600221 Sun Mar 01 10:41:39 -0800 2009 39 31 Home Cooking 0 4462959 It's not necessarily the recipes - there's always something to be learned from watching his shows. Today he emptied a thick puree out of the food processor, then replaced the lid and pulsed it a second, explaining that centrifugal force cleans off the blade so you then can get all the remnant out by using a rubber scraper on just the bowl. Sun Mar 01 10:41:39 -0800 2009 159317 greygarious 1 4462998 I have always appreciated his simple, straight forward approach to cooking and how he simplifies cooking (much like his friend and colleague Julia Child did) for the masses. For many years, French cooking was viewed by many as something mysterious, fancy and complicated. Jacques and Julia demystified all that by introducing us to recipes and methods from the French country side. I recently viewed an interview of a contestant on the FN where the interviewer said, "It doesn't matter how well you can cook. If you can't convey your ideas to your audience in a manner that empowers them to duplicate the dish, you've failed". Jacques (and Julia) came to mind as the epitome of perfection in culinary instruction. Sun Mar 01 10:55:16 -0800 2009 4462959 203621 todao 1 4463190 One of the best "secrets" I learned from Jacques was something he learned from his mother -- the art of using an ordinary fork for crushing a clove of fresh garlic. No need for a specialty tool (garlic press) ... just an ordinary metal fork. It amazes people every time I demonstrate the technique and I just love it. I agree -- appreciating Jacques Pepin is far more than recipes ... I'm going to use the empty food processor pulsing technique the next time my processor has been used. It's a great new secret. Thanks. Sun Mar 01 12:07:17 -0800 2009 4462959 240168 Kodozzz 2 4474742 Ooh, how do you do that? I hate cleaning a garlic press. Sounds like I need to start watching this show. Wed Mar 04 19:33:16 -0800 2009 4463190 131105 Emmmily 3 4475672 You should see him make a garlic paste with a couple whacks of the back of a large knife! Thu Mar 05 07:29:06 -0800 2009 4474742 80937 danhole 1 4463561 In another episode, he notched the leg/thigh joint of a chicken to promote more even cooking. And with skinless thighs, he cut a lengthwise slit to the bone for the same purpose. Another nice idea is to use pastry cream (really easy to make) as a dessert custard with fruits. Sun Mar 01 14:33:34 -0800 2009 4462959 12139 paulj 1 4470767 i get hypnotized watching him chop an onion. Tue Mar 03 16:20:43 -0800 2009 4462959 18355 rudysmom 1 4471157 I loved when he boiled down the syrup in a can of peaches (in heavy syrup), added a couple spoonfuls of cream and poured it over the reserved peaches. A fabulous desert and a whole new way to appreciate a can of peaches. Tue Mar 03 18:38:17 -0800 2009 4462959 129813 TIRGL 1 4471191 No one chops like him!! I love how he always tells people to use the broccoli stems instead of tossing them. He is he best, I love his "fridge soup" Tue Mar 03 18:47:29 -0800 2009 4462959 158016 cassoulady 2 4471286 It's interesting that he does alot of his cutting with a smaller knife - not a big chef's, but somewhat larger than a paring. But you have to pay attention, because he effortlessly switches knives depending on the task. Tue Mar 03 19:26:45 -0800 2009 4471191 12139 paulj 3 4471474 I picked up a Sabatier knife that size a few years ago in France, it really has become my most used knife. A lot of it depends on the size of your hands but I find the larger size suits me well.. He is magic to watch though, read his biography for a great insight into what it takes to get to where he is. Tue Mar 03 20:57:35 -0800 2009 4471286 10784 Scrapironchef 4 4471777 His biography, The Apprentice is a delightful and insightful book. A man from a simple background, who has worked very hard to achieve a great life. It has a few of his mother's recipes also. Wed Mar 04 02:48:26 -0800 2009 4471474 15691 mcel215 3 4472942 The knife he used for vegetable chopping was the first thing I noticed watching his show this weekend. It looked like he