A regular program on WGBH Boston from 1963 to 1972, The French Chef is perhaps best known for its down-to-earth hostess Julia Child with her dry wit and practical approach to "fancy" French cooking. Eighteen classic programs, in black and white and color, feature the ever-practical Julia Child educating viewers in everything from starters and side dishes like braised spinach, shirred eggs, and hollandaise sauce, to main courses like seafood crêpes and braised goose, to breads and desserts like croissants and the exotic gâteau in a cage. Julia Child leads viewers step-by-step through each recipe, imploring budding chefs to use their fingers and hands, let go of their fear of failure, avoid a sense of panic and maintain a sense of humor so that neither the cook nor the soufflé collapses. Helpful tips include advice about preparing dishes ahead of time, how to save a recipe gone awry, and an ever-present sense of humor that includes a waving goose and more than a few chuckles from Julia Child at her own inevitable bloopers. While current recommendations about food safety may necessitate altering some suggestions like defrosting a goose in the sink for 4 hours and modern dietary guidelines might frown upon the use of pork back fat in a terrine or pâté, the majority of these recipes can easily be prepared without alteration today. If you love French food and want to learn how to prepare it yourself, join Julia Child for 18 lessons that are sure to have you cooking up exotic dishes in no time. --Tami Horiuchi