Inspiration

I recently finished reading My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme. I'm so glad that I read it now, as I'm in the process of writing my first cookbook (the inspiration for this blog).

Written in the first person, My Life in France provides an incredibly candid view of Julia's exhaustive research into the recipes of her first cookbook and how they would translate from French kitchens to American households. I could hear her voice, that unique voice of hers, in my head as I read about how she and her husband Paul traveled extensively and literally ate life up as they went.

Her descriptions of life in her kitchens (in each of her French apartments), cooking numerous French dishes for the first time and tasting remarkable flavors dished out by other fine chefs are nothing short of inspiring for a writer. I was even more enthused as I learned how exacting an editor she was. As both a writer and an editor, reading My Life in France gave me hope that I really can do this -- even if it takes as long as ten years, like Julia's first book did.

I have many favorite books, but I think that this one tops my list at the moment. And, it's not even a cookbook.