 Today would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday, and Eatocracy is celebrating her legacy. Here are some lesser-known facts about the beloved TV chef and cookbook author. - At 6 feet, 2 inches tall, Julia was no stranger to standing out. But her height wasn’t always welcomed. Child moved from California to Washington D.C. at the start of World War II to join the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). She’d previously been rejected for active duty by the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service and the Women’s Army Corps. The OSS eventually became the CIA. - Her maiden name is McWilliams. - Julia had high hopes of distinguishing herself in college basketball, but the administration of Smith College, her alma mater, changed the game rules (they did away with the jump ball) to ensure she didn't receive an unfair advantage due to her height. "I was not good at the rest of the game," said Child in her only authorized biography, "Appetite for Life" by Noel Riley Fitch. - While with the OSS, she also worked with the Emergency Sea Rescue Equipment Section and even helped develop shark repellent that was crucial during WWII. Underwater bombs that were meant for German U-boats would attract curious sharks that would sometimes cause premature explosions when they bumped into them. - With the OSS, Julia was stationed in Sri Lanka and China. While she was stationed overseas she met Paul Child, also an OSS officer. He is credited with teaching her to appreciate French cuisine. - 573 pounds of butter were used on her show “Baking with Julia.” - Julia wrote short stories in college and advertising copy for a furniture company after graduation. - Child once attributed her longevity to "red meat and gin." She died two days shy of her 92nd birthday. - Child was the first woman inducted into the Culinary Institute of America’s Hall of Fame. The CNN Library also contributed to this report. |
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Reblogged this on The World Outside of Yourself and commented:
Julia Child...CIA Agent and cook extraordinaire!
Great thing about her (and Jacques Pepin) is that she wasn't a blowhard egotist like all the TV "chefs" now.
she looks like someone i saw on a stag movie
She also couldn't cook worth a dam when she started out.
Nobody can cook worth a damn when they start out. :)
I am guessing you couldn't either..and maybe not even now.
I had the pleasure of meeting Julia in August 1943 when she was teaching a possum cooking class. It was one of those moments Jethro and I will never forget.
"- Julia was a research assistant in the Secret Intelligence division of the OSS. While she never spent time in the field, she did have a high security clearance that allowed her to handle top secret documents." That is not a lesser known fact ... that is pretty widely known. Just sayin ...
Batman says thanks for the shark repellent, Julia.
I had the pleasure of hearing her speak in person back around 2001 in Pasadena, CA which happens to be her birthplace. A lesser known fact about her that the article omitted. She was a delight!
Julia Child's cooking show inspired me when I was a teen. I am a seriously good cook now. Happy Birthday Julia!
Well, I'm vegetarian but I try my best to not push my beliefs on others. Julia was an extremely interesting and talented person who lived an exraordinary life. I laughed out loud when she attributed her long life to "red meat and gin." You don't win converts to vegetarianism with insults.
As a vegan personal chef I also do not try to impose my views on others. If it were not for Mrs. Child I probably would not have become a chef. I will always be grateful to her for her contributions to America's culinary growth.
Happy Birthday Julia you are missed but not forgotten.
Had you skipped your first and last sentences, I might have believed the first.
I remember a guest spot she did on Mr. Rogers neighborhood. Spaghetti Marco Polo.
I miss them both.
I miss them both too. They were both among the finest people who made this world better. We should each aspire to do as well.
See, that's what happens when you watch PBS.
They forgot the other little known fact that Julia was intersex aka hermaphrodite. She had Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, so technically she wasn't even a woman. The media should be more open that intersex people exist and are actually quite common as it would raise the acceptance level.
Where on earth did you get such a crazy idea? Stick to living on Planet Earth or something, okay?
How many non-human animals has she been responsible for torturing and killing?
Her death should have been as painful as those she caused to suffer.
Lighten up. She was a fine woman.
Poor you!
Maybe...but I'm certain they were all tasty deaths. ;-)
I too am appalled. I'm appalled that I never got to taste any animals that she cooked.
Yes, that's why sharks are going to hell too, because they eat other animals. Only veggie sharks make it to heaven.
You do realize that until we come up with a completely synthetic diet, something has to die so something else can live. We may have social rules, but we're still biological. We take things in, utilize them, and excrete the waste.
Not to mention the suffering of all the non-human celery, parsley, tomatoes and onions. Perhaps these "non-human" life forms are not worthy of your concern because they do not possess a central nervous system. Shallow are thou.
Vegetarians are depriving other herbivores of their food. How many animals died a slow and painful death of starvation just so some hippy can eat a veggieburger?
You obviously do not realize how ignorant your post is. It takes 10 pounds of vegetable protein to make one pound of meat.
And if you're not 100% pro-life without exception, how many abortions are you responsible for through birth control, contributing to Planned Parenthood and other companies that provide contraceptives and abortion? As much as I love my cats, God put animals on earth for the benefit of man-not the other way around.
