1. Use Canned Broth

Yes, you read that right. Even Julia Child could see the convenience of using canned broth in her recipes. However, there’s a trick for making it taste homemade. Place the broth in a saucepan with some diced carrots, celery and onion. Add a good glug of white wine and simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes. Then use it as you would any homemade broth. Genius!

2. Use Fresh Garlic

You know the wonderful aroma that fresh garlic gives off when it cooks. But I bet you also know what a pain it is to separate the cloves and then peel them. Julia Child to the rescue! First, cut the top off the head of garlic. Then use the side of a knife to pop the cloves from the head. Drop the cloves into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds and the peel will slide right off.

3. Test Meat Often

Once meat gets going, it tends to cook very quickly. When you want a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak, you’ll need to test it often and pay close attention to it. If it feels squishy when you press on it, it’s getting close to perfection. The more springy it gets, the more done it is. Use this method to make sure your steak is perfect each time you cook it.

4. Cook outside

There’s just something about cooking outdoors that is so enjoyable. Julia Child highly recommends creating memorable meals in your own backyard. Whether you cook steak, fish, chicken or veggies, a meal outdoors has a flavor that you won’t be able to replicate anywhere else.

5. Use Butter

You can’t deny the deliciousness of butter, right? It just makes so many things taste better. With all the hype about its health risks, what’s a chef to do? According to Julia Child, you can definitely use a bit of butter without ruining your health goals. In fact, real butter is now proving to be a better choice than tub margarine anyway. Moderation is the key!

6. Buy Fresh Ingredients

Whenever possible, Julia Child strongly encourages using fresh ingredients. That applies to meat, fish, fruits, veggies and cheese. When you use fresh, you get a much better tasting meal and you don’t have to worry about the negative consequences of eating processed foods. Shop local for the freshest and best tasting foods you can find.

7. Try Something New

As you cook, you naturally begin to see how flavors blend and probably want to try new things. Julia says go for it! Try something you’ve never made before or shop for foods you’ve never tasted. What’s the worst that could happen? You don’t like it? That’s not likely if you’re the one creating the recipe. Enjoy!

Do you think Julia Child was a genius? Wouldn’t you love to be able to cook like her?