3 Things I've Learned From Julia Child

Julia Child has proven to be something of a posthumously-speaking mentor to me.  My fascination with her began with the 2009 movie, Julie and Julia.  I loved everything about how Julia-as-Julie-imagines-her-to-be embraced life, adored her husband, and truly enjoyed food.  This cinematic introduction to Julia Child led to an all out obsession/research mission as I pored over her cookbooks, memoirs, and other writings.  Long story short, she's become my foodie idol.  Here are a few of the things my studies have taught me:

1. Life is messy - and that's okay.  If you watch any rerun of Julia Child's cooking shows (seriously, any; I dare you), you are guaranteed to see milk splashing, omelets disintegrating, chopped spinach flying, whipped cream flopping, and just about any other kitchen "mistake" you can think of.  And what does Julia do?  She keeps on cooking, and she has such a good time doing it, even while she's stumbling over her words, looking past the camera for cues from the production assistants, or glancing down at her handwritten notes.  It's hilarious and refreshing - for once, it's okay not to be perfect.  How appropriate a metaphor is that for life?!  Life has no editing teams, no makeup artists, no fancy soundtracks - but that doesn't mean you can't make a delicious dish out of it.
   
   
   
   
   
   "One of the secrets, and pleasures, of cooking is to learn to correct something if it goes awry; and one of the lessons is to grin and bear it if it cannot be fixed."
   
   
2. It's never too late to embrace a new passion.  Julia Child was in her late 30's when she moved to France, discovered that the French know how to make unbelievably good food, and started cooking.  The beautiful thing about her passion is that she shared it with anyone willing to listen; she started a cooking school and co-authored the classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking with her fellow instructors.  When you read her words, or watch her shows, you can see her devotion and interest in good food shine through.  She was a natural educator, and she knew how to have fun with her "lessons".
   
   
   The French Chef Julia Child's Chicken by tilapiarice
   
   
   
   "Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it."
   
   
3. If at first you don't succeed... ...get another publisher.  Nearly ten years passed between the day Julia Child started writing her first cookbook and the day it was finally published.  Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a classic and ground-breaking tutorial on French cuisine, and Julia poured her heart and soul into it.  She spent years testing recipes, rewriting sections, and searching out a publisher who would have the courage to print a cookbook unlike any before it.  Julia kept the faith in herself and her work regardless of the number of rejection letters or doubtful looks she received.  She knew she had a good thing going, and she didn't let anything get in the way of realizing her dream.  For more information on this journey, read As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto, edited by Joan Reardon.
   

"The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude."

Who are your cooking idols?