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Whether you're a lifelong Julia Child fan or you've only recently come to her via the HBO television series Julia, you know this iconic woman knew her way around the kitchen. Through her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her memoir My Life in France, Julia shares her must-have kitchen tools and we're here for it. Here's a few of her favourites:
1) Mortar & Pestle
Julia cherished a large soapstone mortar and pestle she bought at a French flea market. She mixed, muddled and ground with it for years, and said it reminded her of her student years in Paris.
2) Baking Stone
Julia and her husband Paul went to great lengths to perfect the perfect baking method suitable for home bread bakers. After many trials and tribulations, they landed on the technique of using a baking stone and steam to achieve the perfect crusty loaf.
3) Knives
Julia advised American home cooks to make the switch to good knives, starting with a chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife.
4) Non-Stick Cookware
When you imagine the cookware hanging in Julia's kitchen, it's the plethora of copper pots that most of us remember. However, Child loved a good non-stick pan. She even designed her own non-stick, heavy cast aluminum omelette pan.
5) Whisks
In the pilot episode of The French Chef, Julia used a wire whisk to make her famous omelette. She encouraged cooks to put aside their electric beaters in exchange for a variety of different sized whisks.