Measuring Up

If A-má is Cici’s reminder of her Taiwanese heritage and the food that comes with it, Julia Child symbolizes Cici’s introduction to American cuisine. The librarian informs Cici that Child’s cooking shaped a generation of American housewives via her French cooking traditions. The time that Cici comes to spend with Child’s television show and her cookbook is very similar to the time that she spent with her grandmother in Taiwan, and she forms a relationship with the chef as her “American A-má.” Ultimately, she learns two important lessons from Child. The first is that she should have the “courage of conviction” in her attempts at cooking (187), an idea repeated by her friends on the day of the competition. This phrase reminds Cici to believe in herself and to have confidence in her abilities as a chef.

The second lesson that Cici learns is that it is alright to fail. Watching Julia Child fail to flip a potato pancake allows her to keep her eyes focused on the end goal, and she understands that she might make mistakes as she learns to cook different dishes for her family, friends, and the judges of the competition.