Julia's Kitchen Wisdom (Knopf, 2000) is the final cookbook authored by chef and television personality Julia Child. Co-authored by David Nussbaum and edited by Judith Jones, the book covers basic cooking principles and techniques and was designed to serve as a reference point for amateur cooks. Julia's Kitchen Wisdom was the 17th book written by Child and gained widespread popularity following the release of the 2009 film, <nowiki/>'Julie and Julia'<nowiki/>.
Description
As the final book in Child's oeuvre, ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’ is a compilation of her previous 16 cookbooks, forming a “loose-leaf kitchen reference guide”. It is intended for use by home-cooks to answer cooking questions and solve common cooking problems, such as how long to cook a particular cut of meat, the most suitable accompaniments to serve with a certain dish, or different methods used to cook an ingredient. In the book's introduction, Child suggests that the book is written for an audience relatively familiar with the language, techniques and equipment involved in home cooking. David Nussbaum, who helped Child gather and collate material from her extensive body of work, including previous cookbooks and television shows was influential in developing Child's affinity with French cuisine. Her training and collaboration with friends Simone Beck and Louisette Betholle, whom she founded ‘L’Ecole Des Trois Gourmandes’ (The School of the Three Hearty Eaters) with in 1951, can be credited with teaching Child many of the techniques and recipes she shares in ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’. Child's first and only editor, Judith Jones, credits the increased interest of the American public in French culture and cuisine in the 1960s and 1970s to the success of Child's books. An appreciation of French cooking and the widespread popularity of Julia Child may have inspired the publishing of ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’.
As the final book authored by Child, ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’ collates the tips and instructions offered in her previous books in a succinct and simplistic manner. It was inspired by the “trials, remedies, and errors” recorded in Child's own notebook and is designed to serve as a useful reference for home-cooks. Child's earlier books, ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume I and II’ and ‘The Way to Cook’ were devised as comprehensive guides that offered highly detailed instruction on techniques, cooking methods, and numerous recipes to educate readers on the fundamentals of French cuisine. ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’ is Child's most accessible book, distilling the information offered in her previous works into short explanations, methods of problem solving, and master recipes to guide readers. ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’ was inspired by a two-hour television special of the same name which aired in 2000 on PBS.
Structure
Unlike her previous, more thorough cookbooks, ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’ is structured in a simplistic manner, designed as an easy-to-follow reference guide. It is one of Child’s shortest cookbooks. The book has a particular focus on basic cooking techniques and contains an array of master recipes to guide home-cooks. Nussbaum contributed to the creation of ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’ by compiling content from Child’s previous works. in 1961, educational television station WGBH in the United States (now known as PBS Some of these included ‘Julia Child and Company’ (1978–79), ‘Baking with Julia’ (1996–98), and the two-hour special ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’ which inspired the book.
The television special, ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’, aired in 2000 and was a two-hour compilation of videos from Child’s earlier television shows and specials. In between snippets of Child demonstrating recipes, there are brief clips of her peers discussing the impact Child’s work – both her books and television shows – have had on their own careers. The special is seen as more of a tribute to Child and her enduring legacy as opposed to an instructional cooking show. The accompanying book is designed to be more instructional than the show itself.
Response
<nowiki/>'Julia's Kitchen Wisdom’ garnered positive responses globally and gained increased popularity following the release of the film ‘Julie and Julia’ in 2009. Following the film’s release, ‘Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom’, was propelled to number one on New York Times paperback Advice, How-To and Miscellaneous list.