An Invitation to JULIA CHILD'S KITCHEN with Author Paula J. Johnson

Join Bold Fork Books for the a celebration of the release of JULIA CHILD'S KITCHEN with author Paula J. Johnson in conversation with Theresa McCulla.

ABOUT THE BOOK

JULIA CHILD'S KITCHEN is a gorgeous dive into the beloved cookbook author and television star’s favorite place in the world—her home kitchen—and how this space has influenced the ways we cook today. Foreword by Jacques Pépin.
This book, a beautifully designed tribute to Julia Child's legacy, is a must‑have for every serious home cook and Julia Child fan. Including interviews with famous chefs who knew Julia well, commentary on her favorite kitchen gadgets, and a stunning array of photos, Julia Child’s Kitchen illuminates the stories behind the room’s design, use, and significance, revealing how Julia Child continues to impact food and cooking today.
Julia Child's 20’ x 14’ kitchen was a serious workspace and recipe‑testing lab that exuded a sense of mid‑century homey comfort. It has been on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., for most of the past twenty years, and museum goers have made it a top destination. Between lively narrative, compelling photography, and detailed commentary on Julia's favorite kitchen gadgets, Julia Child's Kitchen illuminates the stories behind the room's design, use, significance, and legacy, showing how deeply Julia Child continues to influence food today.
The kitchen contains more than one thousand parts and pieces—tools, appliances, utensils, furniture, artwork, knick‑knacks, books, and bits of whimsy—all reflecting Julia’s status as an accomplished chef, gastronome, delightful cooking teacher, television trailblazer, women’s advocate, mentor, and generous, jovial friend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paula J. Johnson is the curator of food history and director of the American Food History Project at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. She was one of the curators who originally collected the kitchen from Julia Child herself in 2001 and has worked with the kitchen and its contents for many years since, building expertise in American culinary history, food technology, history, and culture. Jacques Pépin is one of the world’s most celebrated chefs. Through his long and distinguished career as a professional chef and instructor, host of 14 popular public television series and author of dozens of cookbooks, Pépin has advanced the art and craft of culinary technique as much as any other figure of the past century. His dedication to culinary education led to the creation of the Jacques Pépin Foundation in 2016.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Theresa McCulla is a curator and public historian. Her work investigates how Americans have used material and visual culture to understand race, ethnicity, and gender, especially in the realm of food and drink. Her first book, , was published by the University of Chicago Press in May 2024.

Host or Publisher Bold Fork Books