Maybe you had heard about Julia Child’s death today at the age of 91, but you might not realize the indirect effect she’s had on your life.
Mom used to pretend we were on TV and talk like Julia Child while we made dinner. We even had a paper cutout TV camera taped into the corner that we hammed it up to. We weren’t the only ones influenced by Child’s cooking techniques. The improved state of American cooking is credited to Child’s book and subsequent TV show. More surprising are some other events in which she personally took part.
During World War II Julia Child worked for a government agency that would eventually become the CIA. Yes, she was a spy! Child developed shark repellant for the OSS, which was instrumental in keeping sharks away from submerged mines in the ocean. The sharks would accidentally brush up against the mines, exploding them in view of German U-Boats for which the mines were intended.
Dave is most affected by her. As an avid watcher of the Food Network, had it not been for Julia Child, he would have nothing to watch on TV!
So, anyway, I hope there’s good French food (and wine) in the beyond for Julia, and hope you take a moment to think about where we might be today if not for the influence of this famous French chef.
