Julia Child, a cultural icon, represented French cuisine in America. She not only introduced great dining to Americans, but also culinary perfection. Her ability to make the tedious work and labor in the kitchen appear straightforward and simple was what gave her novel its power. It’s interesting to note that Child, who worked in the OSS communication division prior to marrying Paul, did not always love to cook. He introduced her to high-end cuisine because he is a food enthusiast with an educated palate. She was so blown away by the culinary thrill that she quickly began studying French cooking, and the rest is, as they say, history. Child decided to introduce French gastronomic delights to Americans after mastering the necessary expertise. She published her first book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” for the same reason, and it received positive reviews from American readers. In terms of content, the book was revolutionary, and it has since become the de facto standard cookbook for the whole culinary world. She published cookbooks in addition to hosting numerous television programs, including “The French Chef.” She became the most watched television chef thanks to her upbeat energy, endearing voice, and encyclopedic knowledge of French cuisine.
Early Childhood & Life
The oldest of the three children was born to John McWilliams, Jr. and Julia Carolyn Weston, Julia Child was born Julia Carolyn McWilliams. Her mother was the heiress of a paper company that her maternal grandfather, Byron Curtis Weston, owned, while her father was a well-known land manager.
Young Child completed her official education at a number of different schools and establishments, including the Westridge School, Katherine Branson School, and Polytechnic School. He excelled in athletics during this time, participating in tennis, golf, and basketball, among others.
She enrolled at Smith College to continue her education, where she earned a degree in English in 1934.
Career of Julia Child
After receiving her academic diploma, she relocated to New York and took a job as a copywriter in the advertisement division of a chic and opulent furniture company, W. & J. Sloane.
Three years later, she moved back to California and started writing for several regional journals. She even worked for several of the companies’ advertising divisions. She worked as a volunteer for the Junior League of Pasadena at this time.
Because of her height, she was unable to join the women’s army corps and instead submitted an application to the Office of Strategic Services. She was initially hired as a typewriter but was soon moved to the role of a top-secret researcher.
She subsequently spent a year working for the OSS’s Emergency Rescue Equipment Section. She was assigned a crucial position in 1944 and sent to Kandy, Ceylon, where she worked on registering and directing highly secret communications for OSS stations around Asia.
After two years, she and her husband, Paul Cushing’s Child, relocated to Washington, D.C. Thanks to his love of upscale dining and good taste, he was the one who first exposed her to excellent cuisine.
Paul received a promotion to display officer status with the United States Information Agency in 1948. The couple moved to Paris as a result of the promotion. Her first supper in Rouen was kind of a culinary revelation.
She quickly enrolled herself at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute and later received instruction from Max Bugnard and other top chefs. She joined the women’s cooking club because she loved to cook, and it was there that she first met Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck.
The trio started working together and founded L’ college des Trois gourmands, their informal school. The group experimented and tested many recipes over the course of the following ten years before turning them into delectable treats for everyone.
She indulged in translating the French to English translations of the recipes. In contrast to others, she included a thorough analysis of the recipes to make them engaging and useful for readers.
The trio wrote their first book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” a tremendously detailed 726-page treatise. The book, which Alfred A. Knopf released in 1961, quickly developed a cult following among readers and won praise from many critics. It became a bestseller because of its detailed illustrations and attention to detail. Additionally, the book opened up gourmet food to everyone.
After the initial publication was a success, she began contributing to other magazines and accepted a position as a columnist for The Boston Globe.
She had the idea for her own television show while watching a book review program in 1962. She started working on the concept right away, and the following year, she made her television debut with the WGBH program “The French Chef.”
The audience loved “The French Chef,” and it quickly rose to the top of the most watched programs. During its roughly ten-year career, it garnered large and noteworthy prizes.
The French Chef Cook Book, which she published in 1971, was essentially a written version of the recipes that had been on her show. She then worked with Simone Beck to produce the second volume of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”
The French Chef was the first television program to be captioned for the hearing impaired the following year, or in 1972.
She wrote “From Julia Child’s Kitchen,” her fourth book. The book was “The French Chef’s” first known color series. Along with unique and simple recipes, it offered a collection of culinary notes made while filming the show.
As a result of the growing popularity, new television series and books were eventually produced, including “Julia Child and Company,” “Julia Child and More Company,” “Dinner at Julia’s,” and others.
She co-founded The American Institute of Wine & Food in 1981 with a number of prominent vintners, including Richard Graff and Robert Mondavi. The organization’s major goal was to increase people’s awareness and comprehension of the value of food and wine.
She published her masterpiece, “The Way to Cook,” in 1989. This was unlike her earlier works in that it was both a book and a series of instructional videos with recipes and cooking advice.
She created four brand-new cooking programs in the ensuing ten years, including “Cooking with Master Chefs,” “In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs,” “Baking with Julia,” and “Julia Child & Jacques Pepin.” Additionally, every one of the presentations was afterward turned into a cookbook with the same name.
He relocated to a retirement community in 2001 and gave Smith College her home and place of employment. She also gave the National Museum of American History her custom-built kitchen. It was designed by her husband Paul.
Recognition & Achievements
She received the Peabody Award for Personal Award for “The French Chef” in 1965.
She won the Emmy Award for Individual Achievements in Educational Television in 1965. She won the 1980 U.S. National Book Awards for Current Interest (hardcover) for Julia Child and More Company in the French category.
For “In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs,” she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show Host in 1996.
She received the prestigious French Legion of Honor in the new millennium. She was chosen as an American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow in the same year.
For “Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home,” she took home the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show Host in 2001. She was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003.
Several universities, including Harvard University, Johnson & Wales University, Smith College, Brown University, and others, awarded her honorary degrees.
Personal Legacy & Life
She first encountered Paul Cushing Child, another OSS employee, while she was working for OSS as a translator of top secret materials between US government officials and intelligence operatives.
On September 1, 1946, the couple exchanged vows in Lumberville, Pennsylvania. They eventually relocated to Washington, DC. The couple didn’t have kids.
After experiencing many strokes in 1989, her husband Paul spent five years in a nursing home until passing away in 1994.
She founded The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and Culinary Arts in 1995 as a private charitable foundation to support her life’s work through grants. The foundation was initially established in Massachusetts before moving to Santa Barbara, California, where it now maintains its main office. Since her passing, the foundation has not operated.
Just two days before her 92nd birthday, on August 13, 2004, she passed away from kidney failure at the retirement home Casa Dorinda in Montecito, California.
The great cook was honored by the United Kingdom by having the absolutely magnificent rose, a golden butter/gold floribunda variety, named in her honor. Today, it is known as the Julia Child Rose.
Estimated net worth
American chef, author, and television personality Julia Child had a $50 million (inflation-adjusted) net worth at the time of her passing in 2004. She is recognized for popularizing French food in America through the publication of her first cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” in 1961. She later authored 16 additional cookbooks as well as the memoir “My Life in France,” which was released after her passing in 2006. In addition to the Emmy-winning “The French Chef” (1963–1973), “In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs” (1995–1996), and “Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home,” Julia has starred in a number of other television programs (1999–2000). Meryl Streep played the role of Child in the Nora Ephron-directed movie “Julie & Julia” from 2009.
Trivia
This well-known American chef is credited for popularizing French cuisine in the country.