Julia Child. A name that conjures up visions of fabulous French food, a "we don't fear the kitchen," slap-dash approach to concocting said dishes, World War II spy, Paris and Cambridge, Massachusetts.Please see the video of Julia's life at the bottom of this post!
On August 15, the world celebrates Julia's one hundredth birthday. And what a birthday gift she gave to us all. A universal appreciation not only of French food, but of a way of cooking good things with food that is good for you. Her joie de vivre, of course, is legendary.
And that lovely party feeling continues around Julia in many ways. Let me list a few:
Her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, has led the celebration with "JC100: A 100-Day Celebration of Julia Child," which began in May and will continue until her birthday.
Knopf has compiled a list of the top 100 Child recipes, including her classic French bread, boeuf bourguignon and duck pate, and has been released one recipe per day until Aug. 15. They can be found at JC100 and on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Other JC100 events include bookstores across the country featuring her books and hosting readings and tributes, 100 food bloggers making her recipes and writing about them, and 100 restaurants across the country celebrating Julia Child Restaurant Week from Aug. 7 to 15. (The list of participating restaurants was released July 14.)A slate of books about Child have been released or re-released to coincide with the birthday, including two new children's books: "Bon Appetit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child" by Jessie Hartland ($17.99, hardcover, Random House); and "Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat" by Susanna Reich ($16.95, hardcover, Abrams Books for Young Readers), which tells a charming tale of Child's Paris cat, and how she tries to cook a meal the cat will enjoy more than a mouse.
For adults, "Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child," a new biography by Bob Spitz ($29.95, hardcover, Knopf), is set for release on Aug. 7. Also out is a new edition of 1999's "Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child" by Noel Riley Fitch ($18.95 softcover, Anchor).If you want to see how it all began, PBS is set to release the DVD "The French Chef: Julia Child's French Classics" ($19.99), which features six episodes from Child's original 1960s black-and-white television show.
Child's series debuted in 1963, and introduced American home cooks to French cuisine. Episodes on the 180-minute DVD include her preparing French onion soup, coq au vin, quiche lorraine, chocolate mousse, French crepes and French apple tart.
"Bon Appetit!"
A truly fascinating and inspiring human being. What a lovely tribute to Julia Child. Well done!
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Donna
Thanks for your lovely comment, Donna. I agree that she was an inspiration to so many. What a legacy!
DeleteLove the post. Julia has been a favorite of mine since childhood.Besides my mother, Julia taught me how to cook.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Joann! I learned to cook with her as well. (And, as with you, my mother, too.) I made one of her sauces in honoir of her birthday tonight!
DeleteNancy,
ReplyDeleteMerci beaucoup! Moi j'adore Julia Child.
Yes! of course, I remember my mother using her recipes. Great tribute to a legendary person. Thanks so much for sharing.
Nicole Weaver
Award-winning Author
http://nicole-weaver.com
http://mysisterismybestfriend.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for your lovely French comment. Somehow it is so fitting! Her recipes are amazing, and I use them all the time!
DeleteNancy, I loved hearing about Julia. Thanks for such a creative post. I'm so happy they have written so many books about her, and her cherished cat Minette. I remember her well from when I was young. I always loved her whimsical attitude towards life.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Barbara, and for your support. I, too, loved her attitude, which never seemed to flag.
DeleteHi, Susan,
DeleteI appreciate your comments. Her attitude was, I think, her strongest suit. I loved it, too!
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your overview of Julia Child's birthday celebrations and the video; I spoke about it on Facebook.
Thanks, Barbara,
DeleteI appreciate your support, as always! Glad you liked the post.
I am a huge fan of the movie/memoir Julie & Julia. I think waht Julie Powell did--cooking all those recipes in that tiny NYC apartment was something. And funny, too. :) I also loved in the movie how they showed Julia Child's life and how they were typing those recipes on a typewriter and trying to get their cookbook published--very interesting to me as a writer. Anyway, great post and it's good to see some of these other resources about her, too. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Margo, for your great comments! It was a good film, and they did a good job portraying her admirable life!
DeleteHi Nancy, I love Julia Child and this wonderful tribute! You have such great posts, always very informative. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comments! So glad you enjoy the posts. And I love Julia, too.
ReplyDelete