Jacques Pepin: Man, Myth, Legend

[Gail Hughes]

The Great Jacques will be in the www.foodtv.com chatroom on Tuesday, December 11 at 8 p.m.  

Gail

[Jinmyo]

Jacques Pepin is my pretend "dad".

[Bux]

[This was posted in the NY forum after attending a public appearance by  Jacques Pepin in NYC.] discussion JP [Jacques Pepin] said that the idea people have of French food is the one found in three-star restaurants, which only number 20 in France out of the thousands of restaurants (he gave an exact number that I don't remember) found throughout the country. He talked of some of his friends who go to France and eat in five of these 20 in 10 days, while he doesn't think he's eaten in five in his life.

I think that's a great statement to think about and discuss here. I suspect there are few of us here who wouldn't bow to his knowledge of French cuisine, but what is the relevance of that statement to traveling and dining in France and is there any relevance to this forum in the statement?

Among the serious contributors to this forum, we've had those who normally exceed 5 three star meals in ten days of travel in France and those who have never set foot in a three star restaurant for many reasons. I find three star dining almost essential to my travels in France, but there are foods that are equally essential to me that I can't find in a three star restaurant. In spite of the fact, or maybe because of the fact, that I'm a city boy, I also find restaurants in the provinces more interesting and satisfying than those in Paris.

[Jinmyo]

There is no doubt that for some persons a three-star meal can be a deeply uplifting experience. But the basic approach to cuisine in the French tradition can be transformative.

I'll recount again a story from when I was seven or so, sitting in a courtyard in Normandy in the shadow of a barn built in the 1100s, eating a simple lunch of bread, butter, cheses, meat, and green salad. I had never, until then, realized that food could taste... good. I cried and cried with joy.

No haute cuisine meal I have had in my days of youth in Europe, Africa, the U.S. or Canada at restaurants, hotels, or embassies have ever had such an impact.

By the way, a few months after that occasion I first had an onigiri (rice ball) with some minced salmon and crushed ume handed to me by a neighbour in British Columbia. I cried then too.

St. Jacques represents and presents as well as the haute food of the 1940s and 1950s but the middle and lower class foods of his youth in Lyon. He is not the "best" chef in the world and this kind of food is not "haute". But it is delicious.

I strongly recommend his picaresque autobiography, The Apprentice. (mods may insert amazon.com link)

Amazon link. --bux

[baruch]

interesting thread. how does 1 begin? somehow in so many restaurants/bistros/brasseries/cafés in france, they just seem to do it right. for some reason, in nyc, it comes off, more often than not, as oafish. why? je ne sais pas?

it does seem odd that pepin would make such a statement, but then again it seems odd he has not visited more *** rests??? only speaking for myself, i love experiencing all types of places in paris, etc... & even though the *** restaurants i have eaten in seem outrageously hi, i find the level of food so extradinary that somehow (?????) i don't mind the entry price!!!!!!!

[maggiethecat]

I strongly recommend his picaresque autobiography, The Apprentice. (mods may insert amazon.com link)

Make that two strongly recommends.

(And Jinmyo, thanks for a wonderful post.)

[swissmiss]

Three for The Apprentice. And Jinmyo, St. Jacques said the same thing you did last night: There is nothing better than good bread and fresh butter. What led to that comment is the mention of a meal he had just had, which consisted of an omelette made with fresh eggs from a neighboring farm and herbs from their garden, homemade bread, and butter made by Gloria, his wife.

[Louisa Chu]

I ate at my first three-star last week - Ledoyen - for our Cordon Bleu Superior class dinner. We were not in the main dining room but in the private dining room. The experience was amazing but more so for me because we went with our chefs who are old friends of their chefs. It was a big rowdy reunion party. While the setting, service and food were all very good - and I'm sure even better in the main dining room - I know I'll find more moving food experiences in France outside of the three-stars than within - the kitchens notwithstanding.

Jin, you were one amazing kid. And still are.

[Jonathan Day]

I've recounted the following story once before on eGullet: many years ago, I attended a weeklong observation class with Jacques Pepin where the organisers warned the participants, before the class, that we would not taste any of the foods prepared.

"Nonsense," said Pepin, "how can they learn to cook if they can't taste what we are cooking?" And, through a sort of modern day miracle of the loaves and the fishes, he somehow arranged for each of us to taste every dish he prepared.

I still remember a lot of what he taught in that class. He conveyed not only deep competence (boning a chicken with a few knife cuts, reducing garlic to a purée in seconds, etc.) but also a real love for the food and the work, and boundless warmth toward the participants.

[FoodMan]

I strongly recommend his picaresque autobiography, The Apprentice. (mods may insert amazon.com link)

Make that two strongly recommends.

(And Jinmyo, thanks for a wonderful post.)

Three

[robert brown]

After you throw out all the bad ones among the thousands of restaurants Pepin refers to, what's left?

[Fat Guy]

Never get restaurant recommendations from a chef!

[Jinmyo]

Never get restaurant recommendations from a chef!

And this is a fundamental issue: the differences not only betwen front of the house and kitchen, but consumers and producers. What makes a good restaurant for these differing contexts is rarely the same thing.