was using a 6" utility knife (I believe he uses MAC knives). It was so smooth and effortless, considering the lack of clearance between his fingers and the board. Wed Mar 04 10:25:27 -0800 2009 4471286 150060 BigE 1 4471575 I love Jacques Pepin because his French accent grows stronger by the year, just like Arnold's "the Governator" accent grows stronger each year he's in office. Tue Mar 03 22:02:04 -0800 2009 4462959 11583 ipsedixit 2 4471712 Hmmm ... just guessing, but maybe Ahnuld's accent is getting stronger because he's not acting. Presumably when he's acting he works harder on minimizing his accent and/or becomes more conscious of it. Maybe Pepin, as he gets older, finds it harder to suppress his accent, or thinks the audience is used to him and can understand just fine. Wed Mar 04 00:35:34 -0800 2009 4471575 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 4472353 I'm not sure it grows stronger, but it certainly hasn't diminished. 20+ years ago, my late mother, who was over 80 at the time, had a crush on him (he's still handsome) and got the biggest kick every time he said to bake something on a "cookie sh*t"....he said the very same thing this morning. Today's "Jacques-aha!" moment was the advice on prepping asparagus: lay the spear flat on a board and roll it as you repeatedly whip a vegetable peeler from the bud end toward the bottom, stopping about an inch from the end. This leaves a "hula skirt" of peel, still neatly attached to the stalk, which you then snap off, maxiumizing the length of edible stem. But he also mentioned that when he was at the Russian Tea Room and had a staff of only 3, they'd have killed him if he'd told them to peel the asparagus, advising viewers not to worry about it if they don't peel. Wed Mar 04 07:53:25 -0800 2009 4471575 159317 greygarious 3 4472384 yes, i saw that asparagus trick, too. i've gotta get "la technique." i'm sorely tempted to buy the "more fast food my way" dvds.....that, and the josé andres "made in spain" dvds. josé and jacques -- they are my current chef crushes. Wed Mar 04 08:02:25 -0800 2009 4472353 105717 alkapal 4 4472596 I can decipher M. Pepin's accent but not Sr. Andres', in fairness, it may be lack of motivation since Spain's record regarding inhumane treatment of animals repels me. Look for the $20 paperback (I covered mine in plastic) "Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques" which combines "La Technique" and "La Methode" into one volume. Wed Mar 04 09:02:08 -0800 2009 4472384 159317 greygarious 5 4474686 thanks for the tip on the book. Wed Mar 04 19:12:53 -0800 2009 4472596 105717 alkapal 3 4472395 We also love watching Jacques, and greatly admire his knife techniques and inventiveness, but everytime he speaks, my husband says, "How long has he lived here???!!!" Wed Mar 04 08:05:19 -0800 2009 4472353 34558 roxlet 1 4471932 i love jacques! he is on the create network all the time. he has so many great techniques and ideas. i really enjoyed his interview on the chef's story program, as well. i'm sorry those are so expensive to buy the dvds. Wed Mar 04 05:24:35 -0800 2009 4462959 105717 alkapal 1 4472309 I have his book "La Technique," which is not a cookbook, but a compendium of step-by-step instructions, with photo illustrations, for 170 procedures - everything from prepping sweetbreads for cooking to elegantly carving a whole poached salmon to folding a napkin into the shape of an artichoke. It's brilliant! Wed Mar 04 07:40:37 -0800 2009 4462959 14386 BobB 2 4472385 I recall reading a magazine interview with Mr. Pepin. He was asked what he thought was most important for one learning to cook. He said, "Good knives." I skimmed thru his bio on the Internet, also. I knew that he had been personal chef to Charles deGaulle, but was not aware that he went to night school at Columbia for a Master's in French Literature after coming to the US. What impressed me the most, though, was seeing him one afternoon at Border's bookstore in Chicago. He needed a copy of the cookbook he co-authored with Julia Child, didn't have one handy, and I'm fairly sure he just stopped in to buy