Julia Child’s Cambridge, Mass., kitchen appears only briefly in "Julie & Julia." Viewers glimpse Julia’s husband, Paul, played by Stanley Tucci, readying pots and pans for a wall-mounted pegboard, and Meryl Streep, as a flawless Julia, tends to a pot on the commercial Garland range. The kitchen is small but organized—a true cook’s kitchen.

Julia lived in Cambridge for 40 years and she had an implement for every culinary application, and through her books and television shows she introduced America to new tools, including the whisk and the French rolling pin (that's the kind with no handles).

When Julia moved to California in 2001, she donated her entire kitchen to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., where it stands today. Piece-by-piece her kitchen is a model of functionality. If you’re interested in recreating Julia’s kitchen in your home, we’ve assembled some of the must-haves for anyone looking to invoke America’s beloved chef.

Butcher Block

Butcher Block tables and cutting boards require some maintenance but there is no better cutting or work surface. Though Julia brought her heavy maple block from France, Illinois-based John Boos & Co. (known familiarly as “Boos blocks”) has produced beautiful butcher-block cutting boards and counter tops from maple, cherry and walnut for the last century.

Knives

Julia insisted that every cook own a chef, paring and bread knife. In "Julie & Julia," she gleefully tore through a mountain of onions with a chef’s knife, bringing her husband to tears. Knives vary tremendously by price, style and function. But, one thing is certain: a good, sturdy and comfortable chef’s knife is indispensable, perfect for chopping herbs, slicing vegetables and fruits and breaking down shellfish and small cuts of meat.

Knife Merchant, JB Prince, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sur La Table and Korin (for Japanese knives) are some of the best knife retailers with user-friendly, information-filled Web sites.

Stock Pot

Twelve quarts is best, roomy enough for corn and lobsters (like those a screeching Julie Powell barely managed to plunge into the pot in "Julie & Julia") and big batches of chili, marinara and homemade stock. (Check out this recent article on one-pot wonders.)

Sauce Pan

Julia adored the enameled sauce pan she purchased in Paris so much, she used it for almost 50 years. Sauce pans are perfect for re-heating and making rice, oatmeal, sauces and small batches of pasta.