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Essential Pépin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food
For the first time ever, the legendary chef collects and updates the best recipes from his six-decade career. With a searchable DVD demonstrating every technique a cook will ever need.
In his more than sixty years as a chef, Jacques Pépin has earned a reputation as a champion of simplicity. His recipes are classics. They find the shortest, surest route to flavor, avoiding complicated techniques.
Now, in a book that celebrates his life in food, the world’s most famous cooking teacher winnows his favorite recipes from the thousands he has created, streamlining them even further. They include Onion Soup Lyonnaise-Style, which Jacques enjoyed as a young chef while bar-crawling in Paris; Linguine with Clam Sauce and Vegetables, a frequent dinner chez Jacques; Grilled Chicken with Tarragon Butter, which he makes indoors in winter and outdoors in summer; Five-Peppercorn Steak, his spin on a bistro classic; Mémé’s Apple Tart, which his mother made every day in her Lyon restaurant; and Warm Chocolate Fondue Soufflé, part cake, part pudding, part soufflé, and pure bliss.
Essential P é pin spans the many styles of Jacques’s cooking: homey country French, haute cuisine, fast food Jacques-style, and fresh contemporary American dishes. Many of the recipes are globally inspired, from Mexico, across Europe, or the Far East.
In the accompanying searchable DVD, Jacques shines as a teacher, as he demonstrates all the techniques a cook needs to know. This truly is the essential Pépin.
In his more than sixty years as a chef, Jacques Pépin has earned a reputation as a champion of simplicity. His recipes are classics. They find the shortest, surest route to flavor, avoiding complicated techniques.
Now, in a book that celebrates his life in food, the world’s most famous cooking teacher winnows his favorite recipes from the thousands he has created, streamlining them even further. They include Onion Soup Lyonnaise-Style, which Jacques enjoyed as a young chef while bar-crawling in Paris; Linguine with Clam Sauce and Vegetables, a frequent dinner chez Jacques; Grilled Chicken with Tarragon Butter, which he makes indoors in winter and outdoors in summer; Five-Peppercorn Steak, his spin on a bistro classic; Mémé’s Apple Tart, which his mother made every day in her Lyon restaurant; and Warm Chocolate Fondue Soufflé, part cake, part pudding, part soufflé, and pure bliss.
Essential P é pin spans the many styles of Jacques’s cooking: homey country French, haute cuisine, fast food Jacques-style, and fresh contemporary American dishes. Many of the recipes are globally inspired, from Mexico, across Europe, or the Far East.
In the accompanying searchable DVD, Jacques shines as a teacher, as he demonstrates all the techniques a cook needs to know. This truly is the essential Pépin.
704 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2011
392 people are currently reading
767 people want to read
About the author
Jacques Pépin
82 books223 followersLibrarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. For the epidemiologist, see Jacques Pepin.
Jacques Pépin (born December 18, 1935) is a French-born American chef, author, culinary educator, television personality, and artist. Since the late 1980s, he has appeared on American television and has written for The New York Times, Food & Wine and other publications. He has authored over 30 cookbooks, some of which have become best sellers. Pépin was a longtime friend of the American chef Julia Child, and their 1999 PBS series Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home won a Daytime Emmy Award. He has been honored with 24 James Beard Foundation Awards, five honorary doctoral degrees, the American Public Television’s lifetime achievement award, the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2019 and the Légion d'honneur, France's highest order of merit in 2004. --Wikipedia
Jacques Pépin (born December 18, 1935) is a French-born American chef, author, culinary educator, television personality, and artist. Since the late 1980s, he has appeared on American television and has written for The New York Times, Food & Wine and other publications. He has authored over 30 cookbooks, some of which have become best sellers. Pépin was a longtime friend of the American chef Julia Child, and their 1999 PBS series Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home won a Daytime Emmy Award. He has been honored with 24 James Beard Foundation Awards, five honorary doctoral degrees, the American Public Television’s lifetime achievement award, the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2019 and the Légion d'honneur, France's highest order of merit in 2004. --Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 17, 2012
This is Jacques Pepin's magnum opus. Not just a collection of his recipes, but a complete re-imagining, reworking and updating of all of his recipes spanning 70 years. Everything from humble "Tuna on Toast" to "Fresh Fole Gras with Cognac Aspic."
