Celebrating my Hero: Julia Child
I decided to post a second entry this month in honor of a person I deeply admire, the one I credit with becoming an instructor and teaching about food, the one who helped spark my interest in food and told me time and time again I too could do what she was doing: Julia Child. Many people go to culinary school to become chefs, but not Julia and not I. I took a few cooking classes as part of my Hospitality Management degree at Florida International University. My chef instructor, Michael Moran, became my mentor. He knew about my admiration of Julia and my passion for food. After Julia passed away, he told me, I had to continue down the path I was headed because someone had to follow in her footsteps, since then, that became my goal.
Five years ago, I decided to go to culinary school and it was not to be a chef. I was pursuing my Masters in Gastronomy at Boston University, a program Julia created in order to continue teaching people about food. She was the reason I chose to attend that program. She passed away before I was able to sit in on one of her classes (which she sometimes taught at the school, while sitting on a metal stool that still sits in the kitchen and is known as Julia’s stool). Still, every day, I walked into my classes and thought I was learning from Julia. I enrolled in the Boston University Culinary Diploma program in 2005 (after having years of experience in restaurant kitchens and other positions). However, this was not only part of Julia’s contribution to the school and vision, but the program would allow me to learn from Jacques Pepin, another person I deeply admire, and due to his connection to Julia, I would again in my mind learn from her.
Leaving Boston was a very sad moment in my life, as I felt at home there, and for many years, so did Julia, but I had found a wonderful opportunity I could not turn down. I was offered a job at Le Cordon Bleu as an instructor, yet another connection to Julia. Here, I have been able to teach students about food, tell them they too can do what we do, and show them that French food can be unpretentious and simple. In simplest terms, I am doing for others what Julia did for me. Since coming to Le Cordon Bleu, I have also started writing about food. I watch Jacques Pepin religiously on Saturdays and continue to read Julia’s books and recipes as inspiration and a reminder of why I do what I do every day. So, five years after Julia’s death, I still continue to learn from her.
Julia not only taught me how to cook, but also showed me that you could do more with food than just become a restaurant chef. She was an author, and a television entertainer. She made cooking shows possible and popular. It is due to her that an entire network can now be devoted to food and followed religiously. Julia is the reason many chefs got into the business and I have not yet met someone who does not admire her. Once a day, while at Boston University, I would sneak into the kitchen and sit on Julia’s stool hoping that by doing this, I would absorb some of her knowledge and personality. I like to think I did.
I look forward to August 7th, the opening of Julie and Julia. I am getting together with my friends, cooking a meal from Julia’s the “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and then off to the theater to watch the story of her life. August 7th, my friends and I will celebrate Julia Child. I encourage all of you to do the same. I will post again next month and let you know how my celebration of Julia turned out. Until next month, in the meantime, I will leave you with her words “Bon Appetit”.