one. He looked puzzled, couldn't find it, then his daughter came up the escalator and said to him, "It's not with the cookbooks, they have it downstairs with the best sellers." While this was happening, a lady recognized him, grabbed one of his cookbooks, offered it to him with a pen, and said, "Mr. Pepin, would you mind?" He said, smiling, "I'd be delighted", autographed the book, and the lady thanked him, walking away quite thrilled with her good fortune. What a warm, gracious man. Wed Mar 04 08:02:35 -0800 2009 4472309 74076 Greg in Chicago 3 4473239 That is amazing that you got to meet him! I recommend reading his memoir, The Apprentice, My Life in the Kitchen- he began his apprenticeship/cooking at the age of 14, was in the military, cooked for Charles DeGaulle, moves to NY, goes back to school, works throughout NYC, I won't mention the rest, etc etc- his life is so awesome and it also includes recipes. It's also written in the way as if he's just invited you over for an amazing dinner, and then decided to tell you all about his life over dessert- it is warm and inviting and just so personable. He is totally my adopted French grand-pere. Wed Mar 04 11:37:05 -0800 2009 4472385 122570 teamuse 1 4472817 Maybe this is bad form (heck, it wouldn't be my first time on these boards), but does anyone else find his daughter a rather, um, bit ... annoying?? Wed Mar 04 09:56:02 -0800 2009 4462959 11583 ipsedixit 2 4472901 Are you referring to her when she was a teenager (Cooking with Claudine series/book), or now that she is the mother of his granddaughter (his pride-and-joy)? It is tricky to find the right role for a second person in a cooking show like this. Should they be the dumb audience surrogate, or a knowledgeable helper or even equal? In the 'more my way' series, she's partly that surrogate, asking questions that we might want to ask (e.g. should the Tibetan bread dough rest?), but she also adds family interest, commenting on things that her grandmother or mother like(d). The whole point of this series is 'cooking at home'. However I do think Rick Bayless and Lane make a better father-daughter cooking show team. She seems to have a more natural TV presence. Wed Mar 04 10:14:18 -0800 2009 4472817 12139 paulj 3 4472918 As a teenager. Strangely, I find her more palatable (pun intended) now that she's all grown up. You're right, though, about finding the right tone for a sidekick. It's hard to do. I used to love those episodes with both Julia and Jacque (not to say that one was the sidekick of the other...) Wed Mar 04 10:19:29 -0800 2009 4472901 11583 ipsedixit 2 4475224 Claudine does not appear comfortable on the show at all. I don't get all warm and gushy watching them cook together and I can't put my finger on it either. Perhaps, I do find her annoying and am surprised at myself... Or perhaps, it reminds me of how much I miss Jacques and Julia..... sigh. Thu Mar 05 02:57:47 -0800 2009 4472817 15691 mcel215 3 4475283 "Claudine does not appear comfortable on the show at all." You're right. We always thought that she appeared incredibly dim. How do you grow up as a daughter of one of the greatest chefs in the world and not know anything about how to cook? We know she was supposed to be the audience surrogate on the show, but her manner was so unbelievably dumb that it made those episodes excruciating to watch. Thu Mar 05 04:34:58 -0800 2009 4475224 34558 roxlet 4 4475955 Could it possibly be a childish/teenager rebellion against wanting to have anything to do with what your parents do? Thu Mar 05 08:43:58 -0800 2009 4475283 10532 LindaWhit 2 4475303 Au contraire, I think she is wonderful. They do not have a TV relationship but a real one, and the difference shows - for some people, who expect a TV relationship instead of a real one, that would probably be annoying. For me, it's a very refreshing alternative to a very stale formula. Thu Mar 05 04:45:54 -0800 2009 4472817 13819 Karl S 3 4475389 Hi Karl, I think it's wonderful that Jacques has a 'real' relationship with Claudine, but it doesn't come across that she is having fun cooking with him. I guess, I