Food writer Julie Powell, who became an internet darling after blogging for a year about making every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, has died aged 49.
Powell died of cardiac arrest on 26 October at her home in upstate New York, The New York Times reported. Her death was confirmed by Judy Clain, Powell’s editor at book publisher Little, Brown.
"She was a brilliant writer and a daring, original person and she will not be forgotten," Ms Clain said in a statement. "We are sending our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Julie, whether personally or through the deep connections she forged with readers of her memoirs."
Powell’s 2005 book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen became the hit, Nora Ephron-directed film Julie & Julia, with the author portrayed in the movie by Amy Adams and Meryl Streep as Child.
Powell's project inspired scores of food bloggers who followed, its template and tone apparent in the later successful web and social media projects of cooks including Dorie Greenspan, Ina Garten, Deb Perelman and Alison Roman.
"I was shocked to learn this morning of the passing of Julie Powell, the original food blogger," Perelman tweeted Tuesday under the account of her famous social media and cookbook brand, Smitten Kitchen.
"Cooking through Julia Child's books, she made Child relevant to a new generation, and wrote about cooking in a fresh, conversational, this-is-my-real life tone that was rare back then."
Source: Press Association and AFP