At first glance, I was disappointed that there were no pictures. However, Jacques's own illustrations beautifully make up for this. And, the included bonus DVD is a absolutely FANTASTIC! Jacques demonstrates techniques for working with everything from chicken to chocolate.
Jacques Pepin is not only national treasure, but a world renowned culinary educator. As far as cookbook are concerned, this is a top shelf recipe collection.
At first glance, I was disappointed that there were no pictures. However, Jacques's own illustrations beautifully make up for this. And, the included bonus DVD is a absolutely FANTASTIC! Jacques demonstrates techniques for working with everything from chicken to chocolate.
Jacques Pepin is not only national treasure, but a world renowned culinary educator. As far as cookbook are concerned, this is a top shelf recipe collection.
February 14, 2012
This is the first book in a long time that I'm paging through to read each recipe. There are no color photos, just 700 recipes, and illustrations by Pepin. The work is charming and informative. You have to imagine the flavors and textures. Essential Pepin reminds me of cookbooks I used to read and dream by when I was a kid and fell in love with cookbooks.
April 9, 2012
Disclaimer: I am veg(etari)an and so cannot speak to the quality or interestingness of the recipes in the chapters involving animals. I can only report seeing a few recipes with names like "Turkey Carcass with..." or "Calf Brains and..." before quickly looking away in horror.
I'm not sure I understand this as a cookbook (even less do I understand the plethora of 5-star reviews here on goodreads). For instance, in the vegetables section, each vegetable has a recipe that goes like this: steam or boil vegetable, add butter and salt. Some recipes have names which make them sound more interesting than that, like "Asparagus Ragout", but others just come out and say it: "Broccoli with Butter". Sometimes butter with salt is even called a "sauce", but seriously, these recipes could all say "Heat your vegetable by your preferred method and throw some butter and salt on it like you always do." Heck, you can make life even simpler than that if you buy it prepackaged and frozen and throw it in the nuke. Voila! Ameri-French cooking.
There are a lot of recipes in the fruit desserts chapter, the names of which sounded promising, but on closer inspection proved to be just as silly as the above. "Make a pile of blueberries, drop some yogurt in the middle, sprinkle with sugar. Variation: Use strawberries." If you really want to mix up your repertoire, you can try the ones which simply reverse that process: Drop a blob of yogurt in a bowl, make a crater in the middle, add blackberries and sprinkle with sugar. Go on! Feel the inspiration! Get crazy and try something new! Variation? "Use raspberries." This isn't cooking, this is assembling-- and it's assembling things you can probably think up on your own.
The breads chapter is pathetic. There are only a very few recipes, all of which are considered the "starter" to the hundreds of possibilities you would get out of The Joy of Cooking ("Or as we call it in our house, The Bible ", as my recently departed friend Tom Taylor used to say-- and I agree).
I haven't yet watched the included dvd (described in the book's introduction as 3 hours of technique demonstration), but even if it's highly entertaining and/or informative, I'd recommend previewing this book from the library before indulging any impulse to buy it. This seems suitable only for someone who meets ALL of the following criteria: is broke; has nothing more in their spice rack than salt, pepper and garlic powder; has absolutely no kitchen and cooking experience whatsoever; and is in need of ideas as to how to feed themselves something that isn't out of a box. If you've got a microwave-raised kid you're packing off to go live on their own, for example, this might be a better book to give them than many of those awful cookbooks marketed directly at college students-- but please do also include The Joy of Cooking for those who come to feel throwing frozen peas on pasta isn't exactly cooking so much as it is re-heating, and who may someday want to advance a mite beyond opening a jar of Dijon and calling it ~^*^~ Asparagus with Mustard Sauce ~^*^~.
