Julia Child - The French Chef
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Julia ChildBrand: Public Broadcasting Service
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 30 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-04-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: PBS
Movie Reviews of Julia Child - The French Chef
Movie Review: The archetype for all TV Food shows. The great Julia. Buy It
Summary: 5 Stars
These `The French Chef' DVDs give us 18 episodes of this landmark Julia Child PBS series organized by course rather than by chronology. Among the first disc's side dishes are early (1960s) black and white episodes mixed in with later (1970s) color episodes. These confirm what we have read in Julia Child's biography that the early shows were Herculean feats of improvisation in front of a live TV camera in an improvised Boston (WGBH) studio, where there was no opportunity to edit out mistakes.
These episodes show how Child really set the standard for the TV cooking show and invented almost all the conventions we see nowadays from the likes of Paula Deen, Giada DeLaurentiis, and Emeril Lagasse (in his no-audience `Essence of Emeril' shows). It also shows where show creators such as Alton Brown and Rachael Ray have created great shows primarily by breaking out of Julia Child's prototype.
While the contemporary TV culinarians still follow Julia's lead, it is amazing to see how so many of Julia's shows still do a better job with their subject. For starters, you get the full 30 minutes of material per episode. You don't get 22 minutes of material with three interruptions for commercials and promotions. You also get complete shows on a single dish, albeit relatively complicated dishes like the classic `Salade Nicoise'. After four years of watching the Food Network virtually on a daily basis, I recall no show, even from the more classicly oriented hosts such as Martha Stewart or Ina Garten, dealing with a complete composed salad.
The `Salade Nicoise' is composed of at least three major and two or three minor tasks. Making the potato salad alone takes practically half the show. And, actually seeing how Miss Julia composes the final presentation is easily worth anything from Ina or Martha.
In contrast, the modern 22 minute culinary shows are often used to demonstrate three or even four different dishes, which leaves very little room for expounding on less common techniques. If nothing else, the art of the swapout has been mastered to the point where one may be surprised to see any real cookng at all. This is one reason why I respect Rachael Ray's demonstrations, as she is clearly always working in real time.
One possible negative aspect of this show is seen on some episodes where Miss Julia gives us the traditional French method which has really been discarded by almost all modern chefs. One example which comes to mind is on her demonstration of trussing a roasting chicken. Every modern American writer I have seen, including even James Beard from 30 years ago, does not bother trussing a chicken in any way. They simply tuck the wing tips under the body and may suggest tenting the breast with aluminum foil or draping it with bacon so it does not become too well done while the slower cooking dark meat finishes.
Even this show, however, has its virtues, as when Julia shows us how to detect when a bird has gone past its prime by checking the bone on the tip of the breast. If it is fully bony, the bird is probably well over a year old. If it is still soft, the bird is still between 9 and 12 months old. I was also pleased to see, on this episode, exactly how the wishbone is extracted and was reassured to see that even so expert a cook as Ms. Julia Child had some difficulty in doing it neatly.
In short, Julia Child had no inhibitions against doing messy kitchen tasks.
If you are a Food Network junkie, or just a foodie, you can't go wrong by acquiring these Disks.
Summary of Julia Child - The French Chef
JULIA CHILD:FRENCH CHEF VOL 1 - DVD MovieThree servings of practical cooking advice per one serving of nostalgia is the recipe for this 18-episode culinary collector?s item. The French Chef with Julia Child, the pioneering public television series which premiered in 1962, brought French cuisine to American kitchens without a dash of pretension. Child (1912-2004), a cooking legend and cultural icon with her 6?2" commanding-yet-self-deprecating presence, leads viewers through some of her favorite and classic recipes with requisite humor and congeniality. The three-disc compilation is divided into Starters and Side Dishes; Main Courses; and Desserts and Other Classics, and includes several printable recipes from each category. In vintage black and white, the collection begins with "The Potato Show" and Child?s sage counsel, "When you flip anything you must have the courage of your convictions," before she flips half of her sautéed potatoes onto the stovetop. Peppered throughout the collection are such reminders of why Child was so endearing: she let the camera roll through all her culinary disasters. In another show, "To Roast a Chicken," Child lines up five headless poultry as if arranging for a family photo, while earnestly discussing the differences between a fryer and a roaster, the "full glory of its chickendom." Even non-gourmands will find themselves captivated by such vintage entertainment, while passionate epicureans will relish step-by-step demonstrations of wonders such as boeuf bourguignon (from her debut show), salad Nicoise, bouillabaisse a la Marseillaise, and mousse au chocolat. (All ages) --Lynn Gibson
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