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Dearie; Obsessive Compulsive Cycling Disorder; The Corruption of Malcolm Gladwell

Upon the publication in October 1961 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, The New York Times' restaurant critic Craig Claiborne deemed it "the definitive work for non-professionals". 

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Dearie; Obsessive Compulsive Cycling Disorder; The Corruption of Malcolm Gladwell

by Bob Spitz

Knopf

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(e-book)

 

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Upon the publication in October 1961 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, The New York Times' restaurant critic Craig Claiborne deemed it "the definitive work for non-professionals". Bob Spitz's biography of one of the book's authors, Julia Child, is similarly admiring of its subject, presenting an affectionate take on the original television chef. Somewhat brave to publish a volume on someone about whom much is already known, Spitz rises to the challenge and succeeds with not only his main dish but also the sides, among them chapters on Child's wealthy family, the McWilliamses. With the arrival of the second world war, Child, who would have turned 100 on August 15, began working as a clerk in the Office of Strategic Services, a job that would take her to, among other places, Ceylon, where she met her husband, Paul, Kunming and Chongqing. One gap is in explaining how Child, who in her mid-30s was still prone to culinary disasters, became quite as remarkable a chef as she did.

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