Blender
Ever the pragmatist, Julia Child knew American cooks needed both an understanding of classic recipes and tips for taking shortcuts. That's why, in her “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” she offered traditional versions of eggy hollandaise sauce, as well as a blender version she described as “well within the capabilities of an 8-year-old child.”
Food mill
Though Child never hesitated to adopt new technology in the kitchen, for puréeing soups she favored the old-fashioned food mill to blenders and food processors. Child said that although blenders and processors are faster, they whip all of the vegetable fiber into the soup. But vegetable mills hold back most of the fiber, producing a smoother, creamier soup.
Rolling pin
Child didn't think much of American-style rolling pins, also called bakers' rolling pins, which have a solid dowel held by two handles. In a classic moment on her public television series, “The French Chef,” Child called those pins toys and tossed one over her shoulder. She favored the French-style pin, a solid hardwood dowel with no handles.
Whisk
When Child started teaching Americans the fundamentals of French cooking, they tended to use electric beaters for basic blending and mixing. Then she introduced them to the wire whisk. She encouraged cooks to get a variety of sizes, including a large balloon whisk for beating egg whites.
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