Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a two-volume French cookbook written by Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, both of France, and Julia Child of the United States. The book was written for the American market and published by Knopf in 1961 (Volume 1) and 1970 (Volume 2). The success of Volume 1 resulted in Julia Child being given her own television show, "The French Chef", one of the first cooking programs on American television. Historian David Strauss argues that the publication of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", "did more than any other event in the last half century to reshape the gourmet dining scene."
The Way To Cook
"The Way To Cook" differs from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in numerous ways. While "Mastering" was a collaboration that co-authors Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle had gotten underway before Child's involvement, "The Way To Cook" was a solo work written entirely by Child during the late 1980s. Another difference was that "The Way To Cook" did not focus entirely on French cuisine, on which her reputation had been built, but added a substantial number of recipes for traditional American dishes, especially those of New England, where Child's mother had come from and where Child had spent much of her life. In this, the book reflected the diversification of the cooking repertoire on Child's television show, "Julia Child & Company," that had taken place since its premiere in 1978.