Powell died of heart arrest at her home in upstate New York; according to her friends, she was a “great writer and a courageous, unique individual.

A 49-year-old food blogger who inspired the 2009 film Julie & Julia has passed away.

Julie Powell became an Internet phenomenon after attempting to cook every recipe from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Her challenge resulted in a book deal and a blockbuster film starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.

Powell died of heart arrest at her home in upstate New York; according to her friends, she was a “great writer and a courageous, unique individual.”

Her publisher, Judy Clain, stated, “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Julie, whether personally or through the profound connections she created with readers of her memoirs.”

Powell appeared on Food Network’s Iron Chef America and The Martha Stewart Show following the publication of her 2005 novel Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen.

She subsequently contributed to The New York Times, Bon Appetit, and Food & Wine and received the James Beard Award twice.

Powell was also awarded an honorary degree from Le Cordon Blue in Paris, the culinary school attended by Julia Child in 1950.

Powell admitted she had an affair in her second book, Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession, published in 2009.

It also went into her anguish at loving two guys simultaneously, her penchant for sadomasochism, and even her self-punishing sex with a stranger.

She began her affair in 2004 when she was nearing the completion of her debut novel.

Powell had secured an apprenticeship at a butcher shop by 2006, and she said in her book that the experience of slicing meat caused her to consume less of it.

She became an advocate for raising and slaughtering animals for human consumption in a humane manner.

Powell’s spouse Eric survives her.