My Life in France
Encyclopedia
My Life in France is an autobiography by Julia Child
, published in 2006
. It was compiled by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme
, her husband's grandnephew, during the last eight months of her life, and completed and published by Prud'homme following her death in August 2004.
In her own words, it is a book about the things Julia loved most in her life: her husband, France
(her "spiritual homeland"), and the "many pleasures of cooking and eating." It is a collection of linked autobiographical stories, mostly focused on the years between 1948 and 1954, recounting in detail the culinary experiences Julia and her husband, Paul Child
, enjoyed while living in Paris
, Marseilles, and Provence
.
The text is accompanied by black-and-white photographs taken by Paul Child, and research for the book was partially done using family letters, datebooks, photographs, sketches, poems and cards.
My Life in France provides a detailed chronology of the process through which Julia Child's name, face, and voice became well known to most Americans.
The book also contains an extremely detailed index cataloging every person, place, ingredient, recipe, topic and event discussed.
, and their exploration of Paris' restaurants. Julia's sister Dorothy's visits.
Julia excitedly describes the sole meunière
lunch she savored in Rouen
the day of their arrival, and which sparked her obsession with French cuisine
, her "epiphany".
, and has many disagreements with the school's owner, Madame Brassart, but her cooking improves. Paul says that "All sorts of délices are spouting out of [Julia's] finger ends like sparks out of a pinwheel..."
She makes:
The Childs learn that television is sweeping the States, head to England for Christmas, and Julia recounts her and Paul's family histories, and courtship. Julia attempts (and fails) the Cordon Bleu final exam.
Julia meets two fellow Gourmettes, Simone (Simca) Beck Fischbacher
and Louisette Bertholle
. They form L'École des Trois Gourmandes
, a cooking school focusing on French food and classical techniques.
The three Gourmandes meet celebrated gastronome Curnonsky
, and Simca and Louisette ask Julia to help them finish a cookbook of French recipes for an American audience. This cookbook eventually becomes Mastering the Art of French Cooking
.
Paul is promoted to Public Affairs Officer
in Marseilles, and the Childs leave Paris.
, and come up with the idea of illustrating the making of recipes.
Julia and Paul lived in Marseille for a year before Paul is transferred to Germany
as Exhibits Officer.
Paul is called home to Washington D.C., and is interrogated during one of McCarthy's
investigations for Communists. He is eventually exonerated, and is transferred back to D.C. and promoted.
Julia begins teaching cooking classes to Washington women, and revises and retypes the cookbook manuscript.
Houghton Mifflin
finds their manuscript too lengthy, and they agree to prune the book, making the recipes simpler, shorter, and with an emphasis on how to prepare ahead and reheat. However, even their edits prove to be too much for Houghton Mifflin, and they are encouraged to try their manuscript with a different publisher.
Paul is transferred to Norway
as the U.S. Cultural Attaché.
, an editor at Alfred A. Knopf
, and Knopf makes an offer to publish the cookbook. Some changes in serving sizes, recipe additions, and a new title, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, are made.
Paul and Julia leave government service and return to the U.S. as civilians, to a home they purchased in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Julia and Simca proofread, edit, and argue over the soon-to-be-published manuscript. Once published, the cookbook catches on, and Julia and Simca head on a promotional tour, even doing a segment on the Today show.
Julia does a segment on the show I've Been Reading on WGBH
, which is met with favorable reviews. This segment leads to The French Chef
, Julia's cooking show on WGBH, making her a household name.
Julia and Paul take a trip to France and visit Simca in Provence. They rent a plot of land from Simca and her husband, and build La Pitchoune/La Peetch, or The Little Thing, a getaway cabin.
, and Julia appears on the cover of Time
Magazine in 1966. Julia finds working at La Pitchoune extremely productive, and she explores the mystery of baking French bread in the home kitchen. Julia finds working with Simca increasingly frustrating, and actually looks forward to returning to the U.S.
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
, published in 2006
2006 in literature
The year 2006 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Literature:*Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun*Chris Adrian - The Children's Hospital *Martin Amis - House of Meetings...
. It was compiled by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme
Alex Prud'homme
Alex Prud’homme is an American journalist and the author of several non-fiction books. He is a 1984 graduate of Middlebury College and attended the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference....
