Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Happy Birthday, Julia!


My dear Julia, you would have turned 100 today!

Most of my inspirational women have been ladies of the Faith.  But you were my lady of the Kitchen!

How I remember as a teenager and as a young bride, tuning in to PBS and watching you make cooking a form of Art on The French Chef.  I was smitten with your first baked chicken and chocolate mousse.

You taught me it was okay to brush off the food I dropped and to smoosh the cake into the pan if it fell apart.

You showed me it was okay to laugh at my mistakes and that sometimes they can be turned into wonderful dishes!  Kinda' like life.

The chef teaching our cooking class at Colonial Williamsburg

You sparked a love of learning all about cooking and baking which has lasted a lifetime.


You taught me good kitchen equipment is essential but simple food can be the best.


You reminded women of my generation that it was okay to love our kitchens despite what feminists were teaching at the time.


That tying on an apron and standing in front of the stove was still the place to create good stuff for our friends and families.


Here's to you, Julia... on this day which would have been your Century mark.

So... I will do a little cooking and stirring and baking and tasting and lift a glass in your honor... as thousands and thousands will do today as we honor your birthday.

9 comments:

matty said...

What better way to celebrate than lifting a cuppa with a lovely scone and cream aside and cheering, "Bon appetite!" my friend! Have a wonderful day!

mdoe37 said...

Happy Birthday indeed!!! My first cookbook was Julia Child & Company. I still have it 34 years later.

I finally got up the nerve the other day and did the purple towel trick. (Mine aren't purple.) I was making tuna sandwiches and the tuna did not drain well. Popped it into the corner of the towel and gave it a twist.

I occasionally watch her on my Roku.

Terri said...

When I first discovered her on PBS.. I wasn't really a "fan" so to speak of cooking....... but I soooo loved her voice!! Still do ... when I see a re-run!!! Have a blessed day... and Happy "100th" to Julia!!!!!

Vee said...

She really was a hoot! I love all the "extra" things you have learned through careful observation. I adore the show where she dropped the chicken and simply popped him back into the pan. "He's going into the oven anyway..." she chirped. Ha! Oh dear. And I was always a little concerned that she'd been having a little too much of whatever was in her glass. Double ha!

Sweet tribute, and, since it's a rainy little bit coolish day today, I'm baking blueberry muffins in a skillet.

Cheryl (Copperswife) said...

How I used to love watching her show! I enjoyed her then, but I didn't come to really love and appreciate her until reading her memoirs in My Life in France. What a life! What a woman!

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

She was such an inspiration! My mother used to watch her from the very beginning. And I still see her shows on Saturday mornings on PBS. She was so authentic and so talented and so much fun!

Bernideen said...

This is a great tribute!

Instagram.com/melissasnotes said...

Have you seen the PBS "Remix" that they did of Julia that now shows on Youtube.com? Pretty cool! By the way, love the way your special room is looking.

Anonymous said...

I always wished I had known Julia personally...and though my youngest is named Julie, it is not after Julia, though that would certainly have been ok.
Elizabeth in NC