Julia Child quotes remind those of us eating takeout and protein bars that we’re missing out on one of life’s ultimate pleasures; exceptionally good food (aka: French food).
After attending culinary school in France, Julia Child collaborated on the cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which became a bestseller in 1961. After the book’s success, Julia Child graced the small screen on The French Chef. She was also the inspiration behind the 2009 film Julie & Julia.
Here are some scrumptious Julia Child quotes.
“The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know they’re right if you love to be with them all the time.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“You think careful cooking is love, don’t you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“You learn to cook so that you don’t have to be a slave to recipes. You get what’s in season and you know what to do with it.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“When I got to France I realized I didn’t know very much about food at all. I’d never had a real cake. I’d had those cakes from cake mixes or the ones that have a lot of baking powder in them. A really good French cake doesn’t have anything like that in it – it’s all egg power.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“Because of media hype and woefully inadequate information, too many people nowadays are deathly afraid of their food, and what does fear of food do to the digestive system? I am sure that an unhappy or suspicious stomach, constricted and uneasy with worry, cannot digest properly.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“As a girl, I had zero interest in the stove. I’ve always had a healthy appetite, especially for the wonderful meat and the fresh produce of California, but I was never encouraged to cook and just didn’t see the point in it.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“In Paris and later in Marseille, I was surrounded by some of the best food in the world, and I had an enthusiastic audience in my husband, so it seemed only logical that I should learn how to cook ‘la cuisine bourgeoise’ – good, traditional French home cooking.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“Once you have mastered a technique, you hardly need look at a recipe again and can take off on your own.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“I think anyone who is a carnivore needs to understand that meat does not originally come in these neat little packages.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“What a marvelous resource soup is for the thrifty cook – it solves the ham-bone and lamb-bone problems, the everlasting Thanksgiving turkey, the extra vegetables.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“It’s so beautifully arranged on the plate – you know someone’s fingers have been all over it.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“In the 1960s, you could eat anything you wanted, and of course, people were smoking cigarettes and all kinds of things, and there was no talk about fat and anything like that, and butter and cream were rife. Those were lovely days for gastronomy, I must say.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“Life itself is the proper binge.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“I had my first French meal and I never got over it.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“I found that the recipes in most – in all – the books I had were really not adequate. They didn’t tell you enough… I won’t do anything unless I’m told why I’m doing it. So, I felt that we needed fuller explanations so that if you followed one of those recipes, it should turn out exactly right.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“Usually, one’s cooking is better than one thinks it is.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“The art of bread making can become a consuming hobby, and no matter how often and how many kinds of bread one has made, there always seems to be something new to learn.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“I don’t believe in twisting yourself into knots of excuses and explanations over the food you make.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper. Everything can have drama if it’s done right. Even a pancake.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“To be able to serve and to eat a whole fish, especially a trout, is part of civilized dining.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“As we say in the American Institute of Wine and Food, small helpings, no seconds. A little bit of everything. No snacking. And have a good time.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“I still feel that French cooking is the most important in the world, one of the few that has rules. If you follow the rules, you can do pretty well.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“I was lucky to marry Paul. He was a great inspiration, his enthusiasm about wine and food helped to shape my tastes, and his encouragement saw me through discouraging moments. I never would have had my career without Paul Child.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“In department stores, so much kitchen equipment is bought indiscriminately by people who just come in for men’s underwear.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“Being tall is an advantage, especially in business. People will always remember you. And if you’re in a crowd, you’ll always have some clean air to breathe.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“The perfect dressing is essential to the perfect salad, and I see no reason whatsoever for using a bottled dressing, which may have been sitting on the grocery shelf for weeks, even months – even years.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“I wouldn’t keep him around long if I didn’t feed him well.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking
“I think one of the terrible things today is that people have this deathly fear of food: fear of eggs, say, or fear of butter.”
― Julia Child, Author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking