A few years ago I became slightly obsessed with Julia Child. Not because of her books or her TV show or really even her cooking at all. I found out that she didn't go to culinary school until her late 30's. The woman who still stands as one of the icons of cooking, who paved the way for every Rachel Ray and Naked Chef and food network to come, who pioneered the idea of making gourmet cooking accessible to the masses and whose kitchen is now housed in the Smithsonian didn't even learn her trade until she was almost 40.
Her husband Paul, apparently recognizing a talent and a passion in his wife, was incredibly supportive and spent most of his own career helping her write her books and produce her shows. He even designed that kitchen you can now see for yourself in Washington D.C. to fit her perfectly.
She was too tall for television, her voice can grate on you after you listen to her talk for too long and she certainly isn't a great beauty BUT, she still managed to turn herself into THE foremost American culinary expert of the 20th century.
Everytime I think that time is running out, that I am too old to take up tennis, or learn how to sew, or change careers or go back to school or find a mate who will not be intimated by how many plans I still have knocking around my overactive imagination, I think of Julia and Paul Child.
5 comments:
i hear you cb. i often think that i would like to learn how to sing properly, study psychology, and so on and then i realize - you are 31. but that shouldn't limit someone.
don't we always say 'age doesn't matter'?
Wow, that was a truly inspirational story! I'm so glad you posted that.
Hooray! The 30's are going to rock our worlds!
The Julia Child exhibit is the place where people who've come to visit us tend to linger longest.
It is so much more personal than all the other AH Smithonian exhibits, everything else seems so formal.
that new biography of her is amazing!!
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