Hers was the first cooking show I can remember watching, and I was awed by all the equipment and techniques (I grew up with a non-cooking mom who used Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup as the starting point for most meals, and who advised me to, "When dining out, always order the beef brochette … it’s safe.")

I bought "Mastering the Art of French Cooking – Volume 1" as a teenager, and struggled through the multi-step recipes (often, with other recipes nested within the instructions) to teach myself those basic techniques. Not all of my attempts were successful; when the result was inedible, I felt terribly guilty about wasting the ingredients!

Julia Chile seemed so joyful all the time, and I envied her that. What better end to a 91-year life: to love what you do and to pass that love on to millions of others.

Thanks for everything, Julia!

(P.S. Who has visited the reconstruction of her kitchen at the Smithsonian? I’m sure that many are visiting it today.)