Happy Birthday, Julia Child!

Today would have been the 100th birthday of an American icon, Julia Child, who taught millions of Americans to cook fine French food.  She was spirited, independent, funny, and a trailblazer in the realm of cooking shows. Her tv show on PBS "The French Chef" was a huge hit in the days before anyone had ever heard of a cooking show, long before the Food Network and it's celebrity chefs were a phenomenon.

I am currently reading the new biography of Julia, "Dearie" by Bob Spitz. It's a fascinating look into the life of our late, great, godmother of cooking. She was warm, witty, headstrong, and she taught millions of Americans how to cook.

There was so much more to Julia Child than just cooking, however (she did not start becoming famous for that until she was in her '50s): she was a Smith graduate, an OSS member during WWII, and an outspoken liberal that had been raised in a very conservative, rich, republican family. (In her great old age, she despised George W. Bush and his policies and made no secret of it). Then there is the wonderful love story between her and her husband, Paul Child. They married relatively late in life (she was in her thirties, he was ten years her senior) and by all accounts they had a loving, lusty, long marriage and lots of adventures together as the best of friends.


Happy 100th birthday, dearie. And bon appetit!!

Julia Child on the set of her PBS show