Uninspired Chef Meryl Streep

2 months ago 08th Sep 13:30

Meryl Streep says playing a chef still hasn't given her the inspiration to cook.

The Oscar-winning actress - who takes on the role of famed chef Julia Child in new movie 'Julie and Julia' - admits she doesn't have the time or energy to improve her culinary skills.

The mother-of-four said: "Cooking for the family is a challenge which I often feel I have not met. I could cook things in quantity, but quality was sometimes missing.

"I wish I could say this film inspired me to cook more at home, but the truth is, I didn't have the energy. I've actually been working quite hard lately - I wrapped my last movie, 'Doubt', just two weeks before we started shooting this, and before that I think I had about 20 seconds after 'Mamma Mia!'."

They said they were making mashed potatoes. I said, ' What do you mean? Mashed potatoes come in a box.' I had never seen a real potato. My mother's motto was, 'If it's not done in 20 minutes it's not dinner.'

Despite her lack of effort in the kitchen, Meryl has a lot of admiration for Julia as she inspired a lot of Americans to cook.

She added: "It's easy to forget what home cooking in America was like before Julia came along. People used to eat canned food all the time. I remember, when I was ten, going to a friend's house up the street. She and her mother were sitting at the table peeling potatoes and I said, 'What are you doing?'

"They said they were making mashed potatoes. I said, ' What do you mean? Mashed potatoes come in a box.' I had never seen a real potato. My mother's motto was, 'If it's not done in 20 minutes it's not dinner.' "