The cookbook that became a lifeline
Julie Powell was suffering from depression when she turned to the work of iconic TV chef, Julia Child. She then vowed to master her heroine’s most famous recipes in one year.
From a young age, Julie Powell had been enthralled by a book in her mother’s pantry: Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It was co-authored by one of America’s culinary titans - the eccentric but pioneering TV chef, Julia Child. Years later when Julie was working as a secretary and suffering from depression, she returned to Julia Child’s book, but this time she decided she was going to master its recipes - all 524 of them, and she would do it in a single year. Her fridge soon became packed with endless leftovers, as she methodically worked her way through Child's great canon. It was a project that puzzled some, including her mother, but before long she and her project had legions of passionate followers. Would Julia Child herself be one of them?
Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Picture Credit: Alamy, Granger Historical Picture Archive.
Podcast
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The Outlook Podcast Archive
True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives
