Today, August 15, 2012, marks the 100th birthday of Julia Child, the iconic American chef who changed the world of gastronomy through her amazing talent and passion for cooking – oh, and not to mention her personality! How Americans eat and cook at home was never the same because of her as she brought the intimidating art of French cooking to the USA. She may have passed away years ago, but her legacy will continue to nourish future food lovers.
For us here in the Philippines, some may say that she hardly had any influence on how we Filipinos eat or cook. We have our own ways of cooking that can be traced back hundreds of years. We have always loved cooking and eating at home, and most of the influences in our culinary world are from the Spaniards (Europeans) and our neighbors here in Asia. However, with our ever-growing curiosity in tasting what the world has to offer, we, in many ways, have been touched by Julia Child.
I’m sure many of the chefs and culinary experts here in the country are very familiar with Julia Child. Her techniques, her recipes and her cooking tips will continue on for generations to come, I’m certain of that. When you slather on mayonnaise on your favorite bread or dish, or when you prepare and eat an omelette (or omelet), in a way, Julia has been a part of making all those possible to do in our very own homes.
How Julia Child Influenced Us
We may be thousands of miles away from France and America where Julia Child has been a household name, but through the internet and all the technology we enjoy now, she has touched our lives too.
MHEL: I have heard about Julia Child in passing, but I never really took the time to get to know her. Having a mother who cooked as a hobby and not as a chore was enough to make me fall in love with food. Not until the movie Julie and Julia was released in 2009 that the younger generation, me included, realized we might not be eating the same food now if it wasn’t for Julia Child. And my interest in all things Julia has grown as I continue to watch and read more about her. She somehow inspired me to gain the courage to cook even though I don’t have the skills yet. One only needs passion, an adventurous palate and an insatiable curiosity. 🙂
KEN: I really had no idea who Julia Child was prior to seeing the movie “Julie & Julia” in 2009. I left the theater that day wanting to know more about Julia, which led to me buying her book, “My Life in France.” I was too busy that time, so I wasn’t able to read it yet. But when I left for Singapore in 2011, I took it with me, still fresh in its plastic wrapper. What transpired between the years 2011 and 2012 is such a long story to tell, but to keep things short, let me just say I’ll be graduating from culinary school come October 21st. 🙂
Her high-pitched voice. Her larger-than-life personality. The towering height of 6’2″. The way she cooked, with her so-called what-the-hell attitude. All these made us wish we got a chance to see Julia Child in person, during her younger years, while she cooked her way to everyone’s heart. Nonetheless, this food blog might not be existing today if we weren’t this passionate about food and cooking too.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
When I learned the story of how this cookbook – Mastering the Art of French Cooking – was conceptualized and made by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle – 10 years in the making – and the fact that it was initially rejected before it was finally published in 1961, I quickly realized that never giving up on your dreams or what you’re trying to accomplish is another lesson Julia has imparted.
She worked hard, testing the recipes repeatedly until she ended up with a satisfying result. She wanted to make sure her recipes and the instructions are all clear and precise, so we may be able to successfully recreate them at our very own kitchens. Another lesson we are gladly taking in as we continue to share recipes here in our blog. We want to make sure our recipes will work in your kitchens too. 🙂
Julia’s Cambridge kitchen that she donated to the Smithsonian Institute and is now displayed at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
JC100 Celebrations
100 food bloggers around the world joined in the celebration of Julia Child’s 100th birthday. We were not able to prepare any of them because Ken was working 6 days a week during his OJT and I was also tied up – excuses Julia will surely call us out for. 😀 However, we have saved all the recipes and we vow to make them to share with you.
Julia’s Ratatouille dish, prepared and presented by The Little Ferraro Kitchen.
If you want to try Julia Child’s recipes straight from her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, you can visit the official Julia Child Facebook page, click on the Recipe of the Week tab and there, you’ll see all the most popular recipes from Julia’s cookbook. Or you can go ahead and buy a copy yourself. 🙂
A new book, Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz (he also wrote the biography for The Beatles), will be available soon, but you can pre-order now. Dearie is a biography of Julia Child where the author affectionately provides us a portrait of one of the most influential and amazing women in our lifetime. It’s an in-depth narrative of Julia’s life before and after she became a celebrity. We can’t wait to read this book too. 🙂
Julia Child’s Most Popular Quotes
If you’re following us on Twitter (@certifiedfoodie), the whole day today, we’ll be tweeting the most popular Julia Child quotes. If you can’t wait any longer, you can see my own collection.
Know More About Julia Child
If you want to know more about Julia, here are some sites that can help:
- The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts – If you click on the red ribbon with the “Happy 100th Birthday Julia” message, you’ll find a slideshow of photos of her from the time she was a baby ’til her later life.
- Julia Child on PBS – From the TV network where her popular TV cooking show The French Chef was aired. Watch videos of Julia, her recipes and cooking tips.
- Julia Child on Wikipedia – This is the most comprehensive fact page about her.
Joyeux Anniversaire, Julia!
And THANK YOU!
Did you see the Google Doodle today? It’s Julia Child!
