My Life in France
by Julia Child with Ales Prud’homme
Published by Anchor Books
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Reviewed by Joyce Sparrow
Pour a glass of vin ordinaire and learn about the struggles of one of America’s most noted chefs as she transforms herself, from the wife of an U.S. Embassy employee who is assigned to work in Paris, into an author and television celebrity.
The first of numerous storylines is the dedicated relationship between Julia and her husband, Paul, who assisted while she mastered French cooking, and than later contributed his photographs and drawings for Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961). Included are samples of their annual Valentines sent to friends—since they never could mail their Christmas cards in a timely manner.
Another story is how Mastering the Art of French Cooking was created from a collaboration of Julia with two friends who struggled to create French recipes for American cooks. The authors were adapting to a new culture as the television and TV dinners were making their way into the American landscape. Hours and hours of trial-and-error cooking experiments were done to understand the science behind the selected recipes included. Shopping for ingredients in all the small French markets is one of the more adventurous aspects.
Julia’s determination shines through when she had to create an authentic-tasting French bread recipe for the typical American home. Julia becomes involved in the “Great French Bread Experiment” to learn how to bake French bread with American flours.
As Julia and Paul move around Europe to accommodate his job assignments, their challenge is to create a kitchen in each rented house or apartment that allows Julia to complete her recipe testing for the cookbook. The had to repeatedly acquire the proper stove and measure to make sure all the pots and pans can be properly stored.
The final story line is the picturesque images the authors create of Julia and Paul enjoying meals and picnics in France. Julia’s notes from her travels allowed the authors to recount the selections of specific meals created in the small restaurants they favored throughout their European travels.
My Life in France is a wonderful escape memoir. Child and Prud’homme enable readers to escape their ordinary lives and live among the French chefs and the Parisian culture–shown in some special black and white photos.
Armchair Interviews says: The book is highly recommended for those who enjoy reading cookbooks, as Julia did, and those who take pleasure in French cuisine.