Julia Child's Kitchen is a deep dive into the beloved cookbook author and television star’s favorite place in the world—her home kitchen—and how this space has influenced the ways we cook today.
Foreword by Jacques Pépin
Julia Child's 20’ x 14’ kitchen was a serious workspace and recipe‑testing lab that exuded a sense of mid‑century homey comfort. Now, it has been on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., for most of the past twenty years and museum goers have made it a top destination. Authored by Paula Johnson, one of the original collectors and keepers of Julia Child’s home kitchen for the past twenty‑one years at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, this book provides an intimate portrait of Julia at home, first‑hand accounts of cooking with Julia in her kitchen, and a deeper understanding of why her kitchen is a window into larger themes in twentieth century American history.
Between lively narrative, compelling photography, and detailed commentary on Julia's favorite kitchen gadgets, Julia Child's Kitchen illuminates the stories behind the room's design, use, significance, and legacy, showing how deeply Julia Child continues to influence food today. The kitchen contains more than one thousand parts and pieces—tools, appliances, utensils, furniture, artwork, knick‑knacks, books, and bits of whimsy—all reflecting Julia’s status as an accomplished chef, gastronome, delightful cooking teacher, television trailblazer, women’s advocate, mentor, and generous, jovial friend. The kitchen’s layout, design, and contents reflect Julia’s philosophy of cooking as well as a period of social and cultural change in the United States, providing a platform for exploring such post‑World War II themes as shifting attitudes about gender roles and domesticity or the tension between tradition and innovation regarding culinary tools, materials, cooking, and food itself. This book, a beautifully designed tribute to Julia Child's legacy, will be a must‑have for every home cook and Julia Child fan.
Includes Color Photographs
Praise
"This book brings Julia Child's iconic kitchen to life with vivid photos and engaging stories about how this kitchen became a supporting role in the second half of her life. Julia wasn't just a TV personality, but a pioneer of women's empowerment, transforming the kitchen from a symbol of domestic duty to a realm of culinary adventure and creativity."
—chef, author, and television host, Carla Hall
"Paula J. Johnson writes with the same sort of intellect and brio that Julia Child herself would have approved of. One can imagine Child hollering, ‘Bien joué,’ after reading this book. And there can be no higher compliment than that."
—food critic, chef, author, television personality, and host of the Eat My Globe podcast, Simon Majumdar
"I knew and loved Julia and worked with her in her kitchen, so I’m thrilled that, thanks to Paula Johnson, so many more people will come to know Julia and the joy of being in the heart of her home."
—New York Times bestselling author, Dorie Greenspan
"I’ll be gifting this to the young chefs in my life: food is more than recipes, and this book will be treasured by anyone looking to build a life around home cooking and the kitchen."
—chef and author of Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store, Paola Velez
