I’ve been thinking all weekend about what to say about the life of this woman that is the grand mother of generations of American chefs and talented home cooks. Her books are on my shelf as they are on the shelves and in the hearts of so many others.
She truly was an amazing woman, not just for her cooking and her teaching of cooking through her books and on television and through her work with schools and foundations. She was an example of how to live life to its fullest and she will be sorely missed.
I was too young to see her shows when they aired originally, but when the Food Network started (early 1990s?) I watched the reruns of her shows religiously. She never took herself too seriously and it was clear that cooking was as much fun for her as eating the fruits of her labors. I will always remember the display of somewhat scary knife skills and dancing chickens and that good-naturedly comical warble in her voice. She was one of a kind and the world wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun without her.
Bon appetit, Julia, where ever you are. And I hope all the meals are prepared with the finest French butters and served with wine fit for the gods and for you.
