If anyone doubts the lasting fame of Julia Child, just consider that each August cooks and chefs around the world still celebrate her birthday even though she has passed the hundred year mark and is no longer with us.
To many she is the individual who made the high art of French cooking approachable. To others she's the woman who made cooking fun or creative (or both). To still others she's that remarkable person who made being tall or different acceptable, even wonderful.
To members of the Hospitality Industry she is treasured because she combined joie de vivre with an unstoppable sense of professionalism. Just consider the story of the cake that made her cry....
Late in her career she filmed a segment of "Baking with Julia" for television with pastry Chef Nancy Silverton. The task at hand was to prepare a fruited Creme Fraiche Custard Brioche Tart in fixed amount of time so as not to exceed allotted TV time slot.
Everything was going well until the two chefs came to the final portion of the show which involved tasting the finished dessert. Because time was tight, Chef Silverton ladled the very hot syrup-based fruit topping onto the finished cake, never dreaming that Julia taste it while so hot.
But Julia did - smearing fruit topping and all!
Julia never even flinching a single face muscle. But she could not stop the tears of pain that started to roll down her face. With the grace and poise that endeared her to millions, she simply remarked, without spoiling the filming of the episode, that this was a cake so delightful it had brought her to tears.
Like a maitre d' who never panics at the sound of a breaking plate, Julia handled the situation with the poise of a professional. That is something we in the Industry can all admire and aspire to: don't panic, just get the job done with the least amount of fuss possible - and smile.
So, Happy Birthday Julia! Thank you for this great cake (and the lesson)!
Your Culinary World Copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2014
