The pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite | Julia Child
“She was the first to bring French cuisine into American homes; her show was like watching a combination instructional video, history lesson, and comedy routine rolled into one… My mother’s well-used copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking was the source of many meals growing up, utilizing the haul from our backyard garden. A never-ending parade of various pies, cakes, egg dishes, and stews, all from Julia’s repertoire, made my childhood seem almost decadent now. What was once the definitive French instructional, is now the framework for most of what we call ‘American Cuisine’. Yes, the ingredients are not quite the same with our regional variations, but when stripped down to individual techniques, this book provided the HOW and WHY of cooking… If you master each individual technique, complex dishes become a series of simple techniques done correctly, in the right order. Building these skills will give you the ability to be creative, riff on recipes, and pull off making a delicious meal from what seems to be nothing. And this is the key to becoming a good chef.” Townsend Wentz
“Most of what Child did wasn’t so much about changing the language of French food, but rather, translating it for Americans. Julia Child was responsible for taking the things that were most complicated and putting them into a language that was available for everyone,” says Woolsey. “Before her, within the context of French culture, everything was a given — the manner of cooking was just how it was done in France, and not for Americans. Julia Child was good at taking all those little French things and revealing how they worked to Americans.” Peter Woolsey
