Last Wednesday, August 15th,
would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday, an event which was
widely reported in the media. In honor of this occasion, I reflected on how
Julia influenced my own life and career. As a child, I religiously watched her
on The French Chef, just like every
other cooking-crazed youth of my generation. As a teenager, I decided I wanted
to go to Smith College pretty much based on my knowledge that Julia was an
alumna. And after
graduation, when I met Julia and her husband Paul at a party,
I asked her where she thought I should go to cooking school. She suggested La
Varenne in Paris, so that’s where I went (when Julia talked, I listened…). I
met Julia a few other times. One year, the magazine I edited (Chocolatier), named her our Hall of Fame
recipient (I mean, really, who could top Julia for this honor?). She came to
the event and made a little speech, and I walked her around a bit, though she
was a little shaky on her feet. A&E was filming, so we both ended up in the
final two minutes of Julia’s biography program. What I loved most about Julia
was her love for life, which
she displayed so fervently through her love of food. She always seemed to be comfortable in her own skin, always ready to laugh, have a little drink and then something wonderful to eat. And when she made a mistake during one of her cooking segments, she didn’t take it too seriously – she understood that one little slip-up did not necessarily spoil the soufflé.
she displayed so fervently through her love of food. She always seemed to be comfortable in her own skin, always ready to laugh, have a little drink and then something wonderful to eat. And when she made a mistake during one of her cooking segments, she didn’t take it too seriously – she understood that one little slip-up did not necessarily spoil the soufflé.
In honor of her birthday, I made a recipe
that came from the TV series Baking With
Julia. It’s a Nectarine Upside-Down Chiffon Cake, a simple recipe that
suited Julia’s taste perfectly. Nothing too over-the-top, just a simple cake
made with deliciously ripe nectarines and a layer of almond streusel. If I had
remembered, I would’ve stuck a few birthday candles in the finished cake. But
then again, I don’t think Julia was so big on gimmicks. For her, it was all
about the food and, of course, the technique.
Thanks for everything, Julia – you’ll always be the best, in my book.
