Frank Oz talks about Julia Child
Julia Kid, traveling chef
Julia Child (1912–2004) was a famous chef who wrote several cookbooks and appeared on a number of her own television cooking shows beginning in 1963.
As recounted in Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, one of Child's recipes was served at a dinner party on the night that the idea for Sesame Street was first discussed. Entertaining Lloyd Morrisett and his wife, Joan Ganz Cooney "served up a delectable boeuf bourguignon, beef stew in red wine with bacon, onions, and mushrooms, a traditional French recipe — which, as it happens, appears on page 315 of the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Let history note, then, that Julia Child, public television's grande dame, provided the savory sauce poured on the night Sesame Street was conceived."
The week of January 21, 1974, Child appeared at a two-day event in Washington, D.C. for public broadcasting in which she performed in a skit with Cookie Monster. The skit featured a vocal duet,[1] and ended with Child pouring ingredients down Cookie Monster's mouth. Vice President Gerald R. Ford also attended the event.
Oz and Child would cross paths again in 1995 when they each appeared in Martha Stewart's Home for the Holidays, Oz this time playing Miss Piggy.
References[]
- Oscar the Grouch declares himself "the Julia Child of Grouches" in Sesame Street Episode 0112.
- When enjoying some vegetables in Episode 1858 of Sesame Street with Big Bird and a kid named David, David remarks, "Like Julia says, 'Bon appetit!'" in reference to the chef's closing line on The French Chef.
- Count von Count remarks, "Watch out, Julia Child!" as he works in Hooper's Store in Episode 2339 of Sesame Street.
- The script for Sesame Street Episode 2392 indicates that Barkley was to represent Julia Child for a televised cooking show during Maria's fantasy. When the segment aired, Barkley "speaks" with a Child-esque lilt to his growling.
- Episode 2524 of Sesame Street features Julia Kid, an Anything Muppet spoof of Child that hosts a cooking program of her own: The Traveling Chef.
- Cooking by the Numbers features Ruthie as a parody of Julia Child.
- Nanny is watching a similar cooking show in the Muppet Babies episode "Nice to Have Gnome You," with Frank Welker doing an exaggerated Child impression.