Julia Child’s 100th Birthday Tribute Dinner at Globe @YVR!

For the Love of Julia Child! Bon Appétit!

A Recap of Les Dames d’Escoffier BC Grande Dame Julia Child 100th Birthday Celebrations.

August 15 marked what would have been the 100th birthday of the great Julia Child. Many celebrations took place all over the world and Vancouver participated in the festivities. Thanks to Les Dames d’Escoffier, British Columbia Chapter, for creating the Julia Child Dine Around which was Canada’s largest dinner party.

Restaurants and cooking schools across BC, including cities like Vancouver, Whistler, Victoria, Kelowna, Langley, Bowen Island and even Seattle donated one table with a set multi-course menu with wine pairings to honour the great Julia Child. All proceeds from the dinners were donated to Les Dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter, for scholarship and outreach funding.

Les Dames d’Escoffier is a society of professional and successful women who contribute immensely in their communities. Their goal is to promote the understanding, appreciation and knowledge of food, wine, hospitality, nutrition, food technology, and to support women and students in these careers and/or related fields. Their mentor is Julia Child who was a proud member of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

I was invited to attend the Julia Child tribute dinner at Globe @YVR Restaurant at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport. It was an intimate dinner for 6 which took place in their private Fairmont Gold Boardroom overlooking the mountains, landing strip, and runways. It was a small and precious room with a gorgeous view and I had no idea it even existed. It would be ideal for any special occasion and this one was the perfect fit.

The dinner showcased the cuisine of the restaurant with inspirations from Julia Child and this was the general theme for all restaurants participating in the Julia Child Dine Around. I can only assume that most restaurants did some version of French Onion Soup and Julia’s most famous Beef Bourguignon. It was an indulgence of wine, butter, cream and red meat, which would be the only way to truly honour her spirit.

She introduced the American public to French cuisine and inspired Chefs, cooks, women and even bloggers. Even though she wasn’t a blogger she did inspire a blogger. I actually started my blog exactly a month before Julie & Julia came out, but it’s no doubt that movie contributed to the second wave of “blogging boom”.

I still remember watching her cooking show on TV with my sister after school and it was her carefree attitude and will to make mistakes that made her real. She was no cookie cutter and very different from what you would see on cooking shows nowadays. Regardless, she was a character who made a difference and if “Bon appétit!” was how she ended her show, then we shall continue doing just that.

“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”  – Julia Child

“You’ll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” – Julia Child

 … and that is the story of my Follow Me Foodie life. – Mijune

Globe @YVR Restaurant’s Julia Child 100th Birthday Tribute Dinner

“How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?” ― Julia Child  (Quote not specific to bread here)

The View, Riesling, 2011 ,Okanagan Valley, BC

“Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” ― Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Amuse Bouche – Seared Albacore Tuna with Olive Tapende, Quail Egg & Frisée

This was a twist on Julia Child’s Salade Niçoise.

French Onion Soup – Caramelized onion, Duck confit, Ficelle.

“When you think of French Soup usually French Onion Soup is the first one to come to mind.” – Julia Child

Inermezzo – Blueberry sorbet with blueberries, strawberries and tonic water

Terrazas de los Andes, Malbec, 2009, Argentina, South America

Beef “Bourgignon” – Slow cooked tenderloin, briased short rib, pork belly, red wine jus

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” – Julia Child

It was a deconstructed version of Julia Child’s famous Beef Bourgignon. The braised short rib was my personal highlight on this plate.

“Fat gives things flavor.” – Julia Child

Quail’s Gate, Optima, 2010, Okanagan Valley, BC

Classic Vanilla Crème Brûlée with Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti 

The Julia Child birthday cake cutting at YEW at The Four Seasons in Vancouver.

Cheers to the culinary legend and legacy she left behind!