Quotes by Julia Child

“In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport.”

“Find something youre passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”

“Life itself is the proper binge.”

“I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.”

“Its so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someones fingers have been all over it.”

“Noncooks think its silly to invest two hours work in two minutes enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet.”

“In department stores, so much kitchen equipment is bought indiscriminately by people who just come in for mens underwear.”

“I wouldnt keep him around long if I didnt feed him well.”

Life itself is the proper binge.

Youll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.

Remember, No ones more important than people! In other words, friendship is the most important thing--not career or housework, or ones fatigue--and it needs to be tended and nurtured.

In the blood-heat of pursuing the enemy, many people are forgetting what we are fighting for. We are fighting for our hard-won liberty and freedom; for our Constitution and the due processes of our laws; and for the right to differ in ideas, religion and politics. I am convinced that in your zeal to fight against our enemies, you, too, have forgotten what you are fighting for.

The only time to eat diet food is while youre waiting for the steak to cook.

The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking youve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.

If youre afraid of butter, use cream.

How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?

Its so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someones fingers have been all over it.

I dont believe in twisting yourself into knots of excuses and explanations over the food you make. When ones hostess starts in with self-deprecations such as Oh, I dont know how to cook..., or Poor little me..., or This may taste awful..., it is so dreadful to have to reassure her that everything is delicious and fine, whether it is or not. Besides, such admissions only draw attention to ones shortcomings (or self-perceived shortcomings), and make the other person think, Yes, youre right, this really is an awful meal! Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed -- eh bien, tant pis! Usually ones cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, as my ersatz eggs Florentine surely were, then the cook must simply grit her teeth and bear it with a smile -- and learn from her mistakes.

Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. The you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.

But my favorite remained the basic roast chicken. What a deceptively simple dish. I had come to believe that one can judge the quality of a cook by his or her roast chicken. Above all, it should taste like chicken: it should be so good that even a perfectly simple, buttery roast should be a delight.