Julia Child’s one hundredth birthday is being celebrated with special events around the city (photo courtesy PBS)
powerHouse Arena
37 Main St. at Water St., Brooklyn
Wednesday, August 15, free, 7:00
www.powerhousearena.com
August 13 marks the eighth anniversary of the passing of beloved chef Julia Child, who revolutionized home cooking through her series of popular cookbooks and television programs. But Wednesday, August 15, is what would have been her one hundredth birthday, and there are centenary celebrations going on around the country for Child, who won a National Book Award, three Emmys, and a Peabody during her illustrious career. One of the primary gatherings will be taking place at powerHouse Arena in DUMBO, where “Julia at 100” will feature appearances by Tamar Adler, author of An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace, Dave Crofton, co-owner of One Girl Cookies (One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies from Brooklyn’s Beloved Bakery), Matt Lewis, co-owner of Red Hook’s Baked (Baked: New Frontiers in Baking and Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented), intimate blogger and Nutella lover Alyssa Shelasky (Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs in and out of the Kitchen), and Smitten Kitchen blogger Deb Perelman, whose first book, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes and Wisdom from an Obsessive Home Cook is due out October 31. There will be treats from Baked and One Girl, a trivia contest, free wine, and a bake-off; attendees who bring a baked good inspired by one of Julia Child’s recipes are eligible for prize packages. In addition, numerous restaurants are hosting special Julia Child menus, including Buvette, Aureole, Madison Bistro, Union Square Cafe, Marea, and Alison Eighteen. And tickets are now available for the October 28 presentation “On Julia Child at 100,” a discussion with Knopf editor Judith Jones and culinary historian Laura Shapiro at the 92nd St. Y, moderated by Alexandra Leaf.