[cigalechanta]

The book is wonderful but I think Jacques knows that often the top star restos fail and the smaller ones can do better food. At Ducasse's Bastide de Moustiers, I had to send back my lamb, fat , grizzle. so tough. I can't think of any other place I sent back a dish.

[|dumplin'|]

http://www.olssons.com/cgi-cart/events.pl#2

I couldn't find this posted elsewhere on the eGullet- apologies if this is duplicative....

Is it just me, or is this guy the most appealing man in food?

[syzygy8]

I enjoyed his book. I think Ruth Reichl's stuff was more entertaining, but Pepin's was a worthy read.

[Al_Dente]

Any ideas where he'll be having dinner tonight?

[Busboy]

I enjoyed his book.  I think Ruth Reichl's stuff was more entertaining, but Pepin's was a worthy read.

Pepin's memoirs have more than a whif of profiteering about them, and lack the artistry of other memoirs. On the other hand, his contribution to the culinary education of America is almost unrivaled -- Reichle couldn't carry his chef's knife -- and he has more than earned the right to earn a few kopeks from his old drinking stories.

If I didn't fear it was going to be a mob scene (and if I weren't ditching the kids tomorrow for an rGullet roundup), I'd be there in second.

Al has the right idea -- ambush him at dinner.

Edited April 21, 2004 by Busboy (log)

[|dumplin'|]

Don't know where he's eating tonight- but last night he dined at the National Press Club.

http://www.press.org/abouttheclub/restaurants.cfm

If I call his publishing house, does that cross the "stalker" line?

[cjsadler]

I was heading to a friend's in Ballston anyway, so I stopped by the Pepin event. Pretty crowded. He spoke for only about 15 minutes or so, but then did Q&A for another 45 minutes. People actually asked some interesting questions.

What did he think of El Bulli and it's followers?

Thought it was very interesting movement and that they were doing things no one ever would have thought to do before. However, as an aside about 'destination' restaurants in general, he said that good food need not be complicated. "How often have you raved about simple food, saying 'that was the best roast chicken or the best hamburger, etc..'? Good quality ingredients handled well can be the most satisfying thing". Or maybe this was just him getting old, he said.

Alot of questions led to some fascinating digressions about cooking in America over the past few decades. He's thrilled with how far grocery stores have come. Said it used to be that you had to go to a specialty store just to get button mushrooms (he remembered going into grocery stores and asking where the mushrooms were and then being directed to the canned goods aisle). Loves the multiculturalism of America and the wide range of available cuisine ("In France, 99% of the people only eat French food").

Said he has a new series coming out on PBS in the Fall: "Fast Food, My Way". Also, he said the best secret in New York is the 5-course dinner at L'Ecole, the French Culinary Institute's restaurant (Pepin is the dean). Price: $30 (!)

Asked him where he was eating that night, just out of curiosity. Said he wasn't sure.

[syzygy8]

I was heading to a friend's in Ballston anyway, so I stopped by the Pepin event.

Thanks for the report. He had noted in his book the changing nature of supermarkets. I think he's absolutely right about that. What a pain in the ass it was to have to go crosstown for an essential "speciality" ingredient for anyone who wanted to cook something besides meat loaf or fish stix.

[paul o' vendange]

I loved his book, but then I've followed him since I was but a kid with his publication of La Technique. Felt after reading the memoir he'd be a blast over a bottle of wine. Personally, I think he could care less about gaining anything from it. I just have the gut feeling he likes what he is doing and has made a good life from it, and probably felt it was about time to look back on his life in cooking. I'm really glad he did. (I get more of a sense of "profiteering" from a host of would be "masters" seen on any number of cable shows).

I think we in America owe him a far bigger debt than he probably gets credit for. Because he has, along with Julia and others, brought French technique and cuisine to the masses, it is easy to forget his true import under the garish glare of celebrity chefdom and the phenom it has become. But were it not for Chef Pepin and his cohorts and colleagues, we'd might still be making velveeta surprise using canned spinach.

Paul

[morela]

Don't know where he's eating tonight- but last night he dined at the National Press Club.

http://www.press.org/abouttheclub/restaurants.cfm

If I call his publishing house, does that cross the "stalker" line?

|dumplin'|

Are you the City Books reviewer for WCP? My young guess.

You know about advertising/editorial budget at WPC, your first post was a poem, and you posted about Art-o-matic. That's very CP.

[|dumplin'|]

Hi Morela-

I am not on the CP payroll but have been tapped to write articles on music and other events from time to time. I have also partnered with them for Literacy Volunteer fundraisers -- showcasing local bands. Citypaper is great for publicizing grass-roots DC events.

As an update-- the meal-o-matic efforts are progressing well, with several chef volunteers. I will post more information as it becomes available.

cheers-

dumplin'

[vogelap]

I'm actually seeing Jacques tonight at a book signing in Cincinnati, Ohio. I'm quite excited to meet him. I'm going to ask him to sign my copies of THE APPRENTICE and THE COMPLETE TECHNIQUES.