Jacques Pépin

Over the years, I’ve watched a lot of cooking shows. I’ve seen Julia Child and Martin Yan on PBS, then on Food Network I’ve watched Mario Batalli, Emeril Lagasse, and Ming Tsai (PBS as well). But my favorite TV chef has always been Jacques Pépin. I haven’t seen him lately, but now that we are watching more PBS I happened to catch his show ”More Fast Food My Way”. Just as the name suggests, the dishes he prepares are quick and easy, but look so delicious. There’s something about the simplicity of the recipes that give the food a classic, time-tested quality about it. And Pepin is the master of cooking technique so he is just amazing to watch. Everything he does seems effortless. This is a quote from his book ”Jacques Pepin’s Complete Techniques” (on Amazon.com)

“People often tell me that what surprises them most is watching me cook and talk at the same time. This is because my hands are trained to the point where I do not have to think about the processes I use as I make a recipe-it’s automatic. Instead of fighting the mechanics of cooking. I can concentrate on thinking about the combination of ingredients, about taste, and about texture. You may be very creative and imaginative in the kitchen, but you cannot take advantage of those qualities if you don’t know the basics. A solid background must precede inventiveness.”

Pépin also has a charming, gentle way of speaking, and he also interjects a lot of understated humor into his instructions. You can’t help but to like him. It’s amazing that with the proliferation of Food Network and the hyped-up chefs they promote, the quiet master Jacques Pépin completely pwns them all.

Official Jacques Pépin Portal

More Fast Food My Way - Complete episodes
Interview at powells.com