Julia Child. The name itself conjures visions of butter-filmed pans, almost-perfectly flipped omelets, and that irrepressible, booming laugh that rang through American kitchens for more than a decade. She transformed the way Americans thought about cooking, pushing the country away from the sameness of Swanson TV dinners and austere Jell-O molds toward a colorful, pleasure-filled world where food was something to enjoy not merely serve.
Her journey to icon status wasn’t easy. It was forged through trial and error, and a bold openness to accept new methods and ingredients that had previously seemed completely alien to her. Born and raised in California, Julia had inherited her father’s prejudiced opinion of Europeans especially the French. Early depictions of French individuals in American media did not help, reinforcing her impression of them as arrogant and chilly. And being six-foot-two with a loud voice, she worried that she’d stand out like a sore thumb in France.
Julia's American-Style Potato Salad
Equipment
- 1 Large Saucepan
- 1 Colander
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
Ingredients
Main
- 2 pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes or other waxy, boiling potatoes
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup chicken stock or potato-cooking water
- 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 3 or 4 slices crisply cooked bacon chopped or crumbled
- 2 to 3 Tbs finely chopped pickle sweet or dill
- 2 hard-boiled eggs peeled and sliced thin
- 3 Tbs or so finely chopped fresh chives or scallions including a bit of their tender green
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1 cup or so mayonnaise homemade if possible
- Sour cream optional
- Crisp whole red-leaf or other lettuce leaves
- Canned red pimiento diced
- Sliced hard-boiled eggs
- Tomato quarters
- Parsley sprigs
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and slice each one lengthwise in half, or in quarters if very large; then cut crosswise into half-round or quarter-round slices, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Put the slices in a saucepan with water just to cover and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water. Heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes for 5 to 6 minutes, or until just cooked through. It is essential that they be just cooked through. Bite into a slice or two to be very sure. Immediately remove from the heat and drain the potatoes into a colander, but save a cup of the cooking liquid for dressing the potatoes. Transfer bowl. Stir the cider vinegar with 1/3 cup of the potato water or chicken stock and drizzle this over the potato pieces, turning them gently to distribute it evenly. Let sit 10 minutes to absorb the liquid.
- Add the prepared onion, celery, bacon, pickle, hard-boiled eggs, and chives, and season carefully, to taste. Top with 2/3 cup of mayonnaise (or a mix of mayonnaise and a bit of sour cream) and, with a large rubber spatula, gently fold everything together until well blended. Taste the salad and add more salt, pepper, or mayonnaise as needed.
- Cover the salad and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour or so before serving. If it is refrigerated longer, let it come back to room temperature before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning again.
- To serve, line a bowl or a platter with red-leaf lettuce or other greens, and mound the salad on top. Decorate at the last moment, if you wish, with any or all of the optional garnishes.
Notes
But in 1948, she went to France and things were different. The citizens weren’t unfriendly; they were polite. And the food? Life-changing. While American fare like broiled mackerel had failed to impress previously, French food was a shock of the senses. Dover sole was like eating the sea itself. Grapes were sugary and fleeting, unlike the cloying variety at home. And the baguette with its crunchy outside and fluffy interior was foreign to anything she knew.
This awakening transformed her life. She had signed up for Le Cordon Bleu by 1949. It was a men’s world where some men saw her as a trespasser, but Julia wasn’t dissuaded. She thought that fine-level cooking wasn’t the exclusive domain of men. Her recipes would eventually reflect this bravery like her sweet potato pie that required several healthy splashes of bourbon or her scrambled eggs insisting on a large slab of butter. These weren’t adjustments; they were assertions.
Of all her daredevil cooking methods, there is one dish that has recently caught the eye of a fresh set of home cooks: her garlic mashed potatoes. While long familiar to foodies, this dish has reached viral fame online for one reason its brazen application of garlic.
The Garlic Revelation
Corre Larkin, a TikTok personality who posts seasonal recipes, attempted Child’s technique and was amazed. “They are so good,” she exclaimed, adding them to her regular holiday repertoire. Why all the hubbub? A whopping 30 cloves of garlic. It sounds crazy until you bite into the outcome.
Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot For boiling potatoes
- 1 Small Saucepan For heating cream and butter
- 1 Potato Ricer or Food Mill Essential for smooth, lump-free texture
- 1 Large Bowl For mixing the mashed potatoes
- 1 Spoon For gentle mixing
Ingredients
Main
- 4 pounds golden creamer potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- Put the potatoes into a large pot, add the bay leaf, 2 tablespoons salt, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain them well and remove the bay leaf. Meanwhile, heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan. Put the potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a bowl. Add the hot cream and season with salt and pepper. Mix together with a spoon and add the chives.
Notes
Child knew that with proper preparation, even aggressive ingredients can be balanced. The recipe doesn’t simply throw raw garlic into potatoes. It handles garlic with respect turning it from pungent to sweet, nutty, and rich.
