Jacques Pepin is a brilliant teacher. His wry wit, patience, charm and mastery of Food shone through on his series with Julia Child. That's when I first became aware of the sly Frenchman. Who else would dare match wits and Old French technique with Queen Juliua? Their disagreements are all perfect recipes withing recipes of the same recipe. Mind-blowing.
When I watch Pepin I am simultaneously in awe and emboldened to try a dish or three outside the comfort zone. Brussel spouts with bacon, vinegar, butter, salt, pepper, steam-sizzled is so simple and brutally delicious it's like a revelation. And then you start thinking crazy... These brussel sprouts...and then you lay on a sunny side egg on top... the joy flows from creativity and simplicity and a quality ingredients. His solo PBS show is by far the best inspirational, technique-savvy program out there. A grilled cheese sandwich is elevated to casual decadence. Because of Jacques: marbled rye buttered on both sides with real butter, Gruyere and fontina, dijon, a few caramelized onions a shave or three of jambon...grilled under a foil-wrapped old brick. Has he ever made that? No idea. But if you watch him, Monsieur Pepin would approve the small effort it takes to create an experience we deserve. In the time it would take struggling with faux fromage individual cellophane wrappers, you can have THIS. We have tastebuds that deserve a new experience, simple and calm as that. Simple. Perfection really isn't that difficult, watching Jacques will do that to you.
Some have a trip to a Superbowl or a World Series as a Make-A-Death-Row-Wish. Me, I'd like to spend a week shopping for food and cooking with this Master and genius. And eating it all... Amen.
Both photographs are of meals prepared from scratch by the author.
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