Bon Appetit!

In many ways, Julia Child was a misfit. She was a gargantuan-sized woman with a distinctly unglamorous look and voice who, at age 34 - a veritable old-maid in those days - married a man, not only ten years her senior, but a government man whose politics were in direct opposition to her conservative father's. In an age when domesticity and motherhood reigned, she accepted, though not without some heartache, their inability to conceive and she finally found her passion and fulfillment in the kitchen.

Though Julia and I share a love for exquisite food and wine, her precise and scientific approach fascinates me because it is diametrically opposed to my experimental "Dump & Pour" method! Her desire for absolute reproducible perfection allowed her to develop exact recipes which could be duplicated repeatedly by herself and others.

Julia was infinitely curious, and though she considered herself somewhat unlearned, she never stopped improving her intellect, her language skills (she learned both French and German from living in the cultures), and her ability to understand and converse intelligently with a wide variety of people on a broad range of subjects.

Her tireless dedication to teaching Americans the proper way to prepare authentic French cuisine is more than a little admirable! Even in the face of ridicule, skepticism and discouragement, she was relentless in her pursuit and those efforts eventually resulted in Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her popular cooking show, The French Chef. Both of these projects brought her unexpected fame, which she assimilated with grace and humility.

In order to gain a thorough sense of her charm and appeal, you simply must read her autobiography, My Life in France, and as I've mentioned before, watch Julie & Julia. You'll discover a delightful woman who lived a full and extraordinary life in the midst of very ordinary circumstances.