Julia Child’s Kitchen

Julia Child’s Kitchen is a deep dive into the beloved cookbook author and television stars favorite place in the worldher home kitchenand how this space has influencedthe ways we cook today.

Julia Child’s 20 x 14 kitchen was a serious workspace and recipetesting lab that exuded a sense of midcenturyhomey 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. AuthoredbyPaula Johnson, one of the original collectors and keepers of Julia Childs home kitchen for the past twentyone years at the Smithsonians National Museum of American History, this bookprovides an intimate portrait of Julia at home, firsthand 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,JuliaChild’s Kitchenilluminates 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 piecestools,appliances, utensils, furniture, artwork, knickknacks, books, and bits of whimsyall reflecting Julias status as anaccomplished chef, gastronome, delightful cooking teacher, television trailblazer, womens advocate, mentor, andgenerous, jovial friend. The kitchens layout, design, and contents reflect Julias philosophy of cooking as well as a period of socialand cultural change in the United States, providinga platform for exploring such postWorld War II themes as shifting attitudesabout gender roles and domesticity orthe tension between tradition and innovation regarding culinary tools, materials, cooking, and food itself.This book, a beautifully designed tribute to Julia Child’slegacy, will be a musthave for every home cook and Julia Child fan.