The Method Behind the Magic
The process starts with blanching. Unpeeled whole garlic cloves are boiled for only two minutes. This small step tenderizes their bite and makes peeling a breeze.
Once peeled, the cloves are cooked in butter slowly for 15–20 minutes. They’re allowed to become golden and tender, bringing out their natural sweetness.
Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic
Equipment
- 1 Large Stock Pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Large Heavy Skillet
- 1 Large Bowl For ice bath
- 1 Measuring Tools Spoons and/or cups
Ingredients
Main
- 2 pounds green beans ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Blanch green beans in a large stock pot of well salted boiling water until bright green in color and tender crisp, roughly 2 minutes. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water to stop from cooking.
- Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the butter. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans and continue to saute until coated in the butter and heated through, about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
In the meantime, a béchamel sauce is made, a combination of butter, flour, and milk. The caramelised garlic is incorporated into this sauce, which becomes a rich, intense savoury paste.
Assembly and Final Touches
While the garlic is changing, potatoes are boiled in salt water, then run through a ricer to get a light and airy texture. They’re put back into the pot, joined by the creamy garlic béchamel and a splash of heavy cream. Fresh parsley, salt, and pepper complete the dish, which is carefully warmed to blend all the flavors.
The payoff? Amazing. As The Kitchn staffer determined after putting it to the test, “30 cloves of garlic is exactly the right amount.” For those of us who adore garlic, it’s a fantasy. For the doubters, it’s an education on what slow preparation can do.
A Broader Philosophy
This recipe embodies Julia Child’s larger culinary philosophy: courage in the face of complication and self-assurance in technique. She didn’t simply instruct recipes she instructed bravery. She demonstrated that with a few intentional actions, any home cook could turn frightening ingredients into something lovely.
Potato Pancakes
Equipment
- 1 Box Grater
- 1 Mesh Strainer For draining grated potatoes
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Potato Masher or Food Mill
- 1 Large Skillet or Cast Iron Pan For frying
Ingredients
Main
- 8 Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic smashed
- Kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Grate 5 of the potatoes on the largest holes of a box grater. Toss the potatoes with the vinegar and place in a mesh strainer. Place a couple plates on top of the potatoes and weigh the potatoes down to try and squeeze out the excess water. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- Cut the remaining 3 potatoes into 6 pieces each. Place them in a saucepan with the garlic. Cover the potatoes with water by about 1-inch. Season the water generously with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer until they are fork tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain and, while the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a food mill or mash with a potato masher.
- Combine the grated potatoes and the mashed potatoes. In a small dish, beat the 2 eggs and add to the potato mixture. Season with salt.
- Coat a large saute pan or cast iron pan with olive oil and bring to a medium high heat. Make a 3-inch patty with the potato mixture, cook it, and eat it to make sure that the potato mix is seasoned perfectly. Re-season if needed.
- Working in batches, make and cook all the pancakes, until they are brown and crispy and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Blot the pancakes on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Hold on a sheet tray to keep warm in the oven until serving.
Notes
The garlic béchamel is a more than a one-trick pony it’s an all-purpose sauce that will add depth to mac and cheese, green bean casserole, or nearly any comfort food.
From Student to Teacher
Julia’s odyssey didn’t end in Paris. In 1952, she partnered with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle to establish a cooking school: L’École des Trois Gourmandes (“The School of the Three Hearty Eaters”). It was a utilitarian facility created out of mutual passion and proficiency. Beck and Bertholle were already working on a French cookbook for American housewives, and Julia was the ideal partner an American who had acquired the art de novo.
White Veal Stock (Fond Blanc De Veau)
Equipment
- 1 Large Stock Pot Minimum 12-quart capacity
- 1 Skimmer or Ladle For removing impurities
- 1 Fine-mesh Sieve Or use cheesecloth lined sieve
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
Ingredients
Main
- Water
- 10 pounds meaty veal bones shank, back, neck, knuckle
- 3 cups roughly chopped carrots or parsnips
- 3 cups roughly chopped leeks white and light parts only
- 2 cups roughly chopped yellow onions
- 1 cup roughly chopped celery
- 1 whole bulb garlic halved & broken, skin removed
- 2 ounces italian parsley
- 1 ounce fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Instructions
- Rinse the veal bones under cold running water to remove any bone dust or surface impurities.
- Place the rinsed bones in a large stock pot and cover generously with cold water.
- Bring the water slowly to a bare simmer over medium heat.
- As the stock heats, scum and impurities will rise to the surface; carefully skim these off using a skimmer or ladle.
- Continue skimming until the stock is relatively clear.
- Add the roughly chopped carrots (or parsnips), leeks, onions, celery, halved garlic bulb, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the pot.
- Return the stock to a gentle simmer and cook for 4 to 6 hours, continuing to skim as needed.