I'm not sure I understand this as a cookbook (even less do I understand the plethora of 5-star reviews here on goodreads). For instance, in the vegetables section, each vegetable has a recipe that goes like this: steam or boil vegetable, add butter and salt. Some recipes have names which make them sound more interesting than that, like "Asparagus Ragout", but others just come out and say it: "Broccoli with Butter". Sometimes butter with salt is even called a "sauce", but seriously, these recipes could all say "Heat your vegetable by your preferred method and throw some butter and salt on it like you always do." Heck, you can make life even simpler than that if you buy it prepackaged and frozen and throw it in the nuke. Voila! Ameri-French cooking.
There are a lot of recipes in the fruit desserts chapter, the names of which sounded promising, but on closer inspection proved to be just as silly as the above. "Make a pile of blueberries, drop some yogurt in the middle, sprinkle with sugar. Variation: Use strawberries." If you really want to mix up your repertoire, you can try the ones which simply reverse that process: Drop a blob of yogurt in a bowl, make a crater in the middle, add blackberries and sprinkle with sugar. Go on! Feel the inspiration! Get crazy and try something new! Variation? "Use raspberries." This isn't cooking, this is assembling-- and it's assembling things you can probably think up on your own.
The breads chapter is pathetic. There are only a very few recipes, all of which are considered the "starter" to the hundreds of possibilities you would get out of The Joy of Cooking ("Or as we call it in our house, The Bible ", as my recently departed friend Tom Taylor used to say-- and I agree).
I haven't yet watched the included dvd (described in the book's introduction as 3 hours of technique demonstration), but even if it's highly entertaining and/or informative, I'd recommend previewing this book from the library before indulging any impulse to buy it. This seems suitable only for someone who meets ALL of the following criteria: is broke; has nothing more in their spice rack than salt, pepper and garlic powder; has absolutely no kitchen and cooking experience whatsoever; and is in need of ideas as to how to feed themselves something that isn't out of a box. If you've got a microwave-raised kid you're packing off to go live on their own, for example, this might be a better book to give them than many of those awful cookbooks marketed directly at college students-- but please do also include The Joy of Cooking for those who come to feel throwing frozen peas on pasta isn't exactly cooking so much as it is re-heating, and who may someday want to advance a mite beyond opening a jar of Dijon and calling it ~^*^~ Asparagus with Mustard Sauce ~^*^~.
October 19, 2011
In “Essential Pepin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food,” world-renowned chef Pepin, popularly known for his cooking show, shares his recipes—which are divided into categories like soups, salads, eggs and cheese, pasta/rice/grains/potatoes, breads/sandwiches/pizzas, shellfish and fish, poultry and game, meat, charcuterie and offal, vegetables and side dishes, fruit desserts, puddings/sweet soufflés/ crepes, cakes/cookies/candles, tarts/pies/pastries, frozen desserts, and basics.
After each category, a page of recipes and corresponding page numbers is listed. The recipes themselves are listed with a related tidbit of information, list of ingredients, and a couple of short paragraphs detailing the preparation techniques. Most of the ingredients for the recipes are pretty basic and, thankfully, easy to find.
The recipes cover a wide range of food: anything from risotto with vegetables, mint ice cream, black truffle salad, chocolate soufflé, cheesecake with apricot blueberry sauce, chocolate mousse, potato crepes with caviar, poached oysters with mushrooms and red pepper, apricot fondue, to Christmas fruitcake, broiled lobster with bread stuffing, onion and bread soup, smoked salmon, strawberry buttermilk shortcake, and etc, etc, etc. Throughout the book, well-known dishes are mixed up with more exotic once.
The book ends with a long and comprehensive index, organized by ingredients and meal categories. A DVD is included with the book.
Now to my thoughts: I tried making some of the recipes in the book, and was impressed by the results. My favorite so far is the black truffle salad. The book is pretty hefty—as the 700 plus recipes in the title indicate. It’s definitely worth it though. Recommended for fans of cooking programs, newbies, as well as professional cooks.
After each category, a page of recipes and corresponding page numbers is listed. The recipes themselves are listed with a related tidbit of information, list of ingredients, and a couple of short paragraphs detailing the preparation techniques. Most of the ingredients for the recipes are pretty basic and, thankfully, easy to find.
