Oh, Julia! We're So Glad We Knew You

Julia Child, even in death, is giving her heartfelt helping hand to home cooks everywhere.

How? Her book. Mastering the Art of French Cooking is sure to be on your or your mother's shelf of cookbooks this year — it's now topping the best-seller list — 48 years after it was published, reports the New York Times.

The bump in popularity is likely attributed to the movie Julie and Julia, which is about Child's book and the woman, Julie Powell, who made all of the recipes from it in one year.

But what a triumph for the lady who took the mystery out of boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin for her faithful followers. In a time like now, when retro is cool (hello Bettie Page haircuts on girls from Seattle to Portland (Maine, that is)) it's no wonder that someone like Julia Child is getting her due: her book was never on the bestseller list, but it is now. It was Julia's approachable, down-to-earth sensibility about the at-the-time highly exotic world of French cooking some 50 years ago that set her on the path to beloved icon.

Bottom line: you never had to really "master" the art of French cooking. If you tried it, and just enjoyed it, as much as Julia (and then, Julie Powell) did, you were on your way.

Bon Appetit and thank you, Julia Child.

Read the full piece here.

Photo courtesy of Esther Ruzan@sxc.hu