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In Julia's Kitchen

Practical and Convivial Kitchen Design Inspired by Julia Child

Pamela Heyne and Jim Scherer

“Most architects I know don’t know anything about cooking, and their designs are not practical for cooks!” Julia Child wrote to architect Pamela Heyne. Indeed, our contemporary kitchens are showplaces with islands, hidden appliances, and cold stone surfaces. They resemble laboratories more than the heart of the home, and they are neither cook friendly nor family friendly. American culinary icon Julia Child embraced the significance of the family meal and was devoted to sharing delicious food with friends and family at the comfortable dining table in her kitchen, a place where conversation was as important as cuisine. Pamela Heyne and Julia’s long-time food photographer Jim Scherer collaborate to share Julia’s kitchen design and lifestyle concepts in this book, which examines the kitchens in her Cambridge, Massachusetts, home; at la Pitchoune, the Childs’ French vacation retreat; and in her television studio. The authors reveal which materials, layouts, and equipment Julia preferred and why, providing practical advice interspersed with Julia’s inimitable, wry humor. They bring Julia’s wisdom into the contemporary kitchen, exploring current trends, including modern green sensibilities, and varied styles of kitchens, featuring architectural designs by Heyne, Jacques Pepin’s kitchen, a renovation Julia Child consulted on for PBS’s This Old House, several celebrity home kitchens, and more.

Paper: $27.95 | E-book: $22.95
ISBN-13: 9781611689136
Pages: 176 | Size: 8 in. x 10 in.
Date Published: October 4, 2016
Imprint: 
Screenshot-2023-10-11-at-16.51.58

Reviews

  • A must-have addition for the bookshelves of any Julia Child fan, and it is an insightful read for anyone who spends time in the kitchen.

    Jacqueline Cain
    Boston Magazine
  • Architect Heyne revisits the time she interviewed Julia Child about the design of her kitchen for Washingtonian magazine, and expands on Child’s insight into kitchen design. The strongest segment of the book recounts the meeting in words and photos [when] Child welcomed Heyne and photographer Scherer into her Cambridge, Massachusetts home, and gave them a personal tour of her kitchen. . . . Includes interviews with friends and acquaintances of the TV chef, digressions on Child’s other kitchens (public and private), and photos from various dinner parties.

    Publishers Weekly

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