talbotlucas.org: a word to the wise is sufficient

Very sad news on the front page of the New York Times on the web: Julia Child has died. A copy of the obituary is here, as are our previous related posts: on the Julie/Julia project, and on the Julia Child kitchen exhibit at the Smithsonian.

Salon.com had published a nice profile of Child several years ago, and I expect there will be loads of tributes in the coming days to this incredible woman. She didn't start cooking until her mid-30s, made her television debut at 50, and changed the cooking world. She wasn't a domestic goddess, and she didn't flinch when things didn't go exactly as planned on her television shows, but she always looked like she was having a hell of a good time.

In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, her first book, she alerted readers that:

This is a book for the servantless American cook who can be unconcerned on occasion with budgets, waistlines, time schedules, children's meals, the parent-chauffeur-den-mother syndrome, or anything else which might interfere with the enjoyment of producing something wonderful to eat.

Later she cautioned that

"Too much trouble," "Too expensive," or "Who will know the difference?" are death knells for good food. . . . Cooking is not a particularly difficult art, and the more you cook and learn about cooking, the more sense it makes.

Nearly fifteen years later, in the massive volume entitled The Way to Cook, she commented on the concern many people had about rich, real food. Her thoughts:

Because of media hype and woefully inadequate information, too many people nowadays are deathly afraid of their food, and what does fear of food do to the digestive system? . . . I, for one, would much rather swoon over a few thin slices of prime beefsteak, or one small serving of chocolate mousse, or a sliver of foie gras than indulge to the full on such nonentities as fat-free gelatin puddings.

and further:

The pleasures of the table--that lovely old-fashioned phrase--depict food as an art form, as a delightful part of civilized life. In spite of food fads, fitness programs, and health concerns, we must never lose sight of a beautifully conceived meal.

Perhaps we'll open up one of those bottles we've been saving, make a good sauce to accompany our tenderloin, and raise a glass to Julia tonight.

update 11:57am: The Times has just put up one of its "complete coverage" features on Child, and Slate has reminded readers that Child wrote a week-long diary for the site back in 2000. There's also an update to the Julie/Julia Project blog, which is an event in itself since we haven't had one since The Project ended.