Hi, I’m Claire. And I might be a little obsessed with Julia Child.
Who I Am
I run JuliaChildFans.com, a fan-operated tribute site celebrating the life, legacy, and recipes of Julia Child.
This isn’t a corporate food site, and nobody sponsors me. Just a home cook who fell hard for Julia’s approach to food and couldn’t stop talking about it. So I built a website.
Every recipe here comes directly from Julia’s cookbooks. Every fact has been researched and verified. Over 100 recipes tested in my own kitchen so far, with more on the way.
How It Started
The year I turned seventeen, I was flipping channels on a lazy Saturday afternoon when a rerun of The French Chef came on.
There was this tall woman standing at the stove. A potato pancake had just half-landed on the stovetop. Instead of panicking or cutting to a new take, she scooped it right back into the pan and said something that stuck with me:
“You’re alone in the kitchen. Who’s going to see?”
That was it. Something clicked.
Cooking wasn’t supposed to be stressful. It wasn’t about perfect plating or impressing anyone. It was about feeding people you love. Trying things. Laughing when the soufflé falls.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking came home with me the next week. That copy is now covered in butter stains and the spine is cracked from use. It’s my favorite thing I own.
Why This Site Exists
After that Saturday afternoon, I was hooked. Over the years, the project became cooking my way through Julia’s entire catalog.
Beef Bourguignon took three tries. French bread failed spectacularly before it finally worked. Chocolate mousse? That one I make every Christmas Eve now.
But here’s the thing. I kept meeting people who had never heard of Julia Child. Or worse, people who thought cooking was “too hard” or “too fancy” to even try.
Julia would have hated that.
So I built this site. My way of introducing her to a new generation. Of showing that French cooking isn’t as scary as it sounds. Because if I can make croissants from scratch, literally anyone can.
What You’ll Find Here
The recipes come directly from Julia’s cookbooks. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, The Way to Cook, From Julia Child’s Kitchen, and the rest of her collection. All sourced, all tested.
There’s also accurate information about her life. Like the fact she helped develop shark repellent during World War II. Or that she didn’t learn to cook until she was 37.
And honest tips throughout. What’s tricky, what’s easier than it looks, and what’s worth the extra effort.
If you’ve never deglazed a pan or julienned a carrot, you’re exactly who I made this for. Start with the most popular recipes if you’re not sure where to begin.
How the Research Works
The original texts get referenced for every recipe. Page numbers get noted. And these dishes get cooked in my actual kitchen, not some professional test facility.
For biographical information, the sources are Julia’s memoir My Life in France, PBS archives, the Smithsonian, and documented interviews. Internet rumors don’t make the cut.
If something is difficult, you’ll know. If it’s easier than expected, you’ll know that too.
Why Julia?
Because she was fearless.
She didn’t learn to cook until 37. Failed her first exam at Le Cordon Bleu. Spent ten years writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking before anyone would even publish it.
Then she went on live television, back before retakes and editing existed, and showed America that cooking could be messy, imperfect, and still completely wonderful.
She dropped things on camera. Burned a few more. Made mistakes constantly and just kept going.
That’s what I love about her.
“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”
“Life itself is the proper binge.”
She found cooking. I found her. Now the goal is passing it on.
Say Hello
Got a question about a recipe? Want to share your own Julia Child story? Contact me here →
Every message gets read. Might take a day or two to respond (probably elbow-deep in a cassoulet), but I always write back.
Disclaimer
JuliaChildFans.com is an unofficial fan site. This site is NOT endorsed by, affiliated with, or connected to:
- The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts
- WGBH Educational Foundation
- Alfred A. Knopf (publisher)
- Any official Julia Child organization
Julia Child passed away on August 13, 2004. This is a fan tribute site created to share her recipes with new generations of home cooks.
All trademarks and copyrighted materials belong to their respective owners.
For full legal details, see our Disclaimer page.
Bon appétit!
Claire