My Life in France
by Alex Prud'Homme, Julia Child
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alex Prud'Homme, Julia ChildEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-09
ISBN: 0307277690
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Anchor
Book Reviews of My Life in France
Book Review: Kitchen caper
Summary: 5 Stars
Things that Julia Child loved most in life included her husband Paul and the country France. After marrying in 1946 and living in Washington, D.C. for two years, Julia and Paul Child went to Paris. Paul was to work for the government, the USIS, at the French embassy.
Before arriving in Paris there was Rouen. The couple ate at La Couronne. The waiter advised them that the Dorin family, the owners of La Couronne, had a restaurant in Paris, La Truite. Julia signed up for French classes at Berlitz, (she liked to talk and was frustrated). Paris was walkable. Le Grand Vefour was one of the more famous old Parisian restaurants. It had been in business since 1750. Service was deft and the food was spectacular. The restaurant kept a special seat for Colette.
Julia arrived at the Ecole du Cordon Bleu in October, 1949. She signed up for a year-long course. Eleven former GIs were in the class, under the auspices of the GI Bill of Rights. The professor was Chef Bugnard, a gem. He had enthusiasm and thoughtfulness. Shopping for food with him in Paris could be a life-changing experience. Introductions and the instruction were important to Julia Child since the French are sensitive to personal dynamics.
Paul called their kitchen Julia's alchemist's aerie. Julia met both Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle in 1951. They had been trying to produce a cookbook of French cooking for the U.S. market. They had been told by Dorothy Canfield Fisher that their efforts were too dry. Also, Americans ate a lot of meat and used a lot of processed food in their cooking. They were told to collaborate with an American who was crazy about French food.
Simone, Julia, and Louisette began a school called L'Ecole des Trois Gourmandes. Right from the beginning they had three students. Julia Child found that in explaining French cooking chauvinism and dogmatism were deeply engrained. She had an urge to say that the word was not the thing.
In 1953 Paul and Julia moved to Marseilles for Paul's work. The first flat they had in an Art Deco building overlooked the old port. It was learned that McCarthy's investigators, Cohn and Schine, were in Paris in search of evidence of disloyalty. It was a shame and a disgrace. They sought to interview people about the contents of the embassy library.
The USIS changed to the USIA had trimmed Paul's staff of twelve to four. After a year and a half in Marseille, Paul was transferred to Bonn. The couple moved to Germany in 1954. In 1955 Paul received notice to report to Washington, D.C. immediately. He was being investigated.
In 1956 the Childs returned to the U.S. for good. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING was published by Knopf. James Beard helped with the launch. Julia was interviewed on WGBH, a book program. Retiring from the USIA Paul and Julia planned to live in Cambridge, MA. In 1962 three experimental half hour shows were taped for WGBH. The experiment was called THE FRENCH CHEF.
Eh voila, (here it is)--this is a good book! One learns reading this memoir that Julia Child loved using a lot of exclamation points. The book contains a number of fine photographs, too, serving to enhance the lively text.
Summary of My Life in France
Julia Child singlehandedly created a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, but as she reveals in this bestselling memoir, she was not always a master chef. Indeed, when she first arrived in France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, who was to work for the USIS, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever with her newfound passion for cooking and teaching. Julia?s unforgettable story ? struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year long marriage that took them across the globe ? unfolds with the spirit so key to her success as a chef and a writer, brilliantly capturing one of the most endearing American personalities of the last fifty years.Book Description
Julia Child single handedly awakened America to the pleasures of good cooking with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, but as she reveals in this bestselling memoir, she didn't know the first thing about cooking when she landed in France.
Indeed, when she first arrived in 1948 with her husband, Paul, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever. Julia's unforgettable story unfolds with the spirit so key to her success as a cook and teacher and writer, brilliantly capturing one of the most endearing American personalities of the last fifty years.
Julie & Julia is now a major motion picture (releasing in August 2009) starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child. It is partially based on her memoir, My Life in France. Enjoy these images from the film, and click the thumbnails to see larger images.
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