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.
"""This book brings Julia Child's iconic kitchen to life with vivid photos and engaging stories about how this kitchen became a supporting role in the second half of her life. Julia wasn't just a TV personality, but a pioneer of women's empowerment, transforming the kitchen from a symbol of domestic duty to a realm of culinary adventure and creativity."" -- Carla Hall * chef, author, and television host * ""Paula J. Johnson writes with the same sort of intellect and brio that Julia Child herself would have approved of. One can imagine Child hollering, ‘Bien joué,’ after reading this book. And there can be no higher compliment than that."" -- Simon Majumdar * food critic, chef, author, television personality, and host of the Eat My Globe podcast * ""I knew and loved Julia and worked with her in her kitchen, so I’m thrilled that, thanks to Paula Johnson, so many more people will come to know Julia and the joy of being in the heart of her home."" -- Dorie Greenspan * New York Times bestselling author * ""I’ll be gifting this to the young chefs in my life: food is more than recipes, and this book will be treasured by anyone looking to build a life around home cooking and the kitchen."" -- Paola Velez * chef and author of Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store *"