He will receive the award in November at the American History Museum, where Child’s kitchen is on display.

There are numerous free events where you can meet a food legend, learn a new cooking skill, and see why the celebration of food in American culture has become a central feature of the museum’s focus on innovation.

In her book, Cooking for Mr. Latte, Amanda Hesser describes meeting Julia Child in France and having to take her out for a meal. However, all the restaurants that Ms. Hesser had wanted to take Julia to were not open, and they ended up at a small cafe. With smirking teenagers looking on, Julia Child ordered fried eggs with mayonnaise, and proceeded to ensure that she consumed every bit of the mayonnaise with her eggs…

With the revival of classic cookbooks propelled by the releases of The Silver Spoon and Julie and Julia — the blog-turned-book in which Julie Powell writes on cooking every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking — it’s worth noting the death of chef and cookbook writer Edna Lewis, 89. Lewis didn’t just compile recipes. Having authored The Taste of Country Cooking, she’s largely credited with explaining and showcasing Southern cooking to…