Julia Child impacted the world of food in ways that no other chef has. She was not only a whimsical character, but her infamous trademarks have continued to keep her legacy alive. We all want to be like Julia Child, so here are nine ways to become a little bit more like the famous chef.
1. Grow a few inches, or feet (she’s 6’2″).
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Before embarking in the food world, Julia tried to enlist in the Women’s Army Core, but was turned down for being “too tall.” Good thing you can’t be too tall to cook. She found her passion in the kitchen first from eating and then from cooking, towering over every other person in the room.
2. Become an international spy.
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It’s rumored the famous chef and her husband kept a few government secrets during World War II. If she told you, she would have to kill you. Or slice you, dice you, braise you and boil you.
3. Never skimp on butter. Never.
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While filming the series Baking with Julia, she used 753 pounds of butter. She believed butter was the sustenance of life in France and that Americans needed to understand that concept better, or should I say, butter.
4. Always wear pearls in the kitchen.
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The key to creating tasty and beautiful food is looking great while doing so. Julia never stepped foot in the kitchen without her pearls. If you don’t wear your pearls in the kitchen, then you have not fully harnessed what it means to be a classy female chef.
5. Write a 734-page best-selling cookbook that has forever changed cooking in America.
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Let’s be real, it’s quite difficult to write a 734-page cookbook chock-full of complex, drool-worthy recipes. Julia Child didn’t tackle this alone. She joined two other passionate chefs and worked on the manuscript for ten years.
Find yourself some fellow food-obsessed peers and ten free years, then maybe you’ll create a book fit to rival Julia’s. Try writing a blog first.
6. Form a long distance pen pal who will forever impact your life.
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Writing letters is a lost art. Julia started writing to Avis DeVoto after first writing a fan letter praising her husband’s knife article in Harper’s. The two women wrote back and forth for many years.
Avis referred Julia’s cookbook to its future publisher, which then changed the course of culinary history. Needless to say, get a pen pal and keep them around, you never know what could happen.
7. Use phrases like, “Whack the hell out of the chicken.”
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Because, “Hit the chicken,” is just too bland for her taste. Julia’s unique kitchen lingo lured viewers into her seven different cooking shows for numerous years.
8. Be the first woman to study under master chefs at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
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Women enrolling in commercial culinary school was unheard of during the 1950s, let alone at the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu. Julia was originally stuck in a class for housewives. Appalled, she begged to be moved into the professional class.
She failed her final exam but decided to try again and went on to become the one of the most famous chefs in history.
9. Donate your kitchen to the National Museum of American History when you retire.
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An exact replica of Julia’s kitchen is on display in Washington, D.C., showcasing her treasured workspace that culinary lovers aspire to recreate in their own homes. Having my kitchen donated to a Smithsonian would almost compare to winning a Michelin star… almost.
Julia Child will always be remembered for her unique witty flair that broke down barriers in the intense world of culinary arts. What better role model to aspire to become than a successful, ambitious, pearl-wearing, swearing and butter-loving master in the kitchen.
No wonder the movie Julie & Julia was made to honor her life.
Need more famous chefs to aspire to? Check out these suggested reads: