It's hard to believe, but America's most famous TV chef didn't learn to cook until her late 30s. During World War II, Julia Child worked for the Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner of the CIA.
After moving to Paris with her husband, she enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu at 37. She was 49 when Mastering the Art of French Cooking came out in 1961. Two years later, The French Chef began airing on public TV, and she became a legend.