, her husband's grandnephew, during the last eight months of her life, and completed and published by Prud'homme following her death in August 2004.
In her own words, it is a book about the things Julia loved most in her life: her husband, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(her "spiritual homeland"), and the "many pleasures of cooking and eating." It is a collection of linked autobiographical stories, mostly focused on the years between 1948 and 1954, recounting in detail the culinary experiences Julia and her husband, Paul Child
Paul Cushing Child
Paul Cushing Child is best known as the husband of world-renowned celebrity chef, Julia Child.-Early life:Child was born in Montclair, NJ on January 15, 1902 to Bertha Cushing and Charles Triplet Child. His twin brother was named Charles...
, enjoyed while living in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Marseilles, and Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
.
The text is accompanied by black-and-white photographs taken by Paul Child, and research for the book was partially done using family letters, datebooks, photographs, sketches, poems and cards.
My Life in France provides a detailed chronology of the process through which Julia Child's name, face, and voice became well known to most Americans.
The book also contains an extremely detailed index cataloging every person, place, ingredient, recipe, topic and event discussed.
La Belle France
Julia's first descriptions and impressions of Paris, France. Julia reminisces about the Childs search for an apartment in Paris, Paul's job with the USIAUnited States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
, and their exploration of Paris' restaurants. Julia's sister Dorothy's visits.
Julia excitedly describes the sole meunière
Sole meunière
Sole Meunière is a classic French dish consisting of sole, whole or fillet, that is dredged in flour, pan fried in butter and served with the resulting brown butter sauce and lemon. Sole has a light but moist texture when cooked and has a mild flavor. Since sole is a flatfish, a single fish will...
lunch she savored in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
the day of their arrival, and which sparked her obsession with French cuisine
French cuisine
French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
, her "epiphany".
Le Cordon Bleu
Julia signs up for cooking classes at the École du Cordon BleuLe Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu is the world's largest hospitality education institution, with 35 schools on five continents serving 20,000 students annually. Its primary education focus is on hospitality management and the culinary arts...
, and has many disagreements with the school's owner, Madame Brassart, but her cooking improves. Paul says that "All sorts of délices are spouting out of [Julia's] finger ends like sparks out of a pinwheel..."
She makes:
- terrine de lapin de garenne
- quiche Lorraine
- galantine de volaille
- gnocchi à la Florentine
- vol-au-vent financière
- choucroute garnie à l'Alsacienne
- crème Chantilly
- charlotte de pommes
- soufflé Grand Marnier
- risotto aux fruits de mer
- coquilles Saint-Jacques
- merlan en lorgnette
- rouget au safron
- poulet sauce Marengo
- canard à l'orange
- turbot farci braisé au champagne
The Childs learn that television is sweeping the States, head to England for Christmas, and Julia recounts her and Paul's family histories, and courtship. Julia attempts (and fails) the Cordon Bleu final exam.
Three Hearty Eaters
Julia is invited into the exclusive women's eating club The Gourmettes, and takes a trip back home to the United States. Julia retakes the exam at the Cordon Bleu, and passes.Julia meets two fellow Gourmettes, Simone (Simca) Beck Fischbacher
Simone Beck
Simone "Simca" Beck was a French cookbook author and cooking teacher who, along with colleagues Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle, played a significant role in the introduction of French cooking technique and recipes into American kitchens.-Biography:Except for a few years spent learning...
and Louisette Bertholle
Louisette Bertholle
Louisette Bertholle is a French chef and author, best known as one of the three authors of the bestselling cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking.- History :...
. They form L'École des Trois Gourmandes
École des trois gourmandes
L'école des trois gourmandes was a cooking school founded in Paris, France, during the 1950s by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle. The work done by the school was later expanded into the two-volume Mastering the Art of French Cooking series, and Child wore the logo of the school as...
, a cooking school focusing on French food and classical techniques.
The three Gourmandes meet celebrated gastronome Curnonsky
Curnonsky
Maurice Edmond Sailland , better known by his pen-name Curnonsky , and dubbed the Prince of Gastronomy, was the most celebrated writer on gastronomy in France in the 20th century. He wrote or ghost-wrote over 65 books and enormous numbers of newspaper columns...
, and Simca and Louisette ask Julia to help them finish a cookbook of French recipes for an American audience. This cookbook eventually becomes Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a two-volume French cookbook written by Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, both of France, and Julia Child of the United States...
