All About Julia!

 I love Julia Child! 

I remember watching her TV shows on PBS when I was little and she's someone that truly inspires me. Not only for her amazing cookery (as she called it) skills, but also for her positivity, drive, and the way she handled life, in general. 

 Did you know that Julia really didn't start cooking until she was in her mid-thirties?!? And, she didn't become the "Julia Child" we all know and love until she was forty-nine years old (!) and co-wrote the venerable, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Before that she worked for the US government in foreign countries and then "aimlessly" drifted along in life until she and her beloved husband, Paul, moved to Paris and she discovered cooking. 

Sound familiar to anyone? Aimlessly drifting along, hoping for inspiration to strike? Julia proves that there's hope for us all yet! And that's another reason why I love her!
 

I am currently reading an excellent biography that I picked up at the library about Julia Child called, The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act, by Alex Prud'homme. Mr. Prud'homme is Julia's nephew and co-author of her book My Life In France, which was the basis for the Julia portions of the movie, Julie & Julia (one of my faves and quite possibly one of the main inspirations for this blog!)

The French Chef in America (FCIA) picks up where My Life in France left off. It focuses on the time after Julia left France and settled back into American life (as a celebrity) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The FCIA gives background and insight on Julia's various adventures, including her many TV shows and cookbooks, in a personal way that only someone who truly knew her could. It's also a good book to read for a bit and come back to at your leisure and you won't feel lost.

  
The FCIA offers a lot of history, not only into the life of Julia and Paul Child, but also into the various food movements in America and France from the sixties and beyond. This man has done his homework! It's an excellent read for a Julia Child fan or any foodie in general.

I spent most of last summer reading Appetite for Life by Noel Riley Fitch, which was itself a good and very detailed book about Julia's life. I would recommend that book as well.

On a side note, If I ever fulfill my dream of making it onto Jeopardy, I hope there's a category all about Julia Child! I'd sweep it!

Just in case you can't wait to get your hands on The French Chef In America, here is a really cool website I found (The Julia Child Foundation) that is full of details all about Julia!