'Julie & Julia' Author Julie Powell Is Dead at 49

Julie & Julia author Julie Powell has died at the young age of 49 today, casting a dark cloud over both the culinary and literary worlds.

Many know her story, exploring and cooking the recipes of the inimitable and infectiously charismatic chef Julia Childs. The 2009 film directed by Nora Ephron cast actor Amy Adams as Powell herself, while Meryl Streep assumed the role of the older cook. She is survived by her husband Eric Powell who confirmed her death to the New York Times on October 26. Her passing was the result of a cardiac arrest.

What initially began as an attempt to escape her monotonous life as an office worker in Queens, Powell began spending time in the kitchen after the September 11 attacks, using food to channel her energy. Starting out as a hobby, her Salon blog evolved into a memoir containing 524 recipes. "Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen came after the blog gained a loyal following that was eager to share in Powell’s successes and failures as she endeavored to prepare challenging dishes like Boeuf Bourguignon and a deboned duck for Canard en Croûte."

In Powell's own words, "Julia Childs taught me what it takes to find your way in the world. It’s not what I thought it was,” Powell wrote. “I thought it was all about -- I don’t know, confidence or will or luck. Those are all some good things to have, no question. But there’s something else, something that these things grow out of. It’s joy."

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