NY Times Today: Jacques Pepin and new book "Essential Pepin"

[rotuts]

enjoy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/dining/jacques-pepin-demonstrates-cooking-techniques.html?_r=1&ref=dining

[budrichard]

Thanks for the link!

My favorite Chef!

It's over 25 years ago I acquired his two volume set, 'The Art Of Cooking' and eventually almost all of his works in their original from. All other cookbooks had been just recipes but 'The Art Of Cooking' was also about techniques with color pictures. These volumes are still used to this day with another set acquired for a daughter.

Great Chef.! Great teacher!-Dick

Edited October 19, 2011 by budrichard (log)

[rotuts]

same here.

his PBS cooking shows were jems to watch!

and if there is not a PBS near you to see his new show:

http://blogs.kqed.org/essentialpepin/

enjoy!

Edited October 19, 2011 by rotuts (log)

[Anna N]

Sprung for the Kindle edition on a gift certificate from my daughter. Not much of a celebrity fan but Jacques just does it for me - I could watch him for hours and hours. No wasted motions, no wasted food, no showing off for the sake of it. Love him.

[AnneN]

I received this book yesterday and I'm making "Chicken and Bean Stew" from page 270 tonight for dinner. Smells delicious! Just from flipping through, I can see many recipes to try. I haven't checked out the dvd yet.

[heidih]

Here is an eGullet friendly link to his new book "Essential Pepin". I consider him an icon. Hoping the new TV series is on my package.

[nickrey]

Wow $9.99 for kindle edition. No brainer.

[Pierogi]

Je t'aime le superb Jacques !

He is totally the real deal.

[flourgirl]

Pepin

Bite your tongue ! His new series (or more accurately, *current* series) on PBS, "Essential Pepin" is still teaching me things, and I've been cooking for about 40 years. Jacques is unimpeachable.

I'm thinking of buying that book. Do you have it? Any opinion you could share?

[Pierogi]

Pepin

Bite your tongue ! His new series (or more accurately, *current* series) on PBS, "Essential Pepin" is still teaching me things, and I've been cooking for about 40 years. Jacques is unimpeachable.

I'm thinking of buying that book. Do you have it? Any opinion you could share?

YES ! I just got it the other day, and while I haven't even really done much more that glance at it yet, from what I can see, its a tour de force. Plus, it comes with a searchable DVD on kitchen techniques ! It's HUGE, like 700 pages. From flipping the pages, I can see it includes all the recipes I was intrigued by on the PBS series. It looks like a great reference work, in addition to being a book you can cook from every day. I can't wait to get into it more deeply. And I think it was a steal on Amazon.

[Mjx]

Pepin

. . . . "Essential Pepin" is still teaching me things, and I've been cooking for about 40 years. Jacques is unimpeachable.

I'm thinking of buying that book. Do you have it? Any opinion you could share?

There is already a discussion of this book, here: NY Times Today: Jacques Pepin and new book "Essential Pepin"

[rotuts]

I have the book and its become one of my favorites along with the PBS series which you can watch on-line. these are 'Essentially' his favorite Rx's many old time french!

[flourgirl]

Pepin

Bite your tongue ! His new series (or more accurately, *current* series) on PBS, "Essential Pepin" is still teaching me things, and I've been cooking for about 40 years. Jacques is unimpeachable.

I'm thinking of buying that book. Do you have it? Any opinion you could share?

YES ! I just got it the other day, and while I haven't even really done much more that glance at it yet, from what I can see, its a tour de force. Plus, it comes with a searchable DVD on kitchen techniques ! It's HUGE, like 700 pages. From flipping the pages, I can see it includes all the recipes I was intrigued by on the PBS series. It looks like a great reference work, in addition to being a book you can cook from every day. I can't wait to get into it more deeply. And I think it was a steal on Amazon.

Thanks Perogi! I'm going to check it out of the library and give the recipes a whirl. I have many French books I don't use. I do use Julia and Patricia Wells the most. I'm looking forward to trying some of Pepin's recipes.

[Ranz]

Pepin is amazing, and respected by so many not even into cooking. I've learned so much from his youtube videos as we don't get those broadcasts in South Africa, and the love he gets from Youtube comments from people who just watched his videos as children, even though they don't cook at all, is very heartwarming.

I'm actually finally going to debone a whole chicken for the first time soon because of a Pepin video I found this morning. He makes it look so easy

[Emily_R]

For those of you who love him, I highly recommend his autobiography -- Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen. Its a great read -- he's lived a fascinating life -- and if you listen to the book-on-tape version the reader is wonderful and has a delightful french accent!

[flourgirl]

I have the book and its become one of my favorites along with the PBS series which you can watch on-line. these are 'Essentially' his favorite Rx's many old time french!

Thanks Rotus...I'm making the Slow Cooked Roast Pork and Rice & Broccoli Stew today. My first meal from the book.

[flourgirl]

Just an update..We loved the pork and the rice and broccoli stew.

I was afraid the meat would be dry but it wasn't. I must have over cooked it though because I went by the estimated hours/cooking instead of meat temperature. By the time I tested the temp, it was 175. Next time I will use the thermometer that goes in the meat and the rest of the thermometer is outside the oven. I was also concerned the marinade would be too spicy. When water was added, it was much better.

The broccoli and rice stew was great. Next time I will cut the stalks smaller because it took longer to cook on my electric stove.

[Rinsewind]

For those of you who love him, I highly recommend his autobiography -- Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen. Its a great read -- he's lived a fascinating life -- and if you listen to the book-on-tape version the reader is wonderful and has a delightful french accent!

I heartily second that! Great book from a great chef.

[Pierogi]

I've now made, I think, 5 recipes (for sure 4) from "Essentials". All of them, save the bread I made today, have been home runs. Last night I made the Swiss chard stuffed onions. Baked onions are scooped out so that you just have a shell of flesh. Chop the insides, and saute with some garlic. Add chopped Swiss chard leaves, and let wilt. Mix in some (raw) crumbled, sweet Italian sausage, S&P and stuff the baked onions. Top with Parmesan, place in a gratin dish and bake for another half an hour. Superb. The onion gets soft and sweet and melty, and even though you think the filling will be bland (no seasonings save garlic and S&P), the sausage infuses it with a lovely, fatty goodness. I could've eaten 2.

The others have been mostly veggie side dishes....the most memorable was the cucumber and tomato stew. A surprising method for this combination, and one that trumped whatever main dish I had it with (don't remember the main, DO remember the cucumber stew).

The bread, gros pain, was meh, but it could've been me, or my yeast. I'll try it again. The book is a winner.

If you have it, make the baked stuffed onions !