It’s official: Julia Child is a best-selling author—again. Thanks to “Julie & Julia” and an audience willing to embrace a little butterfat, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” is the #1 cookbook in the nation.

People wandering out of the movie, many smiling ear-to-ear, are looking for roast duck, pate and good wine. And, of course, boeuf bourguignon.

Is it just the movie that’s turning us into Francophiles or simple exhaustion with constant worry about what to eat? In fact with all the concerns about fat in our diet, we’re on an obesity binge in this country. So a little cream can’t hurt. Really.

But . . . French food? Isn’t that hard work? Didn’t Julie in the movie melt down over aspic? In fact recipes with French names were banned at one Time Inc. women’s magazine because people thought they would be too complicated and not ‘real simple’.

Fear not: This recipe has been time-tested by a New York chef, Stuart Shultz of Perfect Pear Caterers. All the ingredients should be available at your local farm stand or bodega.  So jump in—and consider pairing it with some duck, beef or lamb.

Potato, Leek and Fennel Gratin

Smoked Duck

Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Grass-fed Top Round Beef