expect her not to come across so dry, or even to crack a smile once in awhile. While M. Peppin looks so natural, Claudine does not. JMO. Thu Mar 05 05:46:34 -0800 2009 4475303 15691 mcel215 4 4475650 I get the feeling that she is trying very hard to please him - too hard. You also have to take into consideration that he is a pro, and has been in the spotlight, and in front of the camera, for many years. She has not. Different people have different gifts. I give her credit just for being there. I wouldn't do it even if it was my daddy. Thu Mar 05 07:23:03 -0800 2009 4475389 80937 danhole 4 4476108 She seems to be enjoying the sidekick role in her more recent appearances on the "fast food" shows, now that she's a grown-up and mother. She's at least as at home in the kitchen as the average woman in her age group. As LindaWhit commented, the children of professional cooks/chefs may rebelliously reject learning their parents' skills. Lidia Bastianich's son has followed in her entrepreneurial footsteps but you wouldn't want him making your ravioli, and her daughter seems to have even fewer culinary interests and skills. Maybe that's why the grandkids are on so often! Thu Mar 05 09:23:55 -0800 2009 4475389 159317 greygarious 5 4476148 I have read that the reason Claudine was on that show with Jacques was that he had wanted to teach her how to cook. And,as he was being introduced to a new audience of novice cooks he thought that using his daughter like a student it would help to get his ideas across. She did not know her way around a kitchen at all. During the shows I think she did look a little blasé and out of place but hangs in there to be the foil her father needed. I also remember her admirably trying to make a few things on her own. Thu Mar 05 09:32:14 -0800 2009 4476108 75332 Gio 1 4473111 I agree. Jacques Pepin is worth watching just for the mad knife skills and the technique. Recipes come and go and as one becomes an more experienced cook can be made on the fly but technique endures and Pepin is a technique god. Wed Mar 04 11:04:49 -0800 2009 4462959 65193 EdwardAdams 1 4473582 You're right - the man is seriously a god. He makes everything he does look so simple, you can't help thinking, "I can do that!" I was fortunate enough to see him a few times in the halls of the French Culinary Institute when I was taking classes there, along with Andre Soltner and Alain Sailhac. I was too tongue-tied to try to initiate a conversation, although, several years later, I don't know why I should have felt that way. At least I got his signature in several books. Wed Mar 04 13:24:10 -0800 2009 4462959 10787 Deenso 1 4475353 M. Pepin is certainly a kitchen god. Everyone above has mentioned all the reasons why. His inventiveness, culinary skills, warm personality, gracious spirit, makes him one of the most admired chefs in the world. I have seen all his programs from the very beginning and the series with Julia stand out as some of the great duets on TV. The book they cowrote is a marvelous compilation of treats and personal favorites and shows the great admiration and love they each had for the other. My aha Jacques moment was the show where he demonstrated his grandmother's technique for a Meal-in-a-Pot.... Chicken and vegetables were cooked in a pasta pot with all the ingredients placed inside the strainer. When all is cooked lift out the strainer and the broth is left in the pot. He was so proud of that one. Thu Mar 05 05:23:47 -0800 2009 4462959 75332 Gio 1 4475666 I learn something every time I watch his show, just like I did back in the days with Julia. He is so interesting. And I love his accent! Even my "anti cooking program watching husband" doesn't mind watching Jacques. I am torn abut which book to get. I want his More Fast Food My Way, but then again I also want the book mentioned above abut the techniques. Maybe I should just get both. Thu Mar 05 07:27:42 -0800 2009 4462959 80937 danhole 2 4475699 I'm not ashamed to say that I have every single one of his books. And that I've read them, cover to cover. Thu Mar 05 07:38:26 -0800 2009 4475666 10787 Deenso