Did you ever see a suckling pig being prepared for roasting? Or even want to. If you were a young woman learning how to make a meal for your family in the 1960’s you might have witnessed an episode on The French Chef television show that depicted a tiny piglet being lovingly prepared for the oven. This particular episode created a backlash from fans, which were horrified as French Chef Julia Child, cleaned out the pig’s nostrils and ears, while tenderly petting the life like creature as she stuffed his cavity with vegetables, sewed him up and then later carved him into pieces. But the controversy did little to deter the feisty Julia Child as her show remained steadfast and strong. Her popularity grew in numbers and the icon had a lasting career.
Julia Child was born August 15, 1912 in Pasadena California. Living a privileged life, Julia was well educated. At 6’2, Julia stood out among her peers and was athletic. After marrying, Julia spent some time with her husband Paul, living in France, where she gained a penchant for French cuisine and later coauthored a book called Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Due to the book’s popularity, she was invited to have her own cooking show through a Boston television station and thus The French Chef series was born. The show focused on Americanizing French cuisine.
Besides the holidays, how many people find the time to cook today? Or even enjoy it for that matter. For the working class, it can be hard to find the time to whip up a home cooked meal or even know what it’s like to make one from scratch. Instead we turn to microwave, boxed or frozen meals and fast food is a quick solution. But there was a time where women were expected to slave over a hot stove and prepare a tasty meal for her family. Julia Child set her sights on making cooking fun as well teaching wives the fundamentals of fine cuisine. Today men are in the kitchen as much as women facing the same old dilemma ‘What’s for dinner?’
With her proud 40 year career, Julia Child indeed was an American icon. Check out the pig episode on youtube.
With a passion for reading, writing and movies, Award winning author Tamera Lawrence, of Gilbertsville, shares her view point on books, movies and current day affairs in Tammy Tattles. Feel free to comment or share your own personal viewpoint on Tammy’s blog at http://tamerasbookreview.blogspot.com/2013/07/dearie-remarkable-life-of-julia-child.html
