Julie Powell, whose early food blog rose to renown and was later made into a best-selling book and blockbuster film, has passed away at the age of 49.

As a diversion from her day work in 2002, Powell set a goal for herself to prepare all 524 of the recipes in a cookbook by TV chef Julia Child in 365 days.

The subsequent blog attracted a sizable following, and a book was published in 2005.

Julie & Julia, a 2009 movie adaptation written and directed by Nora Ephron, starred Amy Adams as her. Meryl Streep received an Oscar nomination for her performance as Child.

When Powell was a child, she would sneak Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 out of her mother's cupboard.

When she was 29 years old and went to see her parents, she ran into it once more.

She was despondent at the time and employed by the Manhattan Development Corporation following the September 11 attacks. In 2020, she admitted to receiving numerous calls from locals and the loved ones of persons who had passed away.

"I received calls from people who had lung conditions after being in that area on 9/11, and I frequently had no idea where to refer them. I would simply listen to them, some of whom were insane and others not. But they were all seeking assistance in a way that we weren't always able to provide.

"So that's what I was doing every day, and that kind of makes one feel useless and inadequate," the author said.