That time I interviewed JULIA CHILD
Straight people we love: JULIA CHILD serves up culinary advice for urban gays
For a starter course, Julia Child begins this “Straight People We Love” interview by declaring that she’s not at all interested in people’s sex lives.
Nonetheless, she was once hit with a $3 million lawsuit by Daniel Coulter, a San Francisco man who alleged that Child thwarted his appointment as director for the American Institute of Wine and Food because he was gay.
“The lawsuit was settled out of court because it would have cost us so much more to bring the case to trial,” Child explains. “That fellow got something like 30 to 40 thousand dollars, so it was probably worth his while. I have nothing against gay people. I work with them all the time. It doesn’t make any difference to me what you are.”
It’s weirdos who aren’t interested in food that draw Child’s barbs.
“I don’t even consider them people,” she says in her distinctive warble.
Since so many gay men are slaves to their diet, Child has one simple rule.
“Moderation! If you eat too much or too fast, you’ll be a fat fellow. So don’t be a big fattie. It’s not healthy, and it’s not attractive. Just use some discipline,” she commands. “The downfall of American cuisine is overeating and not paying attention to what you’re eating.”
She also insists that people should eat only three reasonable meals a day — no seconds and no snacks.
“The more you snack, the fatter you get. If you want to lose weight, just eat smaller helpings,” she advises.
Has Child ever sunk her teeth into a Power Bar or sipped a protein shake?
“Yuck. I wouldn’t eat anything like that at all. I like regular food — good food. Why eat something that wouldn’t be any good?” she asks.
The culinary master confesses that her favorite ingredient is butter. She’s also been known to order fast food at the drive-thru window.
“Sure, I’ll order a hamburger and a Coke at McDonald’s. Why not?”
According to Child — who didn’t start cooking until she moved to France with her diplomat husband — one of the best ways to hold onto a man is to satisfy his stomach.
And she says learning to cook is terrific fun.
“There are lots of nice classes around. The classes are great. After work you can go out and take a class with a friend and then cook dinner and eat in. That’s how you should do it,” she says. “You’ll know when you’ve learned how to cook when you can enjoy eating it. There’s nothing difficult about cooking.”
What’s an easy starter dish when trying to impress a new date?
“A nice a beef stew and mashed potatoes with red wine. That’s always a good idea. Of course, chicken dishes are always very good, too,” she suggests.
And when it comes to equipment, Child says a decent cook can get by with only a stove, a sink, a stock pot, a frying pan and a knife. “And if you buy good equipment and use it correctly, you should never have to throw it away.”