An article about Julia Child reminds you to let us know you are pro-life?
Oh, please, spare us the fanatical sermon and self righteousnous of ignorance and a narrow minded view of the world.
Iroy is right!
YOU are a fruitcake.
You are Not Very Nice.
You need a Big Mac, STAT, to improve your disposition in life. The most unhealthy people I have met in life are vegetarians. Looking all sallow and sad and sickly...we have incisors for a reason...
I have all of her cookbooks, but the 127-page Julia's Kitchen Wisdom is my favorite. These are the recipes and simple techniques that allow anyone to prepare delicious food - quickly and with assurance. She was a genius in the kitchen.
Is there anything more satisfying and nourishing than a wonderfully and thoughtfully cooked meal? One of the secrets to a loving relationship is cooking together. If you're having "troubles" with your personal relationships (spouse, friend, child), look up one of Julia's wonderful receipes for a delicious meal and then gather your family and/or friends in the kitchen and cook that meal together. Do this at least once a week – like therapy. Try to do it 3-4 times a week if you can - afterall, you gotta eat! And see what happens...... good, delicious food, made together and enjoyed together. Ahhh, bliss. :)
This is so true. My husband and I have been cooking together now for 36 years.
I always cook with Honey
Wonderful suggestion!!
Thank's to Julia Child my wife is a gourmet chef.
Ah, precious, wonderful, endlessly forgiving Julia! Well, forgiving of a young teenager's efforts to learn to cook, anyway! Never enter the kitchen without the conviction that you will create something WONDERFUL to eat, and without a nice glass of wine in one hand..... How I treasure the memories! Dear Paul and his twin brother would be holding forth with the non-cooking guests, while those of us willing to be ardent students (or at least guinea pigs for the latest 'how to' TV segment) were glued to the kitchen. I'll never forget Freddie Child (twin brother Charlie's wife) phoning everyone she could think of, saying 'Julia and Paul are here, and Julia is COOKING!! Come help us eat all of this stuff!'...
From one Canadian's point of view (I watch Seattle and Detroit PBS), there's the CBC (Canadian), BBC (British) and PBS (American, in a class of one). Many Canadian's feel the same, which is why we donate to PBS so much – borders don't matter when it comes to quality. I understand the polarized, paralyzed, intimidated, politicking threatening PBS, but America, you really need your PBS. If Romney cancels the funding, Canada will keep supporting PBS.
I've played this all morning, can't stop smiling, sent it to everyone, & donated. Bless her heart. I miss her.
And she was a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood when "taking a stand" was a very unpopular thing for a TV personality to do. She was really one of the very early feminists.
Willard Romney and Paul (Eddie Munster) Ryan are a joke.
TAHA. That ticket is doomed. I have a feeling it's more of a grooming for a Paul Ryan 2016 run.
Aw- but they make such a nice couple- they both have nice hair, don't they?
Romney and Obama would both lose to Julia Child.
You know he's going for the bassett vote with that expression
woohoo julia
Now that's a pic I could fap to.
"First you take a chicken..." Thanks SNL for introducing so many to this national treasure [that we PBS nerds had long loved] in a totally appropriate- for her- way.
At least J. Pepin STILL gives her props. He and Bastianich, Batali, and Mary Ann Esposito continue the quest to keep traditional cooking alive.
'save the blood'
Role model–exactly! She was in inspiration to my wife since my wife was a little girl–in and out of the kitchen. One of the highlights of our marriage was when my wife met Julia at a book signing in Chicago and the two shook hands while I snapped a photo! And I eat very well at home, thank you!
Send me you wife. I will pay the shipping and processing fees from your house to my house in south central Texas.
Julia Child on religion:
"I hate organized religion. I think you have to love thy neighbor as thyself. I think you have to pick your own God and be true to him. I always say 'him' rather than 'her.' Maybe it's because of my generation, but I don't like the idea of a female God. I see God as a benevolent male."
We all love and remember her and yet none of us have her special knife, frying pan set, bottle of special spice or jar of salad dressing. She didn' endorce anything. I only wish I could have met her!
So proud to be beginning my junior year at Smith College where Julia Child once studied in just a couple more weeks!
Too bad Smith College probably isn't proud of your misplaced modifier.
Joey – Is there no one who is proud of you? Is that why you lash out at others on the Internet. Does it give you a small sense of power in your otherwise impotent life?
Don't make me lash out at *you*, friend.
Also, YOU FORGOT A QUESTION MARK AFTER "internet". YOU BURN.
Today "would have been" Julia Child's birthday is incorrect. Today IS Julia Child's 100th birthday. Sadly she is not here to celebrate it with all of us.
We should cook something in her honor. :)
I'll drink some gin in her honor
George, if you are going to correct try not to be “incorrect” yourself.
Today is NOT her 100th birthday. You only get ONE. Today is the
Anniversary of that day.
