Julia Child's Kitchen

[hillvalley]

I know people who worked with Julia Child and her team as the exhibit evolved, before the objects were acquired through the official opening. They were in as much awe of her throughout the process as we are with the exhibit.

One person (who was involved with every major exhibit at the Smithsonian for most of the 90's) said it was one of his best experiences.

[Jason Perlow]

The US Postal Service requires that, aside from a deceased president, ten years must pass before a civilian may be honored on a postage stamp.  May I suggest that we begin here and now, on e-gullet, to build that list of petitioners in support of a postage stamp of Julia Child?  Jason, would you find some way to make e-gullet the collective source so that petition could be made to the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee that a Julia Child commemorative stamp be issued in 2014?

Looks like Julia stamps may be in our immediate future, at least for people who want them:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/08310...tostamps_1.html

A new "Personalized" stamp program being done by Stamps.com and the Postal Service will allow anyone to put virtually any image on a stamp. The downside? They cost twice as much.

[Jason Perlow]

Cool panorama picture of Julia's Kitchen.

http://www.wbur.org/photogallery/news_juli...07/panorama.asp

And from that photo, I have discovered something that Julia and I have in common: We both love Skippy.

EDIT: Evidence shows she seemed partial to Super Chunk, whereas your esteemed founder likes Creamy.

[KatieLoeb]

I love the pegboard that Julia kept in her kitchen, with the outlines of all the utensils and pans. Much like one might have in a garage or workroom. A place for everything. So organized and so pragmatic. Just like the lady herself.

[Mayhaw Man]

Well, I had some time to kill on Tuesday in DC and I rode the Metro to the Smithsonian stop, got off, and marched over to the History museum. I had two plans-see the excellent country music photographic exhibit by Henry Horenstein and also to see Julia's kitchen.

The kitchen is one of the most interesting, and oddly inspiring, museum installations that I've ever witnessed. I was pretty much stuck to the floor in front of the thing for an hour or so. All of the little details (she had a serious knife fetish, among other things) were interesting, but really struck me was the simplicity of the place. Sure, the much talked about peg boards were cool (and a great idea for small kitchens), and her very simple collection of cookbooks were pretty interesting-Larousse, her own stuff, the Joy of Cooking, some of the Time Life series books, and that's about it.

They also have a video display running of her old shows and while I was there she was making boeuf bourgogne. Well, as I was cooking dinner on Tuesday night, I was completely inspired. Back on the Metro, down P Street to Whole Food, and then on the bus to Mt Pleasant with a load of beef shank, onions, red wine, and other accoutrement needed to make that very satisfying dish. It turned out great. I should make it more often, as it satisfies almost every food wish that I have-simple yet complex, straightforward, but technique driven. Awfully good.

But that Whole Food? Yikes, I know that you don't call them yuppies up there, but the people watching opportunities for a simple country boy such as myself made it worth the trip. If they put a block on Blackberries in there, they wouldn't have any customers as every other one was yacking away while shopping for prepared food (not too many grocery buyers, but lots of shoppers buying ready made stuff).

Anyway, I highly reccomend a trip to see that kitchen. It's worth the price of admission (free).

[mrbigjas]

Anyway, I highly reccomend a trip to see that kitchen. It's worth the price of admission (free).

better hurry, though, the smithsonian is shutting down the american history museum for two years to do extensive renovations, starting with several galleries and installations this spring and ending up completely closed by sept. 5.

julia's kitchen is one of the ones staying open till september, according to their site.

[srhcb]

Anyway, I highly reccomend a trip to see that kitchen. It's worth the price of admission (free).

better hurry, though, the smithsonian is shutting down the american history museum for two years to do extensive renovations, starting with several galleries and installations this spring and ending up completely closed by sept. 5.

julia's kitchen is one of the ones staying open till september, according to their site.

←

I was already planning to be in Cincinnati this August, and maybe also visiting Washington DC, but now I'm more inclined to do so.

My cousin has been a volunteer at the Smithsonian for many years, (she's a Trilobite expert), and has always said she can get me a "behind the scenes" tour. Maybe I could even handle some of Julia's utensils!

SB

[I_call_the_duck]

I've been dying to go for years.

I missed it the last time we were in DC a couple of years ago. We're going in two weeks, and I told Mr. Duck that Julia's kitchen is a MUST SEE.