Meet Paula Johnson Again

Inside Julia's Kitchen

This week on Inside Julia’s Kitchen, Todd Schulkin welcomes back culinary historian, author and museum curator Paula Johnson. They discuss her new book, “Julia Child’s Kitchen,” a deep dive into the design, tools and legacy of this iconic space. The discuss what makes Julia’s kitchen so special and Paula’s favorite stories from the book. Plus, Paula shares her second Julia Moment.

Paula J. Johnson is a curator and public historian at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. She conducts research and collects objects relating to the history and culture of American food and wine and serves as the Director of the Smithsonian's Food History Project. Johnson was one of the curators who collected Julia Child's home kitchen in 2001 and led the team that created FOOD: Transforming the American Table, a multi-layered exhibition that explores the major changes in food production, distribution, and consumption in the United States since the 1950s. She has shaped and contributed to many public programs on food history, including cooking demonstrations, wine history events, and the Smithsonian’s annual “Food History Weekend.” Johnson received the Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar in the Humanities Award in 2020.