This is the anniversary of Julia Child's birth. I can't really add a lot to the encomiums (encomia?) from the food world. I only met her half a dozen times. But what I can say is, whenever I read things talking about how hard, or involved, or long, or old-fashioned her recipes are... I want to scream...
If you like to cook AT ALL... making one of her recipes will be among the most satisfying things you ever do. Par example... when I offered a class entirely devoted to her Boeuf Bourgignon... we quickly sold out all of the spaces, had a joyous evening cooking and talking and melting and searing and simmering and eating, and at the next class... all of the people who had been there came in beaming, wanting to tell me that they'd made it at home. That's not the reaction people have to something too hard, old-fashioned, etc.
I know we're busy. I get it. But feeding people you love is not something to do "fast." It's something to do well. Julia changed everything. She made mistakes, and then she fixed them. She loved teaching. She loved food. She disdained the food police. Her joy became our joy. The world is a better place because she was here. Let's not let her influence die because we're "busy." No one's THAT busy. Pull out a copy of ANY Julia Child book you have - and you know you have one somewhere - go to any page, and make the recipe. Perfectly researched and written... easy to follow... and foolproof if you do what she tells you to. You'll be glad you did.
Thanks, Julia.