Arrival of a Long Awaited Package

My Julia Child cookbooks finally arrived this afternoon! They were shipped late so I had to wait an extra four days for them. My fingers trembled with excitement, as I opened the cover of Julia's Kitchen Wisdom, eager to absorb all of the experience and instruction she had so meticulously and thoughtfully measured into it. (I know not everyone gets this excited about cook books, but cum' on it was a package! Alright, I know I'm a dork so get over it.) I eventually set Julia's Kitchen Wisdom down after reading the introduction, as it is mostly a reference book, and soon began to devour Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The "Introduction" is an appropriate title because I was introduced to Julia Child, the circumstances which led her and her associates to writing this book together, and Mrs. Child's successes thereafter.
Next I read the "Forward" in which Mrs. Child explains her purpose of writing and the most effective way in which to read Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which led me to believe it was really a textbook. I intend to treat it as a textbook at any rate. I will carefully read through the instruction and recipes of each section, and then selecting recipes out of each category to fit my needs and pocketbook, I will test my comprehension and practice what I have learned. I'm so excited to broaden by abilities in cooking; Julia says that French Cooking provides a skill level that will act as a foundation to many other ethnic cooking. I believe it will; if only to help me take cooking more seriously -pushing me to sacrifice the time to make a dish excellent instead of opting for a shortcut, as Julia says, and hoping no one notices the difference.
Reading through the techniques and processes remind me of times when, as a child, I watched my mother from the kitchen table or received instruction from her that I had long forgotten until now. How to fold egg whites in properly for example, or when my father taught me to slice and chop vegetables so as not to cut myself or fear the knife. I wonder to myself; as I read, absorb, and reflect, whether my mother or father had ever read these things themselves or if they had learned it from their parents. Maybe my grandparents had read it! How much has this book really influenced our world and we don't even realize it because it is just a trifle like a cookbook. But, deeper thoughts are for other writings and so my friends until next posting, Happy Cooking!