• About
  • Politics
  • Recipes
  • Reviews
  • Videos

Growing Up Julia

~ Mastering the Art of Food Blogging

Growing Up Julia

Tag Archives: Jacques Pepin

Growing Up with Julia

26 Wednesday Jan 2011

Posted by growingupjulia in Growing Up Julia

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, Personal, Smith College

Me writing my first blog!

Me writing my first blog!

Other kids had Saturday cartoons. I had Julia.

Combing my long toddler hair was such an ordeal that my mother went against her better judgment and plopped me down in front of the tube so that I would stop fidgeting.  She did, however, exercise strict control over which programs I could watch during these hair-wrangling sessions. Julia was at the top of the list. From then on Julia Child has always been one of my top three idols (the other two being Bonnie Raitt and Miss Piggy). I have been watching her for as long as I can remember; so long that the memories of my maternal grandmother and Julia have melded into one person. Hey, both taught me how to cook! In my head, my grandmother is there teaching me to make chicken pastry but the voice coming out is distinctly Julia’s.

I would sit in front of the TV consumed and inspired. I started to cook as soon as I could, constantly mimicking what I saw on the screen and around me.  As I grew older, I continued to watch Julia, learned to bake and discovered Jacques Pepin. My mother, an incredible cook and cookbook collector extraordinaire, began to give me her cookbooks and surrounded me with a growing amount of culinary equipment. Soon I was holding my own in the kitchen, even if I was losing the battle with combing my hair

When it came to college Julia guided me once again. I was a stubborn little bastard when I was looking at schools. It was settled in my mind: I was going to RISD and my parents would just have to deal with it. They insisted (thank the academic gods!) that I go to a liberal arts school. Bah Humbug! How uncool! Then to top it off they wanted me to look at an all women’s college. What on earth? I flat out refused. “Did you know Julia Child went there? And sometimes she comes back to her old ‘house’ and cooks with the students.” Before I knew it I was packed into an auditorium with a hundred other anxious college bound girls and their families listening to Smith College’s pitch. I had seen the Olmsted designed campus. I had seen the houses. I had met the art professors. I was impressed but still not convinced.

During my High School Cake Phase

Suddenly, a woman rushed onto the auditorium stage and whispered something to into the presenter’s ear. The presenter looked out over the audience.  “I am sorry to announce that one of our most beloved alumnae has just passed away”. The audience gasped. She didn’t even need to say her name. Julia was gone, along with any hope of my ever getting to meet her. For some strange reason I took it as a sign. I belonged here. On November 15th I applied early decision and have never looked back.

Graduating in 2009, my class and generation found ourselves faced with one of the worst recessions in history. I have moved back in with my parents. I am not the next “IT” artist. I am not creating the next Facebook. I am not working for NPR. I am not an intern with Conde Nast. I am, like most of my friends, back in my hometown praying for work. (In full disclosure I do have a wonderful job with a non-profit arts organization that I adore. It is part time and a grant-funded position so if I were not living with the ‘rents’, I do not know how I would survive.) Once again, Julia showed up to comfort me. Re-reading her biography I was reminded that after Smith, Julia moved back in with her parents and didn’t come into her own until after WWII. If Julia could wait that long then, damnit, so can I! So in the meantime I began to cook.

I am back in my childhood kitchen: a wonderland of mess and encyclopedic amount of equipment and books. Suddenly I have the time and space to cook and explore whatever I want. I am interested in Southeast Asian, Indian, Northern African, Middle Eastern and Greek cuisines, but the standard is always French and the ultimate authority is always Julia.

Leave a Comment

Advertisement

Recent Posts

  • Apple Chutney
  • What I’ve been up to in the Maine Legislature and my first bill!
  • Gram Goodine’s Blueberry Cake
  • New Restaurant Alert: TAO in Brunswick dazzles!
  • Bon anniversaire, ma chère Julia!

Archives

  • November 2013
  • March 2013
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • May 2012
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011

2011 Cold River Bartenders Bash Aleppo Pepper Aliena Anthony Bourdain Arborrio Rice Asparagus Bacon Beef Brunswick Maine Carly Lowell Carrie Brownstein Cheese Chicken Chicken of the Week Chocolate Mousse Clementine Clementine's Restaurant Clementine Restaurant Cold River Cold River Gin Cold River Vodka Colin Contest Dorothy Baxley Eddie Costales Eggs fish stock Flour Flour Tortilla Flour Tortilla Recipe Food Battle Fred Armisen French Omelette Fresh Pasta Griffon Ridge Gritty's Havana South How to clean a lobster How to Video Hugo's hurricane irene its what's for dinner Jacques Pepin Julia Child Kippy Rudy Lard Lobster Lobster and Shrimp Risotto Lobster Risotto Lobster Tortellini Madame E. Saint-Ange Maine Legislature Maine Shrimp mattie daughtry Mexican Northampton Old Port Sea Grill Omelette Passion Personal Poll Pork Pork Roast Portlandia Sage Salmon in Bric Pastry Sausage Shiver Smith College Tex-Mex Tortilla Tex-Mex Tortilla Recipe Tex-Mex vs Traditional Tortilla Recipe Traditional Tortilla Valentine's Day

GrowingUpJulia Twitter

  • Apple Chutney wp.me/p1jjdG-9W 9 years ago
  • What I've been up to in the Maine Legislature and my first bill! wp.me/p1jjdG-9O 9 years ago
  • State of the union time! Go #POTUS ! glad to see that John Boehner has laid off the tanner this year. #sotu 9 years ago
  • @cmsbru Crazy! Apparently it originated in lake arrowhead, maine and was measured at 4.5. 10 years ago
  • @rqfenn yeah! We all ran for the door frames. Very strong for Maine! 10 years ago

Baked Goods Chicken of the Week Desserts Eggs Events Food Porn Fresh from the Garden Growing Up Julia Holidays How To Video Ice Cream Late Night Munchies Mexican Opinion Politics Restaurant Review Risotto Uncategorized

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Growing Up Julia
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Growing Up Julia
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...