In her new movie, Julie & Julia, Amy Adams takes to the kitchen as Julie Powell, a frustrated government employee whose life changes when she vows to cook and blog about all the recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

When Amy signed on for the role, she was not an experienced chef. But she learned: “I learned how to poach an egg, which sounds easier than it is. How to cut a tomato and an onion properly was a big deal. I made lobster thermidor, hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise, trussed chicken. I also learned to make an omelet without using a spatula.”

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Amy is co-starring in this summer’s biggest foodie blockbuster alongside Meryl Streep…
But first, the Oscar-nominated star spills her biggest food secrets to Bon Appétit:

• When eating out with her cast mates during the filming of the movie, Amy’s favorite food was hamburgers with red onion from Peter Luger in Brooklyn. She admits, “I love raw onions—though they’re not so good for your partner.”
• What she keeps in her fridge – “I have a lot of hot sauce. When everything else is gone from the refrigerator, hot sauce always remains.”
• What Amy does for fun: “One of my favorite things to do is cook and have friends over.” Her favorite recipe to cook at home? Brussels sprouts!
• Her idea of a romantic meal – “Anything that my fiancé [actor Darren Le Gallo] cooks—because he doesn’t cook that often.”

For the rest of Amy’s interview, visit http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/08/amy_adams

To WIN a private screening of Amy’s new movie, Julie & Julia, in your hometown: https://secure.bonappetit.com/magazine/sweeps/giveaways/entry/long/

Then, cook from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (like Amy does in the movie): http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/cookingclub/happy-birthday-julia/index/index_20090616