serve it forth
2004-08-13 : 4:23 p.m.

This morning, I learned of a death that saddens me more than all this year's "celebrity deaths" combined: that of Chef Julia Child, at the age of 91.

The two volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking taught me to really love cooking…not just making things, but the care and art involved in the process itself. The pages of those books are tattered and stained from years of pleasurable work with Julia as a guide.

A few the lessons on cooking (and life) I learned from Ms. Child:

- Anyone can memorize recipes; real skill involves the mastery of techniques.

- A few high-quality tools are more valuable than countless trendy gadgets.

- The most expensive raw materials cannot hide a lack of skill, and real skill can work wonders with the plainest of raw materials.

- We do our best work for pleasure and out of love; a desire to impress will impress no one.

- Presentation is something, but it’s really not everything.

- No one at the table needs to know what goes on in the kitchen.

Thanks, Julia. We will miss you. Very much.

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