In France with Julia's collaborator

After watching "Julie & Julia," and becoming enchanted with Julia Child's collaborator, Simone (Simca) Beck, it was a delight to open the Nov. 8, 1972, edition of Taste and discover a story on the French cookbook author.

While vacationing in France, Taste staff writer Judith Bell dropped in on Mrs. Beck in her 300-year-old Provence home to discuss the author's upcoming U.S. visit -- which included a cooking demonstration at Southdale -- promoting her latest cookbook, "Simca's Cuisine."

"For lunch I expected something simple," wrote Bell. "I should have known better."

For their two-hour luncheon, Beck prepared several dishes from the cookbook. In hindsight, Bell wished she would have "had the forethought, courage and American audacity to have asked to come early" to observe Beck cooking. "C'est la vie," Bell wrote. She did, however, appreciate the simplicity of Beck's kitchen, "Proving you don't need a fortune to be able to cook well," Bell wrote.

The most revealing moment: When Beck discussed her improvisational and experimental side. For her, recipes were not set in stone. "I want to show how you can change things, that recipes needn't be static, that they can be changed to suit your fancy," Beck said.

Bell revealed that Beck's nickname was bestowed upon her by her husband. Perhaps in an equal show of affection, Beck shared that she prepared a different chocolate dessert for her husband every day. "[She] meets this challenge, but says even she is hard-pressed to devise a never-ending and interesting supply of recipes," wrote Bell. "But, that's her way of meeting a challenge -- deliciously."