My Life in France, by Julia Child
Julia Child's name may ring a bell for many, but the fascinating journey that led her to become one of America's most beloved cultural icons over the last half-century is a tale worth savoring. In her captivating memoir My Life in France, Child serves up a delicious slice of her life that began in 1948 when she moved to Paris with her husband Paul.
At 36, Child arrived in France speaking no French and knowing little about cooking beyond heating up canned food. Yet, she soon found herself head over heels for French cuisine, determined to master the art of cooking. From struggling to communicate with local butchers to burning her first meal for her husband, Child's adventures are both hilarious and inspiring.
The book takes us through her transformation from a cooking novice to a culinary expert. We follow her as she plucks up the courage to enroll at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu, where she was initially the only woman in a class full of GIs. Child shares vivid memories of haggling with fishmongers at bustling Parisian markets and the thrill of mastering her first perfect duck press.
My Life in France isn't just about food – it's a love letter to French culture, a testament to pursuing passion at any age, and a heartwarming account of Child's deep bond with her husband Paul. Their shared adventures, from road trips through the French countryside to hosting elaborate dinner parties in their tiny kitchen, paint a picture of a life richly lived.
This memoir lays the groundwork for understanding how Child went on to co-author Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 1961, a groundbreaking cookbook that brought French cuisine into American homes. It's the story of how a tall, outspoken woman from Pasadena became the Julia Child we know – the exuberant, fearless chef who taught America to love cooking and, more importantly, to have fun while doing it.
“The sweetness and generosity and politeness and gentleness and humanity of the French had shown me how lovely life can be if one takes time to be friendly.”
Interesting Facts & Links:
Julia Child was an American chef, author and television personality known for French cooking and a television personality, most notably with The French Chef, which premiered in 1963. She has published a number of cookbooks, starting in 1961 with the 726 page Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Child was a popular and important part of American culture, and a winner of many awards including multiple Emmys and a Peabody Award, among others.
In 2009, Nora Ephron wrote and directed a film called Julie and Julia, a story comparing the life of chef Julia Child in her early years with the life of Julie Powell, a New York culinary blogger who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Child's cookbook.
My Life in France is a classic in travel writing and one of our recommendations on the best travel books. Discover all of our top picks by clicking through to our full list of the absolute best in travel writing.
Boeuf Bourguignon | The French Chef Season 1 | Julia Child
Julia Child makes her famous French beef stew in red wine with mushrooms and onions, demonstrating how to brown meat, how to braise meat, how to make a good brown sauce, how to braise onions and how to cut and saute mushrooms. This recipe and the skills taught relate to all stews and Coq au Vin.