C’est Français: Menus for Julia Child Day Feature Chef’s Famous Dishes

Coq au vin, French onion soup and crêpes on the menu? It must be time for the annual Julia Child Day celebration at Smith.

This year’s culinary festivities on Thursday, Nov. 20, mark the 10th anniversary of the event honoring alumna, chef, author and television personality Julia Child ’34.

Child’s passion for French cooking—expressed in her authorship of a dozen cookbooks and her role as host of the long-running PBS television series The French Chef—helped transform the way Americans think about food.

Child’s kitchen, which she donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 2001, is now on display in the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. That same year, Child donated her Cambridge, Mass., house to Smith. Proceeds from its sale were used to support construction of the Campus Center.

The annual event in Child’s honor is meant to capture her indomitable spirit, as well as her love of fun, culture and cuisine. (This is the woman known for such pearls as “A party without cake is just a meeting” and “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.”)

Smith’s first Julia Child Day was founded in 2004, the year she died at age 91. Past celebrations have included panel discussions, cooking demonstrations and special meals using Child’s recipes.

This year, the Campus Center Café will feature Child’s dishes on November 20 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lunch specials include “Julia’s Local Market Salad” made with butternut squash and fennel, French onion soup and grilled coq au vin served on parslied potatoes.

The Dean of the College office will host a reception from 3 to 4 p.m. on Chapin Lawn with local cheeses, cider and apples on offer. (In the event of bad weather, the reception will be held inside the Campus Center).

From 7 to 10 p.m., a “Julia in the Evening” crêpe bar will be on the menu in the Campus Center Café.

Dinners served at campus dining locations will also be special on Julia Child Day.

Chapin, Morrow/Wilson, Gillett, Cushing/Emerson, Lamont and Hubbard will be serving “Breakfast at Night,” while Tyler, King/Scales, Chase/Duckett, Cutter/Ziskind and Comstock/Wilder will offer an oven-roasted turkey meal. Vegan options will be provided and menu items feature locally-produced ingredients.

Dessert is no exception. It’s Maple Valley ice cream in flavors that won the most house votes: Pumpkin, Pumpkin Oreo, Dutch Apple, Peanut Butter Cup, Oreo and Black Raspberry.