Julia Child vs Fannie Farmer: should the cook trust her senses or the scale?

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JULIA CHILD vs FANNIE FARMER go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

JULIA CHILD

Cooking is a joyful adventure, Fannie! You must taste, smell, and splash the wine in with abandon, and never apologize for a fallen soufflé.

FANNIE FARMER

Abandon is how families starve on Tuesday, Julia. My level measurement turned guesswork into a recipe any tired mother could trust, exactly, every single time.

JULIA CHILD

But a cup measures flour, not courage! I want home cooks to fear nothing, not to worship a measuring spoon.

FANNIE FARMER

Then teach them the rules first, dear, for only the cook who can measure precisely has earned the right to throw the scale away.

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