Bon Appetit!
by habituallychic
07 . 06 . 09
A very sweet article about Julia Child in the new August issue of Vanity Fair inspired me to reread her wonderful book, My Life in France, which she wrote with her grand-nephew Alex Prud’homme. The book is really a love story…the love of her husband, food, cooking and France! It’s also very inspiring. I mentioned before that Julia Child didn’t even start cooking until she was 37 and her first book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which she co-authored was published in 1961 when she was 49 years old and her television show, The French Chef, debuted on PBS the following year. She also inspired author Julie Powell to start cooking which she chronicled in her blog that later became a book and movie staring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams which will be released August 7th. I don’t think I’ll be mastering any French cooking any time soon but I can’t wait to pick up some of her cookbooks next and see the film. Julia Child always reminds me that it’s never too late to start something new! Bon Appetit!
25 Comments
OH how true, it is never to late to start something new, and your post has reminded me of that, THANK YOU for the inspiration. You have a great week….Donna
For some reason her work as a secret service agent was not allowed in the book. I watched her cooking show religiously even when I was very young. What a fascinating woman!
my bff and i are counting down to that movie. i cannot WAIT to see it! but, i must read these books!!
I cannot wait to read her book! I met Julia Child in Boston and was overwhelmed by her presence! being french, recently married, i could not even boil an egg and survived on campus food and take out. I ran to the bookstore to purchase her cook book in hope to be able to feed my husband and myself…..after a few attempts, i quickly donated the book to my husband who has taken the role of family chef for all these years…i still have the original cookbook! thank you for inspiring me to read her book, it brings fond memories..
Thank you so much for this post! I often have to remind myself that it’s OK that I’m 33, and still haven’t found my “dream calling.” Julia is an inspiration in more ways than one!
Have a great one!
Thanks for a another great post – I think I come here to dream mostly and this sort of thing is a reminder that you can never dream too big, but you do always just have to start small and go from there.
I also really like her awesome tool board in the back ground of the kitchen. Where I grew up, (a very Italian area of Ontario) most people have an upstairs kitchen and a basement kitchen which is really the place where the cooking happens. The upstairs kitchen is just for show. I would totally put a tool board like that in my basement kitchen if I had one!
I can’t wait to see this movie!
She is such an inspiration! And her book, My Life In France, is so interesting and entertaining.
I can’t wait for the movie.
My mother had read this book and just raved! She really was such an inspiration to the cooking world and I look forward to reading about her amazing life.
What a lady! And that voice—fearless and dauntless–completely fits in with the secret service part of her life that has yet been spoken about.
I need to read that book, Heather. I grew up watching her show on PBS and she instilled in me a love for cooking. My highlight of a visit to the Smithsonian was seeing her kitchen in the flesh. Remarkable lady.
I had no idea she didn’t start cooking till 37!
My Life in France is one of my favorite books! Can’t wait to read the VF article!
I am so looking forward to that movie. Julia was my cousin by marriage (My aunt married her father)!
She lived in Santa barbara after she moved from Cambridge.(she summered in Santa Barbara for years)
Everytime we would see each other; she would enthusiatically shout in that inimitable voice HELLOUUU COUSIN!!! She was an absolute delight!!!
OH! And did everyone know she donated her whole kitchen in Cambridge including that board to I forget what college! You can visit it!!
I first got interested in Julia Child after I read the book Julie & Julia. It was a good read and now I’d like to take on the book actually written by Julia Child! Nice post.
Julia’s book truly lovely, Julie’s awful. She was amazing
I think this is exactly what I needed to hear today. Thanks for getting the wheels turning HC!
I use to watch Julia on PBS as a kid. I am looking forward to the movie. I’m sure Meryl will do a wonderful job.
Her kitchen was donated to the Smithsonian in Washington DC.
As a young bride I grew up with Julia’s books. When I tried to make her French bread where you put ice cubes on the bottom of the oven to help steam the bread and create a firmer crust, she left out the part: Caution. This may make the floor of your oven buckle! She did, however, warn people not to use that newfangled microwave oven to dry out a wet newspaper (hers caught on fire.) I am so glad she got to feel the love from the many people she helped inspire.
love your blog! just started reading julie & julia a week ago and it’s great so far. such detail in the food. i’m not the greatest cook, but the detail and food descriptions are great. inspiring definitely.
that is a wonderful sentiment…it really never is too late to live the life you want!
xox
http://www.froufroufashionista.blogspot.com
too funny! I just saw this post and we must be on the same wave length … I also just started reading My Life in France and did a little blog posting about it. I can not put this book down – I have fallen in love with Julia!!
Heather – I had to get on a waiting list for this book! All of a sudden everyone is reading it!
In the meanwhile, the librarian suggested “Tender at the Bone” by Ruth Reichl, which was also a good read.
Finally going to get my copy of Julia’s book tonight!