"Julia inhaled the wonderful aroma of fish
cooked in butter. Then she took a bite of the
sole, experienced ‘a magnificent burst of flavor,’
and closed her eyes. She had never tasted
anything so fresh and delicious. She tried to chew
slowly, to savor every morsel, but the lunch was so
good that she gobbled it down."
Julia Child's grandnephew, Alex Prud'Homme, creates a loving tribute to his 'larger than life' aunt who admitted to 'being born hungry, not a cook.' Her dream was to have grand adventures and be a famous writer. World War II found her working for the US spy agency and living first in Ceylon. Her work was important, but her loneliness was great. That is, until she met Paul Child who worked in the next office.
The two could not have been more different in size, age or demeanor. Their differences were outweighed by their love of food, books and travel. Julia knew nothing about cooking; her first recipe was for shark repellant to protect sailors from shark bites and keep the sharks away from sea mines. After the war, the two returned home and married. Thus began Julia's journey toward learning to cook.
A trip to France included a stop at Paul's favorite restaurant where Julia ate the most delicious meal she had yet tasted. While living there, Paul worked and Julia tasted foods of every kind. She read French cookbooks and tried her hand at many recipes, all falling slightly short of the perfection she was seeking. She had much yet to learn. So, she signed up at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, and worked harder than everyone there. She learned to shop and to cook from her teacher. Then, she passed on what she had learned so well in her own cooking classes, teaching her students to make mistakes without apology, and always have fun!
An author's note includes further information about her life, her teaching, and many other accomplishments. Back matter that follows is titled The Essential Julia, and lists books, TV shows, podcasts, websites, exhibits, and a bibliography. Oh, and a recipe for scrambled eggs.
Digital illustrations are a wonderful accompaniment to the text, with pages depicting the wonderful foods that led to her life of learning and teaching, their travles, and their love for each other.
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