The Homer Theatre was the perfect place to be on a recent rainy night with a big tub of popcorAn, a chocolate bar and calorie-canceling diet soda between two of us cooking devotees.

I had been so looking forward to this movie coming to town and really hoped it would be an enjoyable way to spend some time on a dismal Tuesday night. It did not disappoint. Anything with Meryl Streep is going to be good, and she gave a very convincing performance as Julia Child. Stanley Tucci was a perfect Paul Child as her hubby. The adoring and cute-as-a-bug Amy Adams was Julie Powell, working her way through Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Wow, what a feat of culinary prowess, and one I am not interested in taking on, but only for fear of gaining 30 pounds. All that butter and cream, oooh, lah-lah.

I want to run out right now and buy the cookbook just to read through and keep forever in my cookbook library until I deem some close cheffie friend worthy of leaving it to. Maybe I will take it with me to the grave so I have something to read in my afterlife. Maybe God will need a lot of chefs in heaven. I've also come to the conclusion I need to resume my culinary travel adventures after seeing this movie. Europe would be a fine place to resume them in; France comes to mind. I absolutely need more adventures for material for my readers, so be sure to tell the Other Fisherman when you see him.

For the time being though, I am going to have to share my culinary adventures with you from the wonderful kitchen in my home, as I don't have any travel plans in the foreseeable future. And I do love to be in my kitchen. The movie ends with Julia in her own kitchen stirring something on the stovetop.

Fall is my favorite time of the year. My kitchen beckons me to come inside and play in front of its big beautiful gas cook top with six burners and make a big pot of soup or a savory stew, stand in front of its double oven and fill it with spicy, comforting cookies and perfectly risen loaves of bread. Open the doors on the big stainless steel fridge and dig within its depths to find butter, sour cream, carrots, eggs, creamy cheeses and crisp tart apples.

The island counter invites company and easily welcomes more than one chef. On it sits the cookbook of the moment and all the bowls and ingredients needed to whip up a delectable dish. The lighting is perfect to see the words on that cookbook and watch the progress on the cooktop. I love being in this kitchen at this time of the year and can't cook or bake enough or have enough dinner parties. This is the time of year I when I can turn a good share of my free time over to my passion for cooking.

In the evenings, when the rain is hitting the windows and the wind is howling and blowing the last gold leaves off the cottonwoods, you can find me sitting in the big green chair reading my latest food magazines with Willie the black lab. I am on the hunt for the ultimate recipes, and can imagine being in far-away places going from sidewalk caf to five-star restaurants, until I find something that tempts me beyond just reading. Something so enticing that I have to actually go through the motions of shopping and cooking to make it come alive.

I am lured by the seasonal foods of fall: apples, pears, squash, honey, artisan cheeses, warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, big fruity red wine.

Fall may have landed fiercely on our doorstep, so spend a little time in your kitchen making something warm and satisfying to chase it away for a little while. It's good for the soul, and we can all use a little comforting.

When "Julie and Julia" comes out in DVD, get some of your favorite foodie friends together to enjoy dinner and wine and have your own culinary adventure right here in Alaska.

Gateau aux Noix, or French-Style Walnut Cake

Adapted from Saveur Cooks Authentic French

cup chopped walnuts, or a touch more

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

13 cup walnut oil

13 cup dry white wine

112 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

18 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Place walnuts in a small dry saucepan and toast over medium heat, shaking pan, until nuts are fragrant, 5-10 minutes. Set aside.

Beat eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Gradually add sugar and beat until mixture is pale yellow, light and fluffy. Add walnut oil and wine and mix well.

Generously grease a 9-inch cake pan (I used an 8-inch with no problem; your cake will just be a bit thicker). Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Gently fold in walnuts, and then pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake until a toothpick can be inserted and pulled out clean, about 40 minutes (mine took only 35, however, and required a bit of tenting with foil for the last five). Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely and serve in wedges. Loosely whipped cream would be a nice accompaniment, if possible.

Until next time, bon appetit!