The French Chef

Earlier this year (or maybe it was late 2010), the Cooking Channel launched in our area.  I never remembered to watch, however, because it wasn't broadcasted in high definition.  Well, sometime over the last few months, the Cooking Channel went HD and I'm now giving it more attention.

This week I discovered the Cooking Channel was showing an episode of Julia Child's The French Chef every afternoon.  I began recording it to watch in the evening.  I'm finding it fascinating.

Child wasn't nearly as skilled as chefs on current food shows.  For example, Gordon Ramsey probably would have popped a vein if he had ever witnessed how she handled a knife. Child also wasn't a neat cook or especially organized.  She was more a "fly by the seat of my pants" chef who didn't worry about the unnecessary mess she was making or if she missed a step.

I suppose Child's weaknesses are what made her appealing to so many.  She truly demonstrated in a way most American housewives, at the time, could duplicate.  For sure, Child loved food, which, in my opinion, is a key ingredient of a good chef.