The recipes cover a wide range of food: anything from risotto with vegetables, mint ice cream, black truffle salad, chocolate soufflé, cheesecake with apricot blueberry sauce, chocolate mousse, potato crepes with caviar, poached oysters with mushrooms and red pepper, apricot fondue, to Christmas fruitcake, broiled lobster with bread stuffing, onion and bread soup, smoked salmon, strawberry buttermilk shortcake, and etc, etc, etc. Throughout the book, well-known dishes are mixed up with more exotic once.
The book ends with a long and comprehensive index, organized by ingredients and meal categories. A DVD is included with the book.
Now to my thoughts: I tried making some of the recipes in the book, and was impressed by the results. My favorite so far is the black truffle salad. The book is pretty hefty—as the 700 plus recipes in the title indicate. It’s definitely worth it though. Recommended for fans of cooking programs, newbies, as well as professional cooks.
February 23, 2018
Jacques and Julia are the two chefs from whom I have learned most about a philosophy of food and about cooking technique. Mastering technique is the foundation for great cooking and allows one to create, follow or modify recipes. It builds fearlessness in the kitchen. I own most of Jacque’s and most of Julia’s cookbooks, and they are the most utilized on my bookshelves.
Essential Pepin contains so many of his classic plus easy, quick recipes for home cooks. I love how through the years, New England, and American, and the influence of his wife’s heritage have found their way into his cooking.
Essential Pepin contains so many of his classic plus easy, quick recipes for home cooks. I love how through the years, New England, and American, and the influence of his wife’s heritage have found their way into his cooking.
April 30, 2014
Ooo, this cookbook is going to especially come in handy when I have all of the fresh fruits and veggies coming in from my garden. I really liked the dvd that came with the book. Pepin is user friendly for even the most beginner level cooks out there.
January 1, 2025
This book has little to offer the vegan or vegetarian who is into modern cooking. By modern i mean not boiling vegetables prior to cooking them into a dish, not adding butter and cheese to almost every recipe. People might think Pepin is famous everywhere but i think this is only true in the united states where people love to include butter and or cheese in so many of their dishes. The obesity and diabetes rates, especially amongst children in the united states, cries out for cookbooks using healthier ingredients. Pepin must accept responsibility because he is so well known for making America Fat. No it isn't funny. There's something to say about famous chefs who, use these ingredients and meat proteins to such an extent is hard to differentiate whether or not people are really understanding how these ingredients have been used for the last 70 years to disguise the real cooking ability of this famous man.
August 31, 2017
I have always loved Pepin's take on French cuisine. These recipes draw heavily on traditional recipes, but are significantly lightened up for the modern cook. This volume is exhaustive, and for the avid French cook, it is worth purchasing. For me, however, it is a bit too comprehensive to provide much inspiration.
May 3, 2022
Quintessential American Chef
Chef Pepin is a great teacher with an amazing repertoire. He stands with the giants of American cookery, but is also a good and kind human being. I’m in good company with many others who rarely cook anything that is not influenced by him. Lots of great stuff in this collection - must have book!
Chef Pepin is a great teacher with an amazing repertoire. He stands with the giants of American cookery, but is also a good and kind human being. I’m in good company with many others who rarely cook anything that is not influenced by him. Lots of great stuff in this collection - must have book!
November 13, 2019
What's not to love?
One of the all-time greats gives 700 recipes to try including old favorites, new takes on old favorites, and hundreds of new ones--all clear, concise, and easy to follow.
It's like cooking with an old friend.
One of the all-time greats gives 700 recipes to try including old favorites, new takes on old favorites, and hundreds of new ones--all clear, concise, and easy to follow.
It's like cooking with an old friend.
March 31, 2020
Classic Pepin
I prefer watching him instead of reading. You get his personality and get to learn techniques that you can't get from a book. However, this is classic Pepin recipes and that's always a good thing.
I prefer watching him instead of reading. You get his personality and get to learn techniques that you can't get from a book. However, this is classic Pepin recipes and that's always a good thing.
