This week A Taste of The Past investigates the rise in popularity and power of TV cooking shows. Host Linda Pelaccio looks into the origins that have resulted in today's obsession with food TV, with hundreds of shows on a multitude of dedicated food and cooking networks, they find the catalyst in the impossibly original and witty Julia Child. With the help of NYU Cinema Studies professor Dana Polan, who has written a book about the subject, discover how Julia transformed America's views of home cooking and made us enamored of French cuisine. From her refusal to use any product placement to harnessing the power of PBS, learn about this food icon and the food media empire she help give birth to. This episode is sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

This week marks the 100th episode of A Taste of the Past; congratulations to our hostess, Linda Pelaccio! To celebrate her 100th episode, Linda is remembering Julia Child's 100th birthday with food writer and author of Julia Child: A Life, Laura Shapiro. Julia was one of the most natural television personalities, and her joy for teaching cooking was more than apparent. Linda and Laura recall Julia's accessibility, and her ability to motivate and communicate great cooking methods. They also discuss Julia Child's influence on culinary culture in the 1950s and 60s - making good food accessible to all, and breaking gender barriers. This episode has been brought to you by Edwards.

"She was going straight into the world of very distinguished cooking, and she didn't look like anyone on television... She was completely unapologetic; she made it fun because it was fun for her." -- Laura Shapiro on A Taste of the Past

"Her talent was cooking, her medium was food, but the way she did everything with that food- that was her character." -- Linda Pelaccio on A Taste of the Past