HEART OF FRAN'S KITCHEN

Cooking for me is an on-going accumulation of knowledge and experience. I never stop trying new dishes, but I never abandon the ones best loved by family and friends. For the first five years, I taught myself to cook, but I felt I needed some professional training. I wrote to Julia Child for recommendations. I mentioned that I worked at the Peabody Museum, which was virtually around the corner from her home. She knew the museum housed objects from many remote parts of the world. She asked jokingly if I might share a recipe using "crocodile warts." Then she responded to my inquiry. "If you have French, I recommend the following places in Switzerland … Otherwise, I recommend the Cordon Bleu School of Cookery in London." I didn't "have French." Harvard granted me a three-month leave of absence to study at the London Cordon Bleu, where I completed what was then called the certificate course. It was enough professional training to continue learning on my own.