February 5, 2025
Nothing fancy here, just very good and consistent recipes. My ideal partner to feed my family on a daily basis: it is fast and the steps are clear, it does not requires a million ingredient, and it is good. The anti- Ottolenghi…. What else ?
July 13, 2017
This is a wonderful cookbook. Lots of different kinds of things. Easy to use. And the results are terrific. It is one of my go to recipe books.
November 27, 2018
Great recipes and an almost biography feel. Have this on my biography shelf rather than cookbook shelf.
February 2, 2020
Fantastic recipes!
A complete and comprehensive guide for any ambitious home cook. Covers the whole range of great dishes for every course.
A complete and comprehensive guide for any ambitious home cook. Covers the whole range of great dishes for every course.
March 18, 2021
Not many like Pepin, he embodies a true long time love of food, cooking, the french way and good instructions. Its a powerful combination.
January 7, 2022
with over 700 recipes I found this book to be overwhelming also there are no photos, it is basically an encyclopedia of all his recipes which were not particularly alluring to me
August 17, 2024
3.5 Great recipes but no images or photos, which I usually enjoy.
March 6, 2025
Excellent recipes, easy to follow instructions.
April 28, 2011
I have just one complaint about this cookbook and I'll state it upfront before I go into full on fangirl swoon, no pictures. Not a single blurry polaroid. I received this as a galley, so maybe my copy wasn't complete, I hope not, but even without the pictures, this cookbook falls into a very small category of food books that I love.
Here's the shortlist of other books I love, just to give some context; 1,000 Indian Recipes, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, From Emeril's Kitchens, The Way to Cook (by Julia Child), Mexico, One Plate at a Time and The Breadmakers Apprentice by Peter Reinhart.
Essential Pepin is divided into many chapters (the book has 600 recipes!) the first is soups, after a few pages of cold soups (I despise cold soups, unless you count melted ice cream as a soup) but then moves into some real soup recipes I could see myself making for my family; Sausage, Potato & Cabbage and Garlic Soup sound the most delish.
Then onto Salads; Spinach & Mozzarella, Frisee w/Croutons and spicy olives, Asian Savoy, Lentil and Potato. He shows his french bistro roots by including many recipes for souffles, usually this would be a downer for me. Souffles are scary. We've all seen videos of a collapsed one and I just know, in my heart of hearts, that I'd make a collapsed, leathery souffle too. But Pepin's confident directions and forthright tips have almost convinced me to try (the Herb and Goat Cheese Souffle, perhaps?).
For a cookbook of mostly french cuisine, there are a surprising number of foods that I think would make lovely weeknight family dinners; Baked Chicken with Herb Crumbs, Chicken in Tarragon Sauce, Mussels Mariniere (my son loves shellfish) and Poached Salmon in Ravigote Sauce (ravigote means 'to invigorate' in French and the lemon, garlic and scallion sauce does sound rather ravigote to me).
For special nights, Duck with Orange Sauce, Lobster in Artichoke Hearts (my two fave foods, together?! The end is nigh!) Beef Tournedos in Mushroom, Mustard and Red Wine Sauce, Stuffed Squid with Cream Sauce and Kasha and the delicious sounding Lobster Souffle are just some of the more daring (and time consuming) choices.
Often there are suggestions for substitutions of ingredients and nice bits of information about the foods being prepared including references to his mother's cooking and restaurants that he admires. On a sidenote, I've always wondered where chefs eat and what they order when they are out.
Anyways, the side dishes are wonderful, I'm always on the lookout for new veg recipes and hope to add Baker's Wife Potatoes (cooked with stock and wine after saute), Asparagus in Mustard Sauce, Cream Puff Potatoes, Cauliflower with Toasted Crumbs and Eggplant and Tomato Gratin to my cooking roster.
Whew, I haven't even gotten to the desserts. I will just say that they are sweet, delightful and entirely too enticing. His exhaustive description for a tarte tatin almost made me feel like I'd just eaten one.
Bread in a bucket is a recipe I must try, same same with the English Christmas Pudding with Hard Sauce, I've always wanted to make one for Christmas.
So, pictures or no pictures, this is a great cookbook.
