A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

Julia Child
Saturday, September 4, 2004
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GK: This first half hour is brought to you by Powdermilk Biscuits, and on behalf of Powdermilk, I want to say Thank you, Julia Child ----- what a good life she had. She was The French Chef but she loved Fair food. The only food she hated was health food. And she wasn't all that fond of Italian cuisine. But the woman who said, "Add more butter" ----- she'd love it here.

TR (JULIA CHILD): Add more butter and cream.

GK: And then there was her advice about bread baking-----

TR (JULIA CHILD): The dough should feel like a baby's bottom.

GK: Julia Child said, "The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook."

TR (JULIA CHILD): You must have the courage of your convictions.

GK: And she did. Her advice for a good life was "Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it." Gusto. Exuberance. That was Julia Child.

TR (JULIA CHILD): Go hog wild. Use all the pots and pans. And never apologize for anything that happens in the kitchen.

GK: Julia McWilliams Child, born in Pasadena, August, 1912. Went to Smith. Worked in the intelligence service in World War II. Married Paul Child, a diplomat. Studied cooking at the Cordon Bleu in Paris. Started giving cooking lessons in 1950 in her apartment on the Left Bank. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, written with two of her friends, took ten years to write ---- it was 734-pages long. At the age of 50, she went into television and did her show for 40 years, a dishtowel tucked at her waist. Championed good food and good cooking. Won the Legion of Honor award. Died in her sleep at Santa Barbara, looking forward to her 92nd birthday.

TR (JULIA CHILD): "Toujours bon appétit!"