Cooking with the OSS

I remember watching a lot of Julia Child's cooking show when I was growing up. I think it was on PBS, along with other fav's Mr. Rogers, Reading Rainbow, and Romper Room (not to put those shows in the same category).

Before becoming the Chef that we know and love Julia was working for the United States Government's pre-CIA intelligence agency called OSS (Office of Strategic Services). Who knew that the same woman I was watching cook fantastic chicken and fish dishes once also worked for the US Government as a spy?

In the 1940's during WWII, Julia was assigned to create a shark repellent to coat the mines that the Navy planted for the German U-Boats. The curious sharks would bump into the mines setting them off, and in turn alerting the Germans as to the whereabouts of the explosives! 

I know this isnt "new" news, but it's interesting nonetheless!




"So... Julia Child and a few of her male compatriots got together and literally cooked up a shark repellent," that was used to coat the explosives, McCarthy says.