Chuck Williams

Michael Pollan’ s article in the NYTimes last Sunday about how we love cooking shows on TV but don’t cook anymore got me thinking about Chuck Williams. Pollan introduces his article talking about the new movie about Julia Child “Julie & Julia” ( I hope to see it tonight), and the revolution she started in American cooking with the publication of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in 1961. My impression of that period of American culinary history is seen from the hardware angle, relating to the other simultaneous revolution started by Chuck Williams, the founder of Williams-Sonoma stores and catalogs. Williams was a cohort of Child in the early 60’s, and from his hardware store in Sonoma introduced copper pots, slicers, roasters and appliances to San Francisco ladies who were just getting caught up in the French cooking craze. During my stint as Williams-Sonoma’s main photographer from 1994 to 2004, I had the opportunity to hear plenty of Chuck lore and work along side him on several occasions. Pollan takes a jab at Williams-Sonoma as the place we go to get outfitted for our weekend BBQ adventures, but I think he’s missing the mark on our cooking demise. How can we talk about local food and sustainability if people aren’t cooking? The produce for sale at farmers’ markets proliferating around the country requires food prep and cooking. Here in Sonoma county there are plenty of foodies carrying on the fascination with real food in the footsteps of Luther Burbank, MFK Fisher and Julia Child.

-Paul