- Once the simmering is complete, carefully strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean container.
- Discard the bones and vegetables.
- Cool the stock rapidly, then refrigerate. Once cold, remove any solidified fat from the surface before storing or using.
Notes
She spent years working on the manuscript. When Judith Jones of Knopf finally published Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 1961, it was a masterpiece. Craig Claiborne of The New York Times complimented the book for addressing each recipe as “a masterpiece” since most were.
Television, however, made her famous.
A Star Is Born In 1962, Child started filming The French Chef for Boston’s WGBH. She did not even have a television set when she first made an appearance on a five-minute spot on The Today Show, making an omelet with co-author Simone Beck. Child’s easy, cheerful manner made her stand out.
WGBH soon invited her for a 30-minute spot on I’ve Been Reading, a dry book-review programme. Child requested a hot plate an unheard-of move. On camera, she whisked eggs, flipped an omelet, and charmed viewers. The phones lit up. The “tall lady with the offbeat voice” had arrived.
French Onion Soup
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker
- 1 Sharp Knife For slicing onions and bread
- 1 Cutting Board
- 8 Oven-Safe Serving Bowls Traditional use for broiling
- 1 Broiler/Oven
Ingredients
Main
- 5 small onions thinly sliced
- 2 cans 14 ounces low sodium beef broth (recommended: Swanson's)
- 2 cans 10 ounces beef consomme (recommended: Campbell's)
- 1 packet onion soup mix recommended: Lipton's
- 8 slices French bread about 1 inch thick
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere
Instructions
- Combine onions, broth, consomme, and soup mix in a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH setting for 4 hours, or LOW setting for 8 hours.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with a slice of French bread. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each bread slice. Put soup bowls under broiler until cheese is melted. Alternatively, place the bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese; broil until cheese has melted, about 30 to 40 seconds, and set on top just before serving.
Notes
WGBH soon presented her with a show of her own. The French Chef debuted unedited and on shoestring, but Child’s warmth and self-assurance drew viewers in. Fan letters admired how she made contact. As a viewer explained, “I loved the way she projected over the camera directly to me.”
Breaking the Mould
Early television cooking shows didn’t find the right balance. James Beard, being an actor by background, was stiff. Dione Lucas, as talented as she was, was too formal. Others, such as Elena Zelayeta and Poppy Cannon, didn’t have national outlets or were deemed too exotic for middle America.
Julia Child succeeded because she made French cuisine approachable. She wasn’t French, and she didn’t pretend to be. She was American, just like her audience. She learned French cooking as an adult, making her more relatable than other experts who seemed born into culinary tradition.
Zucchini Vichyssoise
Equipment
- 1 Large Stockpot For simmering the soup base
- 1 Cutting Board and Knife For preparing vegetables
- 1 Food Mill With medium disc for traditional texture (alternative: blender)
- 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons For ingredients
- 1 Stirring Spoon or Ladle For cooking and serving
Ingredients
Main
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil
- 5 cups chopped leeks white and light green parts (4 to 8 leeks)
- 4 cups chopped unpeeled white boiling potatoes 8 small
- 3 cups chopped zucchini 2 zucchini
- 1 1/2 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock recipe follows, or canned broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Fresh chives or julienned zucchini for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a large stockpot, add the leeks, and saute over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, zucchini, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then process through a food mill fitted with the medium disc. Add the cream and season to taste. Serve either cold or hot, garnished with chopped chives and/or zucchini.
Notes
Of course, not everyone was rejoicing at her triumph. Some critics such as John and Karen Hess raised questions about her authenticity, referencing a statement in which she said that French women “don’t know a damn thing about French cooking.” Madeleine Kamman, a French author and chef, wondered why an American should be deemed “The French Chef.”
But the response is obvious: her universal appeal. As Paula Wolfert with North African cuisine or Diana Kennedy with Mexican cuisine, Child encountered fewer cultural impediments than immigrants or native-born specialists. It raises a pertinent question what of the disenfranchised voices of those cultures? Julia herself questioned whether Simone Beck could have been a household name “had she been American instead of French.”
A Mythic Figure
Julia Child’s life has been told so many times, it’s become American food folklore. Her return from France revolutionized the way America cooked. It was alright to like butter, laugh at your failures, and experiment with something new.
People watched not only for a lesson, but for her. She made cooking into an act. Her infamous potato pancake flip, the one that was half-bungled, was an icon of her persona. “Pick it up if nobody’s paying attention,” she instructed. That sort of niceness lingered with folks.
She was spoofed, most notably by Dan Aykroyd, but her legacy did not fade. When Nora Ephron cast Julie & Julia, she picked Meryl Streep testament to Child’s cultural standing.
Her quirks might have been memorable, but it was her Americanness and her clearly developed skill that served her so well. She demonstrated that a curious, assured, happy cook could learn something foreign and domestic it.
