Celebrating Julia Child's Centennial Locally

Julia Child would, if alive, would celebrate her 100th birthday on Wednesday, most likely with a glass or two of French wine. Bay Area fans of her casual, off-beat passion for fine French food that can be prepared at home are celebrating the centennial with everything from special dinner menus to black-and-white video clips of her original TV show, The French Chef.

Locally, Berkeley's famed Chez Panisse – which is closer to El Cerrito's southern-most border than El Cerrito City Hall is – will offer Child-influenced menus all week, according to the Contra Costa Times.

Restaurant, at 3917 Grand Ave. in Oakland, will offer a special set menu Wednesday night that restaurant staff describe as "influenced by Julia Child." According to sfist.com, the four-course menu will include chicken tarragon, Provencal fish stew, steak au poivre and a baked prune dessert, all among Child's iconic dishes.

It's hard to overstate how much Child influenced average American cooks to branch out from fried chicken and tuna casseroles into more adventurous dishes, and how much fun her shows could be to watch. Catch a brief glimpse of some of her most memorable moments in the attached YouTube video, a preview for a 2009 PBS special.

For more about the centennial, see these links:

Foodies to celebrate Julia Child centennial on Aug. 15 (Contra Costa Times) lists some Bay Area restaurants with special centennial celebrations this week.

Celebrating Julia Child’s Centennial: How “The French Chef” Became TV’s First Hit Cooking Show (KQED's "BayArea Bites") has videos of several original shows, photos and recipes.