I went on a pilgrimage of sorts this summer when I was in D.C. for the Society of Wine Educator’s Conference. I went to see Julia Child’s kitchen in the Smithsonian. Would I have gone if it hadn’t been for the movie, Julie & Julia? Who knows, maybe not. The scene at the museum was very funny. Packed with people of all ages, everyone was looking gleefully at pots and pans.

This appealed to me immensely. I am happy to see home cooking elevated to the level of art, something to be cherished and desired. I don’t claim to be a fabulous chef but I can certainly whip up a delicious home cooked meal and best of all, I enjoy it. I love having people over for dinner and sitting around the table. Growing up, the dinner table was a place of lively conversation, some arguments, lots of wine, jokes and laughter. Like many people, one of my favorite rooms in any house is the kitchen. This is why it made me so happy to see people waxing poetic about Julia’s kitchen.

Now that people are paying more attention to food and where it comes from, I think celebrating Julia Child is a must. Yes she used more butter in every dish of her food than I use in a year but that aside, she made people celebrate cooking and feel that they could cook well too.

The fact that she liked cats also made her all the more endearing.