Julia Child

Guide Note

Julia Child was a chef, author of numerous cookbooks and founder of the American Institute of Wine and Food. After her early education and service during World War II, she met and married her husband and they eventually moved to France. The food experiences she had there ignited Child's interest in all things culinary, and she began studying French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu school of cooking. She parlayed her passion into her first book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking which launched her long career as one of America's most beloved chefs. She brought her technique and personality to a wider audience with her television show The French Chef, which began airing on public television in 1963 and ran for ten years.

Fast Facts

1. Birthname: Julia Carolyn McWilliams
2. Born: August 15, 1912
3. Birthplace: Pasadena, California
4. Height: 6 feet 2 inches
5. Played basketball at Smith College
6. Worked for the OSS during World War II
7. Married Paul Child on September 1, 1946
8. The French Chef won the first Emmy for an educational program
9. Died: August 13, 2004 at age 91
10. Meryl Streep plays Child in the film adaptation of Julie Powell's memoir Julie and Julia
11. Her kitchen is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

1. Mastering the Art of French Cooking
2. The Way to Cook
3. The French Chef Cookbook
4. Baking With Julia
5. From Julia's Kitchen
6. Julia's Delicious Little Dinners
7. In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs
8. Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
9. Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking