“The big job now rests on your shoulders.” – book editor to Julia Child

Hello again, everyone! I know it’s been awhile, and in this episode I’ll discuss the reason for my long absence. Thank you to everyone who reached out with questions, concerns and care over the past few months. It’s meant so much to know that you were all waiting for the next episodes! Today, we’ll pick up where we left off: the aimless, ambitious newlywed Julia Child has just arrived in France and eaten a life-changing meal. The question is, what’s next?

Episode 40: “Julia Child, Part 2”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

Cooking with Julia

If you’ve never done so before, please take some time to watch an episode of The French Chef or read a bit Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She’s a wonder to behold: so funny, so friendly, so approachable. She makes an omelet seem like the easiest thing in the world, and if you should drop your omelet while trying to flip it, no big deal! Julia dropped hers too – on live television!

 

I belong to this online cookbook club which selects a different book to cook from each month. This January it was Mastering and I was so excited to have an excuse to pick up a copy – but be warned, it’s definitely a New Years Resolution killer. Mastering isn’t so much a book about how to cook every kind of French food there is, it’s more about helping clumsy American home cooks figure out the techniques behind French food. For example, I tried out her recipe for Sûpremes de volaille d’archiduc, that is, chicken breasts poached in butter with onions and paprika. It was HEAVENLY and more important, it taught me the technique for poaching chicken in butter which is my new favorite way to cook chicken perfectly, every single time.

So while you’re listening to this miniseries, please make sure to follow along at home by making at least a few of her recipes. Until next episode, au revoir – and bon appetit!

Sources:

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child – Bob Spitz

My Life in France – Julia Child

The United States of Arugula: The Sun Dried, Cold Pressed, Dark Roasted, Extra Virgin Story of the American Food Revolution – David Kamp

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 – Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck

As always, the inimitable The Food Timeline

Russ Parsons, “The name is Child, Julia Child”. The Los Angeles Times. August 15, 2008.