Born in 1935 near Lyon, France, Jacques Pepin has been surrounded by food his entire life. From his apprenticeship at the young age of 13, to working in Paris as a young adult, to emigrating to the States in 1959, Pepin knew from the beginning that his life would be centered around food even though chefs weren’t adored as they are today, and cooks typically lived a humble, modest life out of the spotlight.
Today at age 87, Jacques has published over 30 cookbooks, been on over 13 series of 26 shows with PBS, wrote a column for the New York Times for nearly 10 years, taught at Boston University for over 40 years, and has won 24 James Beard Awards. In this episode, Jacques takes us on a journey of his childhood through later adult years, and shares stories about things like turning down a position as JFK’s personal chef and what it was like hosting a television series and being lifelong friends with Julia Child, plus his thoughts on family and cooking, and why he believes the kitchen is the most sacred place in the home.
Resources:
Follow the Jacques Pepin Foundation on Instagram
Learn more about the Jacques Pepin Foundation
Order Jacques newest cookbook, Cooking My Way
Follow Female Foodie on Instagram
Ed McFadden
I love watching him cook, learned a lot.
suzy deyoung
hi, I so enjoyed your podcast with Jacques. I shared it on my social media as I had a wonderful afternoon chatting with Jacques a few months ago. His daughter Claudine posted this as a comment on my share: “a couple typos – he was born in Lyon, not Leon, and has been at Boston University for around 40 years, not 70.
Thank you so much for having such a lovely article about my Father.”
Hope you can correct it!
Brooke Eliason
Hi Suzy- thank you so much for the edits. I’ll make sure and correct asap and please tell Claudine that I apologize for the errors and appreciate her kind feedback. Thanks! -Brooke
Norm
I love Chef Jacque Pepin’s approach to food preparation. He uses everyday items you’ll normally find in your refrigerator & his recipes are easy to follow. I have learned proper techniques & what items I should have on hand. Thank You Chef Pepin…
Brooke Eliason
He is one of the best! Thanks so much for the visit.
G Mullins
He’s the best! Thanks for sharing!
Chris Macdonald
Respect Chef.🫕