Dearie: the remarkable life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz
Adult Non-Fiction 641.5092 Child-S
I have always been a fan of Julia Child. I remember rushing home from school to watch The Galloping Gourmet and Julia and Jacques with my Uncle. We laughed and marveled through the show but, I must confess, I never tried a recipe. I read Julie and Julia by Julie Powell [Adult Non-Fiction 641.5092 Pow] and enjoyed the movie with Meryl Streep [DVD FIC Jul]. So it didn’t take much to persuade me to read Dearie.
The author, Bob Spitz, is obviously also a fan. He has written a hefty 500+ page book detailing the extraordinary life of Julia Child. Her determination to make French cooking accessible to North American cooks and her insistence on accurate measurements and complete instructions revolutionized cookbook writing. Julia Child had a quirky personality that engaged the TV audience and encouraged them to try her new way of cooking.
Julia Child was well-loved by the American public and Spitz describes this fully. It appears that Julia became a bit of a curmudgeon at the end of her life but she remained feisty, determined, opinionated and a remarkable advocate both for French cooking and accessible cooking for everyone.
I know that my next move will be to take home one of her cookbooks (the library has several) and maybe try one of the recipes – how about Crème Brule?
~ Liz Fenwick
Have you read this book, or another one about Julia Child? Let us know what you think by commenting. Click on the post title to leave the Library homepage and go to the post page. Below the post, you’ll find the comment box.