Food blogger Julie Powell, whose memoir 'Julie & Julia' inspired Meryl Streep, Amy Adams film, dies aged 49

Food writer and blogger, Julie Powell, well known for her memoir “Julie & Julia”, which inspired a film starring “Meryl Streep”, has died at the age of 49. Her husband, Eric Powell, reported to the New York Times that she died on October 26 of cardiac arrest caused by heart arrhythmia at their home in Olivebridge, New York.

Powell's struggles as an amateur cook were chronicled in a famous project as hilarious, and self-deprecating culinary blog Julie/Julia Project.

Powell rose to prominence in 2002, as she approached her 30th, “a secretary who lives with her husband, three cats, and a python above a diner on a barren street in Long Island City”. She embarked on a year-long quest to recreate all 524 recipes from her mother's copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking- a classic from 1961 by Julia Child, a chef on TV and the doyenne of French cookery.




Powell's blog was transformed into the best-selling Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen in 2005; the book edition was entitled "My Year of Cooking Dangerously."

Julie & Julia, featuring Amy Adams as Powell and Meryl Streep as Julia Child, was inspired by her biography. It was Nora Ephron's final film, which she wrote and directed before her death in 2012.

FAQ

Who is Julie Powell?
Julie Powell was a well-known American novelist who wrote books based on her cuisine blogs.

Is Julie and Julia based on a true story?
The film is based on writer Julie Powell's genuine tale.