.
Paul is promoted to Public Affairs Officer
Public affairs (military)
Public Affairs is a term for the formal offices of the branches of the United States Department of Defense whose purpose is to deal with the media and community issues. The term is also used for numerous media relations offices that are created by the U.S. military for more specific limited purposes...
in Marseilles, and the Childs leave Paris.
Bouillabaisse à la Marseillaise
Julia and Paul adjust to the "hot noise" of Marseille. Julia continues to research recipes for the cookbook, finds American equivalents for French ingredients, and works on finding a new publisher for the project. Paul and Julia attend the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, and come up with the idea of illustrating the making of recipes.
Julia and Paul lived in Marseille for a year before Paul is transferred to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as Exhibits Officer.
French Recipes for American Cooks
Julia works long-distance from Germany on the cookbook, researching chicken, geese and duck, and disagrees with Simca over the cookbook's components. Louisette's contributions to the project wane, and she is made a "consultant".Paul is called home to Washington D.C., and is interrogated during one of McCarthy's
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
investigations for Communists. He is eventually exonerated, and is transferred back to D.C. and promoted.
Julia begins teaching cooking classes to Washington women, and revises and retypes the cookbook manuscript.
Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
finds their manuscript too lengthy, and they agree to prune the book, making the recipes simpler, shorter, and with an emphasis on how to prepare ahead and reheat. However, even their edits prove to be too much for Houghton Mifflin, and they are encouraged to try their manuscript with a different publisher.
Paul is transferred to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
as the U.S. Cultural Attaché.
Mastering the Art
The manuscript, tentatively titled French Recipes for American Cooks, is shown to Judith JonesJudith Jones
Judith B. Jones is a senior editor and vice president at Knopf. In 1950 she rescued The Diary of Anne Frank from the rejects pile. In 1960 she championed a cookbook no other publisher would touch, named it Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and became Julia Child's editor from then on...
, an editor at Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Random House. The publishing house is known for its borzoi trademark , which was designed by co-founder...
, and Knopf makes an offer to publish the cookbook. Some changes in serving sizes, recipe additions, and a new title, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, are made.
Paul and Julia leave government service and return to the U.S. as civilians, to a home they purchased in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Julia and Simca proofread, edit, and argue over the soon-to-be-published manuscript. Once published, the cookbook catches on, and Julia and Simca head on a promotional tour, even doing a segment on the Today show.
Julia does a segment on the show I've Been Reading on WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
, which is met with favorable reviews. This segment leads to The French Chef
The French Chef
The French Chef is an influential television cooking show created by Julia Child, and produced and broadcast by WGBH Public television in Boston, Massachusetts, from February 11, 1963 to 1973. It was one of the first cooking shows on television...
, Julia's cooking show on WGBH, making her a household name.
Julia and Paul take a trip to France and visit Simca in Provence. They rent a plot of land from Simca and her husband, and build La Pitchoune/La Peetch, or The Little Thing, a getaway cabin.
Son of Mastering
Julia and Simca work on Volume II of Mastering the Art of French CookingMastering the Art of French Cooking
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a two-volume French cookbook written by Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, both of France, and Julia Child of the United States...
, and Julia appears on the cover of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
Magazine in 1966. Julia finds working at La Pitchoune extremely productive, and she explores the mystery of baking French bread in the home kitchen. Julia finds working with Simca increasingly frustrating, and actually looks forward to returning to the U.S.
The French Chef in France
Julia and the crew of The French Chef set out to do an ambitious series on how French food is actually made and sold in France, believing that the footage "...would prove to be an important historical document..." that would archive many of the artisanal skills that were slowly disappearing. Segments were shot in the marketplace, restaurants, and while visiting the local butcher.From Julia Child's Kitchen
Paul and Julia retire to La Pitchoune in 1971. After Simca badly maligns the outcome of Volume II, Julia ends their collaboration, though Simca then goes on to write Simca's Cuisine. Julia began working on From Julia Child's Kitchen.Epilogue
Paul and Julia move back to Cambridge in 1974 after Paul suffers a heart attack. Julia decides to close up La Peetch in 1992, after Paul suffers a series of strokes, and is no longer able to share the home with her.Further reading
- Works by or about Julia Child in libraries (WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
Catalog)