Julie Powell, author of "Julie & Julia," dies at 49

Julie Powell, the food writer who rose to prominence with her blog-turned-book-turned-movie, "Julie & Julia" — in which she tried to prepare all 524 recipes of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" — has died at the age of 49, her publisher confirmed. 

"It is with gratitude for her unique voice that we will now remember Julie's dazzling brilliance and originality. We mourn her loss with her husband Eric and her family," Judy Clain, Powell's editor and the editor-in-chief of Little, Brown, said in a statement. "We are sending our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Julie, whether personally or through the deep connections she forged with readers of her memoirs. She was a brilliant writer and a daring, original person and she will not be forgotten."

The New York Times reported she died Oct. 26 at her home in upstate New York. Her husband, Eric Powell, told The Times her cause of death was cardiac arrest.