Here's the shortlist of other books I love, just to give some context; 1,000 Indian Recipes, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, From Emeril's Kitchens, The Way to Cook (by Julia Child), Mexico, One Plate at a Time and The Breadmakers Apprentice by Peter Reinhart.
Essential Pepin is divided into many chapters (the book has 600 recipes!) the first is soups, after a few pages of cold soups (I despise cold soups, unless you count melted ice cream as a soup) but then moves into some real soup recipes I could see myself making for my family; Sausage, Potato & Cabbage and Garlic Soup sound the most delish.
Then onto Salads; Spinach & Mozzarella, Frisee w/Croutons and spicy olives, Asian Savoy, Lentil and Potato. He shows his french bistro roots by including many recipes for souffles, usually this would be a downer for me. Souffles are scary. We've all seen videos of a collapsed one and I just know, in my heart of hearts, that I'd make a collapsed, leathery souffle too. But Pepin's confident directions and forthright tips have almost convinced me to try (the Herb and Goat Cheese Souffle, perhaps?).
For a cookbook of mostly french cuisine, there are a surprising number of foods that I think would make lovely weeknight family dinners; Baked Chicken with Herb Crumbs, Chicken in Tarragon Sauce, Mussels Mariniere (my son loves shellfish) and Poached Salmon in Ravigote Sauce (ravigote means 'to invigorate' in French and the lemon, garlic and scallion sauce does sound rather ravigote to me).
For special nights, Duck with Orange Sauce, Lobster in Artichoke Hearts (my two fave foods, together?! The end is nigh!) Beef Tournedos in Mushroom, Mustard and Red Wine Sauce, Stuffed Squid with Cream Sauce and Kasha and the delicious sounding Lobster Souffle are just some of the more daring (and time consuming) choices.
Often there are suggestions for substitutions of ingredients and nice bits of information about the foods being prepared including references to his mother's cooking and restaurants that he admires. On a sidenote, I've always wondered where chefs eat and what they order when they are out.
Anyways, the side dishes are wonderful, I'm always on the lookout for new veg recipes and hope to add Baker's Wife Potatoes (cooked with stock and wine after saute), Asparagus in Mustard Sauce, Cream Puff Potatoes, Cauliflower with Toasted Crumbs and Eggplant and Tomato Gratin to my cooking roster.
Whew, I haven't even gotten to the desserts. I will just say that they are sweet, delightful and entirely too enticing. His exhaustive description for a tarte tatin almost made me feel like I'd just eaten one.
Bread in a bucket is a recipe I must try, same same with the English Christmas Pudding with Hard Sauce, I've always wanted to make one for Christmas.
So, pictures or no pictures, this is a great cookbook.
October 30, 2011
In his 60-year career as a chef, Jacques Pépin has created thousands of recipes, trying different foods, methods, styles, procedures, and techniques. He is the author of 26 cookbooks, a cooking teacher and has been the host of several TV shows. Now he has sorted through his vast collection of recipes and assembled the best of the best in this new cookbook. While these recipes are “essentially” the way he has always cooked, they have been updated for the modern kitchen and today’s cook.
The books is arranged in sections beginning with Soups, followed by Salads, Breads, Pasta, Fish, Meats, Vegetables, and Desserts to name a few, plus an introduction written by the author. A searchable DVD demonstrating cooking techniques is included with the book. (My copy is a galley and does not have the DVD so I am unable to comment on it.) There are also interesting sidebars scattered about the book with information on food safety, mini-tutorials on things like how to open an oyster, how to trim an asparagus or even the right way to melt chocolate.
One thing I will note is there are no photos of the preparation or the completed dish. Today, so many cookbooks come with photos that I felt I should mention it so no one is disappointed. If the book did have photos, I’m sure there is no way it could include 700 recipes. Instead, a DVD is provided to demonstrate the various cooking techniques.
I dove right in and tried a few of the recipes last week. I needed something quick and easy for dinner and Grilled Chicken with Tarragon Butter caught my eye. It was quick, simple and easy to make. Fresh tarragon is growing a few steps away in my herb garden but it should also be available at many supermarkets for a last minute dish.
