nonstick saute pan. Whatever you choose, it should be about 10 inches across at the top and have an ovenproof handle.

2. Peel the apples, quarter them, and cut the cores out. Squeeze half a lemon over them if not using right away.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°. Pour the sugar into the pan and set over medium heat. Add the water (it should be just enough to be absorbed by the sugar). It's OK to stir it once, to combine the water and sugar, but don't stir it after that. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to make sure there are no sugar crystals clinging to the edges of the pan. Brush periodically during cooking.

4. Have the cold butter ready by the stove. Cook the sugar over medium to medium-high heat, gently swirling the pan to keep it cooking evenly, until it turns a medium-dark amber color. This will happen very quickly - be careful not to burn it. Keep the heat low if you are unsure once it starts to turn color. If you are using a dark skillet, drop a little of the sugar on a piece of white paper or paper towel to check the color as it will be hard to judge in the pan. The very moment it looks dark enough, remove the pan from the heat and gently add the cold butter - don't splash, as the sugar is very hot. It will bubble up a bit.

5. Off the heat, add the apples, rounded sides down, in concentric circles, starting on the outside edge of the pan. Try to keep the apples somewhat vertical, and pack them as closely as possible. Don't let your fingers touch the hot caramel. Slice any remaining apples into small wedges and scatter them around, filling any holes or low spots. Return the pan to the stove, and cook the apple mixture, undisturbed, until the apples are softened, and the caramel liquid is starting to thicken. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes, but use your judgment, because much depends on the pan you are using and the heat level. At this point, you can set the apples aside and let them cool a bit. This makes it easier to cover it with pastry, and also helps prevent overcooking the apples, but you can continue with the recipe if you want.

6. Roll the chilled pastry out until it is 1 to 2 inches larger than the pan you are using. If you are using frozen puff pastry, it will already be flat, but you will need to roll it a little bit so it's big enough. Place the rolled dough on top of the apples, and tuck it in around the apples. Cut a small vent in the center, place on a baking sheet to catch any drips, and place in the lower third of the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is nicely browned and the caramel is bubbling up around the edges.

7. Let cool slightly, at least 10 minutes, or until you are ready to serve the tart. If it has completely cooled before you serve, place it over a low heat for a minute or so to remelt the caramel. Use a butter knife around the edges to loosen them, and then place a flat plate on top of the tart. Holding the two firmly together (wear oven mitts if it's hot), quickly and carefully flip the unit over and place on the counter. Remove the pan. If any apples stick to the pan, just replace them where they should go on the tart. Serve warm, with creme fraiche if desired.

Per serving (based on 10): 282 calories, 2 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrates, 25 grams sugar, 14 grams fat, 13 milligrams cholesterol, 72 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.

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Makes 6-8 servings

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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

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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 prebake 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:

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

"Here's another brilliant variation if I do say so myself:

"Pulverize some English toffee in the Cuisinart and put on top of the graham cracker crust before adding the chocolate."

Per serving (based on 8): 560 calories, 9 grams protein, 53 grams carbohydrates, 34 grams sugar, 37 grams fat, 183 milligrams cholesterol, 360 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.

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Makes 6 servings

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6-ounce chunk of bacon

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut in 2-inch cubes

1 sliced carrot

1 sliced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups of a full-bodied young red wine such as Beaujolais

2-3 cups brown beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 crumbled bay leaf

Blanched bacon rind (see instructions)

For the braised onions:

18 to 24 small white onions, peeled

11/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

11/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup beef stock

Salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

2 sprigs parsley

For the sauteed mushrooms:

1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

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1. Remove rind from bacon. Cut bacon into sticks (lardons) that are 1/4 inch thick and 11/2 inches long. Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 11/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry the lardons and the rind and reserve.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

3. Put the olive oil in a large fireproof casserole and warm it over moderate heat.

4. Saute the lardons for 2-3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish, using a slotted spoon.

5. Dry the meat and saute, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Then remove the pieces to the side plate with the bacon.

6. In the same oil/fat, saute the carrot and the onion until softened. Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.

7. Toss the contents of the casserole with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.

8. Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for 4 minutes. Remove and toss contents again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.

9. Lower the heat to to 325 and remove the casserole from the oven.

10. Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs, and the bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

11. Cover and return to the oven and simmer 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

12. While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside until needed.

For the onions:

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until brown, but not split apart.

2. Pour in beef stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover. Simmer over low heat for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.

For the mushrooms:

1. Heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet. As soon as the foam begins to subside, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for about five minutes until the mushrooms are brown. Remove from heat.

Finish the stew:

1. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole dish and return the beef and bacon to it, discarding the bits of carrot and onion that remain in the sieve. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

2. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 21/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon.

3. Taste for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables and serve over potatoes, noodles or rice, garnished with parsley.

Per serving: 783 calories, 62 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams sugar, 46 grams fat, 175 milligrams cholesterol, 1,523 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber. EndText