Julia Child Loved Munching On This Iconic Childhood Snack With A Martini

French cuisine icon Julia Child was mostly known for her laborious and sometimes overly complicated recipes, as she preferred to prepare everything from scratch. But this is not to say that the television chef did not like simple dishes, too. In fact, she loved the simple French soup vichyssoise to the bone. She was also a devoted In-N-Out fan. Hence, it's not surprising to know that she also cut corners and enjoyed store-bought snacks just like the rest of us. One of her guilty pleasures was munching on Goldfish crackers, and she wasn't shy about this. You see, despite her storied career and solid reputation as a refined and elegant cook, she would often serve these crackers to her guests.

For Child, hosting a Thanksgiving dinner meant presenting her visitors with a bowl of the iconic childhood snack as the appetizer. According to Mary Beth Albright of The Washington Post's "Voraciously," Child loved kicking off the evening with a combination of Goldfish Cheddar Crackers and an upside-down martini. It was also her go-to appetizer for regular gatherings and dinner parties at her house. Goldfish were even served to guests at a Harvard symposium inspired by the late cookbook author in 2012. This just further proves how much Child adored the snack.

Julia Child was loyal to her favorite brands. From her trusted Thermador oven to the iconic mayo brand she swore by, these became staples in her personal kitchen and on her television shows. Knowing this, it makes sense that she didn't shy away from her favorite snack, even for more formal occasions. Besides, having Pepperidge Farm's ready-made crackers on hand saved her time while preparing huge feasts. The crackers might have also offered an instant hit of nostalgia to guests who munched on them as kids. It's worth noting that the iconic Goldfish crackers started as a bar food before becoming a childhood staple. This might be the reason why the cheese and cracker combination goes well with cocktail drinks. 

Serving them alongside Child's favorite simple cocktail — upside-down martini with more vermouth than gin — seemingly gave her guests just enough salt and crunch to enjoy a simple yet familiar starter without spoiling appetites. The fact that they also came in a playful and easy-to-grab shape must have delighted the visitors and been a good conversation starter. And so by the time the turkey and other carefully prepared dishes made their way to the table, her guests were already comfortably primed, but still hungry enough to enjoy everything that Child had lovingly prepared for the occasion.