Yesterday I made the Pumpkin Soup. Since it’s October, fresh pumpkins are plentiful. This was a little more work but worth the effort. Some of the recipes are more complex or contain exotic ingredients which for me, living near a large city, are readily available. But many are quick and easy with ingredients usually found in your pantry. Detailed instructions are provided so even if a recipe is something new one should feel comfortable attempting it. I’ve never made pumpkin soup before and it turned out delicious.
With over 700 recipes to choose from and a wide range of levels of difficulty and preparation time, there is something here for everyone. I recommend this book as a valuable resource to add to any kitchen or cookbook collection.
The books is arranged in sections beginning with Soups, followed by Salads, Breads, Pasta, Fish, Meats, Vegetables, and Desserts to name a few, plus an introduction written by the author. A searchable DVD demonstrating cooking techniques is included with the book. (My copy is a galley and does not have the DVD so I am unable to comment on it.) There are also interesting sidebars scattered about the book with information on food safety, mini-tutorials on things like how to open an oyster, how to trim an asparagus or even the right way to melt chocolate.
One thing I will note is there are no photos of the preparation or the completed dish. Today, so many cookbooks come with photos that I felt I should mention it so no one is disappointed. If the book did have photos, I’m sure there is no way it could include 700 recipes. Instead, a DVD is provided to demonstrate the various cooking techniques.
I dove right in and tried a few of the recipes last week. I needed something quick and easy for dinner and Grilled Chicken with Tarragon Butter caught my eye. It was quick, simple and easy to make. Fresh tarragon is growing a few steps away in my herb garden but it should also be available at many supermarkets for a last minute dish.
Yesterday I made the Pumpkin Soup. Since it’s October, fresh pumpkins are plentiful. This was a little more work but worth the effort. Some of the recipes are more complex or contain exotic ingredients which for me, living near a large city, are readily available. But many are quick and easy with ingredients usually found in your pantry. Detailed instructions are provided so even if a recipe is something new one should feel comfortable attempting it. I’ve never made pumpkin soup before and it turned out delicious.
With over 700 recipes to choose from and a wide range of levels of difficulty and preparation time, there is something here for everyone. I recommend this book as a valuable resource to add to any kitchen or cookbook collection.
March 17, 2012
This is a compilation of Pepin's favorites, as anyone can tell from the title. He gives a concise introduction to the book, telling how his cooking gradually moved from being very French to being "American." I might quibble with that "American" label if one takes it to be typically so. However, in the sense that he now takes his favorite dishes and lets them morph the way his palate and techniques desire, then it is quintessentially American.
As a bonus, most of the recipes have a brief lead-in which gives us a growing context for Pepin's cooking and life. Nicely done indeed.
The plus for me is that there are more than a few recipes that are simply exciting. I want to try them. I want to cook from this book. That is surely the highest praise one can give since it is the reason for the book's existence. More on that later as I get a chance to do so.
FINAL
I will be cooking from this book this week but everything I read supported my feelings previously ... this is a solid book that can be trusted with more than a few recipes that are exciting and cry out to be tried.
UPDATED FINAL
Out of the four recipes I tried, two worked for me, meaning that they were to my taste. The other two ... were not that special (again, palates are very individualistic things).
As a bonus, most of the recipes have a brief lead-in which gives us a growing context for Pepin's cooking and life. Nicely done indeed.
The plus for me is that there are more than a few recipes that are simply exciting. I want to try them. I want to cook from this book. That is surely the highest praise one can give since it is the reason for the book's existence. More on that later as I get a chance to do so.
FINAL
I will be cooking from this book this week but everything I read supported my feelings previously ... this is a solid book that can be trusted with more than a few recipes that are exciting and cry out to be tried.
UPDATED FINAL
Out of the four recipes I tried, two worked for me, meaning that they were to my taste. The other two ... were not that special (again, palates are very individualistic things).
May 2, 2011
Exactly what you would expect from the consummate French gourmet chef, the incredibly likeable Jacques Pépin.