The motto in my kitchen is a Julia Child quotation: The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.
she looks like a guy i saw in a xx movie
You should learn to respect greater people than yourself
You're an idiot!
look up her younger pics. Camilla Bowes was a hottie in the day too! get ready if you plan on aging. there are pics of her in France so she was actually pretty active. but so tall she was burned early?
Had breakfast with her once. We talked about our mutual love of Wisconsin cheese.
PBS did a great remix tribute for Julia's birthday!! so good!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80ZrUI7RNfI
bon appetit
Julia Child is a giant in the US culinary arts. Any chef today working in a kitchen big or small or on TV must pay homage to this brave and interesting woman. God bless her memory and legacy.
I agree. She was a giant.
an awesome giant
"Being tall is an advantage, especially in business. People will always remember you. And if you're in a crowd, you'll always have some clean air to breathe." ~Julia Child
zingo
She must have had many a laugh over the claims she was a spy with the OSS – apparently some forget that even spies need clerical help (l0l)...
I remember seeing her PBS shows as far back as 1971 – she actually taught people how to cook, as opposed to many cooking shows on air today...
Exactly correct. She was more concerned that you learn than that she looked good or that the sponsor's product was featured.
one of the great things about her she was not like the clown chiefs of today ! She was not Pretentious (like the jerk judges on Chopped) !!! Nor arrogant or foul mouthed ( like git Gordon) ! She just showed how even us ordinary mortals could cook a good meal! It was always a fun show and she never hid her screw ups. A Great Lady!
Many cooking shows including The French Chef is for those who cook at home. If you REALLY want to cook, you watch a cooking show (Hell's Kitchen nonwithstanding), in a professional kitchen, THEN adapt for home use. This way you get the basics on how the pros do it.
An amazingly charismatic individual that I enjoyed watching as a kid and as an adult.
She was great. I watched her on tv as a kid. I learned how to cook by watching my mom and my aunts cook, and even people like Julia.
I particulary liked the cream cheese filled buttered noodle balls. Served right out of the oven, those balls would melt in your mouth.
Yes, I remember the time she snorted. In fact I believe she snorted numerous times. Also it may be a known fact that later in life she pooted...especially in the kitchen when she bent over...poot, poot, poot. I am told it sounded like a train coming down the tracks but smelled like the elephants cage at the zoo. Yes,
How does Helga Marie know this? because her mouth was right there to recieve it!!!..lol
Yes! And you were there to taste and swallow it.
you crack me up!! Seems like you got dumped on by lot more men
another BS filled clown!
...and she was a Montessori student!!
So ??
Oh my could she have been – horrors – don't say it aloud – a "liberal". If so heaven help us. I guess they might today castigate her despite her OSS service – I felt the same way when they called me a traitor because I didn't want to see millions of men and women lose their lives overseas on pointless wars. Rest in Peace Julia Child – I hope you're cooking up a storm on the other side.
they are so amazing, esaleiplcy Julia Stone! I love listening to "You're the one I want" while sleeping. Such a pity, that I'm not old enough to enter their concert in Oslo :(
Butter first and butter last and you will live to a hundred past.
She didn't eat enough butter.
So Delicious! One of my favorite recipeswas:
Mix 2 pounds of melted butter, one cup of vegetable oil, 16 ounces of pitted prunes, 24 saltine crackers and 8 ounces of lemon juice in a blender for about 1 minute. Makes a delicious breakfast drink.
What ever it takes to get you "moving" in the morning.
Julia was a wonderful, wonderful woman and a great chef. I miss her inspiring cooking and sense of humor. I'm sure she's cooking for the angels in Heaven.
Thanks Julia for all the wonderful memories and recipes . You were a special and very talened person!!!
Julia wrote her autobiography along with her husband's nephew, Alex Prud'homme, which was also one of the books used for the movie "Julie & Julia." I would think that her book would also qualify as an authorized biography.
I don't believe that it would qualify. Now fortunately or unfortunately the difference being the former nor or not the latter, the information that was contained here in may have been certified by the author(s) themselves.
Happy Birthday Julia,
I used to think Betty Crocker was the best cook because that's where I got my start. Later, I watched your show and read some of your books and now you are still the best cook in the world because you took home cooking to "a whole nother level". On top of all that, you are the Queen of food porn. It all started with your show.
In my own celebration, followed exactly her recipe for Coq au Vin from The Way to Cook. Superb, if I say so myself, and I'm no chef. Thanks, Julia for the lessons, the fun, the great entertainment, and spreading the joy of cooking.
One thing I've often found funny, if Julia was still alive today she would make fun of most of 'Food Media' and all the overhyped garbage you see on cooking shows. Julia was a big fan of "Using what you have to the best of your ability", not "spend 500% more on some fancy food that has today's buzz word labeled on it'.
Best role modle I can think of. So "sweet" and "pure"