“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook,” Julia Child once declared, along with “You learn to cook so you don’t have to be a slave to recipes.” She came to our aid with “No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize.” The legendary culinary authority taught us not only how to cook with her books and PBS shows, but also life lessons through her keen perceptions, wit, and the power of her punchy words. A newly released book “People Who Love to Eat Are Always the Best People” — one of Child’s most memorable lines — is a collection of the icon’s most beloved quotations. Alfred A. Knopf, her cookbook publisher, compiled the collection with the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. Included are illustrations from the classic “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” They produced the book for two reasons: fans adore quoting Julia, and to set the record straight and verify her quotes because she’s often misquoted, says Knopf’s senior editor, Lexy Bloom. “Everyone thinks that Julia said, ‘A party without cake is just a meeting,’ but there is no actual source or documentation attributing that quote to her.” Inspiring and entertaining, the volume provides a much-needed lift these days as we prepare for the holidays. “Julia’s words still resonate,” says Bloom. And for some of Child’s words of wisdom to cling to as we cook: “Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?” $18.95. Available at www.penguinrandomhouse.com, barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com, and other booksellers. Also of note, on Friday, Nov. 20, at noon to 12:45 p.m., GBH, with publisher Penguin Random House, will be holding a Zoom discussion about the book with a panel that includes renowned author and chef Jacques Pepin and Julia Child’s great nephew author Alex Prud’homme. The free event requires registration. To register, go to www.wgbh.org/events/julia-childs-people-who-love-to-eat-are-always-the-best-people-event-virtual.