Starting with a brief history of his early years in the culinary industry and ending with a DVD showing simple cooking techniques and tips, this great treasure trove of fast and easy French haute-cuisine is exceptional.
Essential Pépin is broken down into chapters that cover the entire spectrum of edible delights, including soups, salads, breads, seafood, meats, vegetables and several different kinds of desserts. I particularly enjoyed the garlic soup, mushroom-stuffed potato pancakes, clams on a half-shell with cold horseradish-vinegar sauce, corned beef pot-au-feu and the apple fritters.
I also really liked the illustrations, which Jacques drew himself!
This is a fun cookbook that can be referenced again and again. Essential Pépin is a must for foodies everywhere!
Starting with a brief history of his early years in the culinary industry and ending with a DVD showing simple cooking techniques and tips, this great treasure trove of fast and easy French haute-cuisine is exceptional.
Essential Pépin is broken down into chapters that cover the entire spectrum of edible delights, including soups, salads, breads, seafood, meats, vegetables and several different kinds of desserts. I particularly enjoyed the garlic soup, mushroom-stuffed potato pancakes, clams on a half-shell with cold horseradish-vinegar sauce, corned beef pot-au-feu and the apple fritters.
I also really liked the illustrations, which Jacques drew himself!
This is a fun cookbook that can be referenced again and again. Essential Pépin is a must for foodies everywhere!
January 16, 2012
This encyclopedic cookbook is my new favorite dinner companion. Recently I found very affordable post-Thanksgiving cuts of turkey at Whole Foods, so on a whim I bought a few and brought them home. I immediately turned to Pepin, confident that he would have the answer for how to cook them. My instinct was right on the money. In fact, he even says as an introduction, "After Thanksgiving, turkey parts are available for very little money at the supermarket." I also agree with him that his dark turkey fricassee is a "perfect (stew) for cold weather."
February 26, 2012
Im having a hard time returning this one to the library. Pepin gives simple French suggestions on standards and comfort foods. So far I have stained about four pages with eager ingredient laden fingers. I love the warm bean and bacon salad (eaten like a stew), ricotta dumplings in red pepper sauce, and the cauliflower gratin with gruyere and a rich bechemel. All of those made it to the table together to bloat my guests. I look forward to sampling many more from this book. The section on sandwiches is next to conquer.
March 18, 2012
Out of all the Jacques Pepin books that I own and love, I love this one the least. It's not that it isn't good; it's VERY good but it's basically a rehashing of everything he's ever written previously. This is not a cookbook for the novice and you will not learn any of the complicated techniques here. The accompanying CD is very good, addresses basic techniques on the best knives, sharpening knives, holding knives, and there are separate chapters for vegetables, fish, poultry, meat, desserts, eggs and more.
September 30, 2015
We borrowed this book from the library. There is a separate DVD set that includes many of the recipes from the cookbook. I enjoy watching Jacques Pepin on his show. Some of his recipes are not to my liking such as the "Custard with Blueberry Sauce" as I think the amount of cognac called for in the recipe is too much. However, most of the other recipes that we have tried turned out to be quite good and easy to make, e.g. the macaroni Beaucaire, eggplant and tomato gratin, and cod in olive and horseradish sauce.
May 6, 2014
This is a really beautiful book. Obviously, I haven't tried all of the recipes in this huge tome, but I've tried enough to know that these are true master productions. My only criticism is that Pepin doesn't recommend which dishes go well together. Sure, more for the imagination, but I only cook from this book when I have a minimum of 1 hour to pair dishes, 1-2 hours to find ingredients and another 2-3 hours for cooking.
November 1, 2011
Honestly, this is one of the best cookbooks I've ever read or used. Pepin explains techniques clearly, and includes a DVD for the trickier bits that he feels require a demonstration. Pepin makes it easy to be successful in the kitchen; this is an outstanding addition to my collection of French cookery books.
October 27, 2012
I absolutely loved this book. When I bought it, I did not realize that Jaques had written it. I bought it because I love to read cookbooks, books about food and cooking. So surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I was engrossed. I also happen to thoroughly enjoy Jaques on tv. Even more so when he is with Julia Child.
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