Here is the captivating story of Julia Child's years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found "her true calling." From the moment she and her husband Paul, who worked for the USIS, arrived in the fall of 1948, Julia had an awakening that changed her life. Soon this tall, outspoken gal from Pasadena, California, who didn't speak a word of French and knew nothing about the country, was steeped in the language, chatting with purveyors...

Ina Garten, host of Food Network's "Barefoot Contessa," shares her favorite recipes for simple, country French food, including drinks and appetizers, lunches, soups and salads, dinner entrees, vegetables, and desserts.

Julie Powell is 30 years old, living in a rundown apartment in Queens and working at a secretarial job that's going nowhere. She needs something to break the monotony of her life, and she invents a deranged assignment. She will cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In the span of one year. At first she thinks it will be easy, but as she moves from simple potato soup into more complicated realms, she...

Documents how the author fell in love and discovered the excellence of French cuisine during a life-changing lunch in Paris, recounting her decision to leave her fast-paced New York life to build a life abroad.