Julia and Monika. Kindred Spirits??

OK, sounds far fetched, but let me explain. Not the first time this dawned on me but guests this morning pointed it out to me so I felt compelled to write about it. At breakfast we were chatting about the fact that I had watched Julie & Julia again for the 10th time last night and they said, from reading our bios they weren't surprised because we had so much in common. This is true and let me tell you how.

1) Julia didn't cook until she met her husband and was introduced to food. I didn't begin cooking until about 12 years ago, after we got married and I had been introduced to all kinds of ethnic foods by Jeff.

2) Julia was passionate about France and French culture. I have a bachelor's degree in French and lived in Paris for 6 months for the same reason.

3) Julia and Paul never had children, only a cat. Neither do we and of course we have Couscous.

4) Julia would never have been Julia without the support and assistance of Paul. I would never be who I am without the support and assistance of Jeff.

5) Julia travelled all over the world and lived in many different places as have I.

6) Julia was a liberal and a democrat as am I.

7) More than anything, Julia wanted to teach people how to cook and demystify it. She wanted to make it easy for anyone to do what she does by showing them how and having fun with it. My approach to teaching cooking classes as well. It isn't brain science. It's supposed to be fun.

8)More than anything, Julia loved to eat good food, drink good wine and do it with the best of company. DITTO.

9)Julia desperately wanted to get a book published and to become a household name. I'm at that stage right now and hope to do the same, although it's a little different world now.

10) Julia was stubborn and opinionated about things she was passionate about. As am I.

11) Paul was 10 years older than Julia. Jeff is 10 years older than me.

12) Julia was a work horse. I guess I am too.

Obviously I am about a foot and 2 inches shorter than she is and I started my journey approximately 10 years ahead of her, but I identify with the love, the dedication, the passion, the laughter, the relationships and the hard work that exemplified her. Now, if only I could ever achieve even a smidgen of the notoriety she achieved and affect others in even a 100th the way that she did. She is absolutely a role model for what all of us in the culinary world should strive to achieve. I make it my mission every day to make her proud and to live in her light. I will forever place her on a pedestal that she shall never be replaced from for all that she accomplished and the legacy she left on this world.

Happy birthday Julia. I love you.