Julia Directors Spill On The Non-Fancy Foods Julia Child Loved - Exclusive
You'd be forgiven for assuming Julia Child's culinary proclivities would be exclusively of the fancy variety. She literally wrote the book on French cuisine catered towards an American audience. And then there that was that oh so distinctive Mid-Atlantic accent, which sounded nothing short of regal. But, according to Julie Cohen and Betsy West, the co-directors of the must-see new documentary "Julia," which offers an in-depth examination of the food icon (as seen on YouTube) — when it comes to Child, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
"She wasn't a food snob," West insisted during an exclusive interview with Mashed. "I mean, she was an expert in cooking French, but she loved a good hamburger." Don't believe her? Well, Cohen and West bring the receipts in "Julia." As West noted, "We love the scene in the film with her and Jacques Pépin in a later show that they did together, and they clearly just made an amazing hamburger, and they both bite into [it] with gusto."
While Child did have a love for the fancy stuff, her fondness towards comfort food made her a surprisingly no-stress pick as a dinner party guest, too. "The question [has been] asked if people would be afraid to invite Julia Child for dinner," noted West. "She's like, [in Julia Child voice] 'No, just get me a good hamburger, a good steak, and I'll be fine.'"
Julia Child served Goldfish at her dinner parties
Speaking of dinner parties, if you were fortunate enough to have been invited to one of Julia Child's famed feasts, there was one item in particular that became one of her signatures — and it was far from classic French fare. "She would make very elaborate dinners, but for hors d'oeuvres, I think because she didn't want to ruin people's appetites with fancy [fare], she would often just serve Goldfish," said West. "That was her hors d'oeuvre of choice." To be clear, there was no cheese plate. No charcuterie. Not even a bowl of olives to help kick off a meal. According to Cohen, it was "just crackers."
You also had to make sure to keep an eye on your food when dining near Child, as the film makes clear that she was known to steal a bite or two from your plate without warning. She may have been the grande dame of French cuisine, but Julia Child was far from being Ms. Manners.
Catch "Julia," in theaters now in Los Angeles, New York, and other select cities, to savor Julia Child as her true authentic self.