Child, Julia

Child, Julia, 1912–2004, American cooking teacher, author, and television personality, b. Pasadena, Calif. as Julia Carolyn McWilliams. She learned French cooking while her husband was in the diplomatic service in France during the late 1940s. In 1961, Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle wrote the now-classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the first practical and comparatively accessible such cookbook for an American audience. Shortly thereafter, she began hosting a series of educational television programs; the best known, The French Chef (1963–76), transformed her into an Emmy-winning public-broadcasting star. Child's comfortable, off-hand manner took the intimidating quality out of preparing French cuisine and helped to change American styles of cooking and eating. Her many other cookbooks include From Julia Child's Kitchen (1975) and The Way to Cook (1989).

Bibliography

See her My Life in France (2006); biography by N. R. Fitch (1997)

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Child, Julia

 orig. Julia McWilliams

(born Aug. 15, 1912 , Pasadena, Calif., U.S.—died Aug. 13, 2004, Santa Barbara) U.S. cooking expert and television personality. She lived in Paris after her marriage in 1945, studying at the Cordon Bleu and with a master chef. After cowriting the best-seller Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961) and moving to Boston, she created the popular PBS cooking series The French Chef (1963–73), and later other cooking shows. Through her programs and books, she helped educate the U.S. public about traditional French cuisine and sparked interest in the culinary arts.

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Child, Julia (b. McWilliams) (1912–  ) chef, author; born in Pasadena, Calif. She trained in Cordon Bleu cooking schools in Paris. Her 2-volume Mastering the Art of French Cooking (coauthored, 1961–70) became a classic, and several popular television series demystified French cooking for Americans and established Child as a celebrity treasured—and often parodied—for her forthright manner and hearty humor. Her other cookbooks include The Way to Cook (1989).