More than 100 Deercreek residents attended the lively, informative and often hilarious portrayal of Julia Child at the Deercreek Club. The iconic chef was depicted by Ruth Pangrace of Cleveland, Ohio, who presents notable women in American history as part of the Women in History organization. Pangrace, sister of Deercreek resident Janice Malick, has a repertoire of 13 historical presentations.
The Julia Child evening, sponsored by the Deercreek Home and Garden Club, included an optional dinner at the club with a French-inspired menu including Coq-Au-Vin, Beef Bourguignon, mushroom bruschetta and other Club favorites developed by Deercreek Chef Jason Witcher.
Featuring a set representing an episode of her Mastering the Art of French Cooking TV show, Pangrace (who’s 5ft 4ish ) strutted like Julia (who was 6ft 2in) and brandished knives, pots and pans and threw onions in the air to make French onion soup. She then stepped out of the kitchen set to share details of her life, telling how she arrived in Europe while working with United States intelligence services during the Second World War.
There she met her husband Paul Child, who also worked with the US intelligence services, which eventually led the couple to Paris. After introducing his wife to fine cuisine and good wine, Paul Child inspired Julia to master French cooking. Believing her height and awkwardness made her unattractive, Child said her husband had ‘fallen in love with her’ because of the beauty of her legs.
Returning to the US after finishing culinary school and working with partners Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck to write a 726-page book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the collection of recipes became a best-seller and received critical acclaim for its illustrations and details. She became the first chef with her own TV cooking show. With additional books, numerous television shows and articles, Child and her often imitated high-pitched voice soon became an industry icon.
Ruth Pangrace kept the audience entertained with her grand gestures and flamboyant descriptions of Julia’s cooking and her life. She received an enthusiastic ovation for her one-woman show depicting Julia Child.
Included in the evening was a 50/50 raffle (50% to support HGC projects to beautify the Deercreek grounds/50% to raffle drawing winner). Throughout the evening HGC Board member Sharon Juhasz, donning a chef’s hat and apron, and carrying a large pot, along with members Lark Will and Mica Brown, lobbied diners and attendees to collect $1320 from raffle ticket purchases. At the end of the evening the raffle drawing was won by member Elizabeth Curtin, who declined the pot and asked that all the raffle proceeds be earmarked for HGC projects.
