In November 1993, Julia Child sat down with Dini Petty for an interview that bypassed the usual cookbook promotion to reveal the fascinating, adventurous spirit behind the “French Chef.” At 81 years old, Julia was a reigning culinary monarch, recently inducted as the first woman in the Culinary Institute Hall of Fame. Yet, she speaks with the self-deprecating humor of a young woman from Pasadena who joined the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) during World War II with “no qualifications whatsoever except an eagerness to help.”
Julia recounts her time in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and China, working in the filing rooms of a spy agency. She candidly admits that she and her friends joined the service partly for the adventure and partly to meet men—eventually meeting her husband, Paul Child, in the process. She recalls the stern warnings given to the women of the OSS to avoid any “funny business,” a directive she clearly navigated with her signature wit. This period in the diplomatic service eventually led her to Paris, where her discovery of French cuisine changed the trajectory of her life and American culinary history forever.
The conversation turns to her philosophy on food, where Julia Child remains a fierce advocate for the “simple pleasure of eating well.” She playfully laments that nutrition has “reared its ugly head” over the joy of the table, championing the American Institute of Wine and Food’s mantra: “moderation in all things.” When asked about her perfect dinner, she doesn’t hold back on the decadence, listing a menu of oysters, foie gras, caviar, duck, and Potatoes Anna—a classic French dish of sliced potatoes layered with clarified butter—finishing with a “great big gooey chocolate dessert” and, naturally, appropriate wines with every course.
This archive from The Dini Petty Show captures Julia Child’s infectious energy and sharp intellect. Whether she is telling the hilarious story of a monkfish that reminds her of an old boyfriend or discussing the master’s degree in gastronomy she helped foster at the Schlesinger Library, she remains the ultimate “Master Chef.” It is a rare look at a woman who lived life with an insatiable appetite, reminding us all that cooking isn’t for “fluffies”—it’s a grand, delicious adventure.
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