More Julia

I finished reading Julia Child's My Life in France which chronicles her years in Paris and Marseille. The arduous process of writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking started in France, but continued throughout Child's time in Europe, Washington, D.C., and finally Cambridge, MA.

Published in 1961, the impact of Mastering cannot be overstated. Child and her co-authors introduced classic French cuisine to casual American cooks. They researched recipes and tested them sometimes an inordinate number of times to ensure that the recipes were foolproof. Child was asked by her co-authors to help with their idea of French cookbook for an American audience. Shortly, Child was the leader of the project. She and her husband took photos from the chef's point of view for the book's sketches, something that had not been done before. She tracked down certain sauce recipes that no one had formally recorded. When her editor said that authentic French bread should be included in the cookbook, Child apprenticed with a bakery in France and made hundreds of loaves until she perfected the process and translated it for an American audience. So many different factors had to be addressed: the flour was different in the States, weather plays a part in the rising of the dough. Also, some ingredients in the original French recipes weren't readily available in the U.S. so Child had to find reasonable substitutions or change the recipe.

James Beard, considered the "dean of American cooking" told Julia how much he admired her efforts. "I only wish I'd thought of it first." The restaurant industry celebrates the James Beard Foundation Awards annually, sort of like the Oscars for food.

Child's passion for her topic comes through on every page, even as she complains about the mind numbing repetition of testing recipes or her impatience with her co-authors.

Next up on my reading list is Child's biography by Noel Riley Fitch, appropriately entitled Appetite for Life.