• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
OMG! Yummy
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook!
  • Tasting Jerusalem
  • Jewish Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbook!
  • Tasting Jerusalem
  • Jewish Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Food Stories » Lessons From a Food Icon – An Evening with Jacques Pépin

    Lessons From a Food Icon – An Evening with Jacques Pépin

    by Beth Lee · Published: Apr 28, 2014 · Modified: Oct 24, 2019

    I spent Friday evening April 25 with Jacques Pépin and his daughter Claudine. Ok, not just me. Me and 2400 others. But we were in the same room for 1.5 hours. This is fact. I will be forever grateful to a neighborhood friend who offered these tickets to me just hours before the master chef took the stage.

    Jacques Pepin

    As part of a lecture series at De Anza College’s Flint Center, Jacques and Claudine appeared together, with Jacques demonstrating key cooking techniques that form the basis of any cook or chef’s skill set, while Claudine played his straight person, wine refresher and adept assistant. Then they both sat down and answered questions from the crowd.

    Some highlights:

    Making butter roses in seconds by scraping cold butter with a pairing knife

    While Jacques demonstrated the down and forward motion for cutting, Claudine explained that when you stain your cutting board while chopping fresh herbs, it is only because your technique is flawed. Down and forward, not up and down.

    Jacques Pepin

    Creating a “cherry” tomato from the flesh of a large tomato to use as a seedless, skinless flavorful unexpected garnish

    Showing us how to peel the lower stem of the asparagus to remove tough portion and waste less when snapping the bottom off – however he noted that this could become tedious if cooking for really large crowds.

    He also noted how dramatically the availability of food in markets has changed since he first came to the US – so much more variety in local and large chain markets.

    Deboning a chicken, stuffing it with fresh vegetables, and putting it back together in a matter of minutes with just a sharp knife.

    Questions from the crowd:

    Jacques PepinHis favorite childhood food memories? Milk straight from a cow when he was 6 years old and the taste of bread and butter.

    What foods would he not eat? Anything processed.

    His story of coming to the US in 1959 and meeting the holy trinity of the food world in 1960: James Beard, Craig Claiborne, and Julia Child.

    Favorite Julia Child story? Taping shows in her home kitchen and her unexpected requests – to drink beer when there was a winery in the house; to use Crisco to make crust when there was a butter maker in the house.

    How he describes his girth: “I’m a bit short for my weight.”

    What celebrity would you want to cook for and what would you cook? I most prefer to cook for my family and friends and like to cook what my guests most enjoy, not what I most prefer.

    Jacques Pépin makes you believe that 80 is the new 50. He is as dexterous as a young chef and as sharp as his knife. Claudine is a perfect foil for his wit and charm and unabashedly shares her real life kitchen stories so we mere kitchen mortals can imagine what it might be like to cook with the master ourselves.

    Do you have a favorite Jacques Pépin or Julia Child memory or recipe?

    « Tasting Jerusalem March 2014 – Cardamom
    Tasting Jerusalem June 2014: Tahini Opens a World of Sesame Flavor »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christy

      May 1, 2014 at 11:28 am

      I love Jacques! How fortunate for you to be able to attend this lecture. I still watch his shows, and love his books.

      Reply
      • Beth Lee

        May 5, 2014 at 7:49 am

        He really doesn’t act his age and is still very inspiring to watch and listen to!

        Reply
    2. sandy corman

      April 28, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      Still watch Jacques whenever I can. Would love to have half his skill.

      Reply
      • Beth Lee

        April 30, 2014 at 7:15 am

        I’d be happy with a quarter of it!

        Reply
    3. Deb

      April 28, 2014 at 1:02 pm

      What a fantastic event! The presentation sounds so inspiring! I remember watching Julia on PBS and recall that she made cooking seem so easy. She always had so much much fun and was full of joy!

      Reply
      • Beth Lee

        April 30, 2014 at 7:14 am

        Yes I have many memories of watching Julia on PBS as a kid – I always loved the end when she went to the dining room table, poured the wine, and said “Bon Appetit” !

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to OMG! Yummy

    Beth
    Hi! I’m Beth Lee. In 2010, I realized I prefer pita chips to memory chips and started this blog. My family is a mix of Jewish/Hawaiian/Korean heritage and my food reflects our diversity. My virtual kitchen is always open. Let’s cook together!  See all my recipes…

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Buy my cookbook!

    Photo of the cover of the essential Jewish baking cookbook by Beth Lee.

    Sign up for emails & get my Exclusive Preserved Lemon eBook!

    OMG! Yummy Web Stories

    View my web stories

     

    Top Posts

    • Ottolenghi Preserved Lemons: A Tangy, Zippy Must-Have Kitchen Staple
      Ottolenghi Preserved Lemons: A Tangy, Zippy Must-Have Kitchen Staple
    • Kalbi Marinade for Korean Short Ribs
      Kalbi Marinade for Korean Short Ribs
    • Rose Harissa - a Smoky, Spicy Kitchen Condiment with Magical Floral Notes
      Rose Harissa - a Smoky, Spicy Kitchen Condiment with Magical Floral Notes

    Latest

    Close up of shot glass with sangrita in it and a lime wedge.

    Sangrita – What Makes Tequila Completo!

    Various chocolate truffles in a white cupcake container on slate.

    Passover Desserts: Dairy Free Truffles

    Top down view of smoothie in a green glass on a tan plate with a spoon and fresh medjool dates.

    Date smoothie with yogurt and vanilla

    Horizontal image showing logos of various media outlets that OMG! Yummy has been featured in.

    Copyright © 2022 · Beth Lee/OMG! Yummy · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
     

    Loading Comments...