Julia Child August 15 1912

Cooking with Julia Child

A lot may agree that the kitchen is the best room in a house.  The aromatic smell of food and the warmth that the kitchen emits can be as heady as the heavenly food prepared in it.  This is what Julia Child discovered when her interest was sparked by cooking. 

Julia Child’s Childhood Years:

Julia Child was born on August 15, 1912 in Pasadena, California to parents John and Caro McWilliams.  She was the first-born child and has always been regarded as too energetic and strong-willed for her own good.  An extrovert, she would almost always rush when eating to play with her friends. 

The McWilliams were regarded as wealthy and this meant they have a number of cooks to do the cooking for them.  Young Julia was never really exposed to the kitchen.  Julia was tall for her age and was known for her robust appetite not just for life but for food as well.  She was a joy to cook for and the various cooks always enjoyed preparing special meals for her. The McWilliams were also known for their love of travel and this exposed Julia to a range of fine hotels and restaurants.  This also sparked her love for travel. 

The Grown up Julia:

Julia was considered free-spirited during her childhood and she carried this with her when she grew up.  She graduated in Smith College without a definite plan for her career.  Being naturally intelligent and talented, she had no trouble looking for jobs but none truly captivated her as a person.  She planned on becoming a journalist but later changed her mind and moved to New York to work in a home furnishing firm.  A few years after, she again moved to Washington and sought a job with America’s Secret Intelligence.  She did a lot of traveling and it was during an assignment in India and Sri Lanka that she met Paul Cushing Child, the very person to introduce her to the whole new world of French Cuisine. 

Paul said that he was a gourmet and resides in Paris.  Julia, smitten with Paul stated that she is a gourmet too, though she doesn’t know what it means at the time.  Their relationship flourished and they were finally married.  Julia became a typical housewife itching to learn how to cook.  They transferred to Paris and it was there that she discovered a real love for French Cooking.  She began training under the Cordon Bleu, a renowned cooking school in Paris.  Her keen intelligence and zest for trying out new things made her an instant expert in cooking the French way.  The rest as they say is history. 

She was the first to introduce the method of cooking ahead of time and reheating the food when needed.  She also wrote various cookbooks and published her very first at the age of 49.  She went on to introduce the joy of French Cooking in America when she was invited to pilot the very first cooking show in television.