Julia over here

Julia Child is synonymous with French cooking, but her personal story-recounted brilliantly in My Life in France-is also an indelible part of her legacy. Now, Julia's great-nephew, Alex Prud'homme, who co-authored Julia's memoir, returns with a sequel in spirit-a warm, witty remembrance of how Julia profoundly shaped American food culture.

In the wake of her landmark book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia suddenly found herself America's first lady of French food. We see her dealing with the challenges of fame, ultimately using her newfound celebrity to create a new type of food television.

Every bit as entertaining and inspiring as My Life in France, The French Chef in America uncovers yet a new side to a culinary legend.

From The French Chef in America

"In 1978, Julia and Jacques [Pépin] began to do live cooking demonstrations....They developed a freewheeling risk-taking approach, with no set recipes and a lot of mutual ribbing. When Julia explained to the audience the proper way to form an omelet, Jacques would sneak a piece of bread behind her back. While he demonstrated how to turn a mushroom, she'd sneak a little more butter into the pan on the stove. It was fun, but the hijinks were a tactic to keep the audience focused on the cooking lessons. Without saying so directly, their message was that making good food together can be challenging and playful; that mistakes are part of cooking and fixable; and that creative tension can push you to extraordinary heights. The public lapped it up."

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