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Jacques Pépin: Heart & Soul in the Kitchen
In the companion book to his final PBS series, the world-renowned chef shows his close relationship to the land and sea as he cooks for close friends and family.
Jacques Pépin: Heart & Soul in the Kitchen is an intimate look at the celebrity chef and the food he cooks at home with family and friends—200 recipes in all. There are the simple dinners Jacques prepares for his wife, like the world’s best burgers (the secret is ground brisket). There are elegant dinners for small gatherings, with tantalizing starters like Camembert cheese with a pistachio crust and desserts like little foolproof chocolate soufflés. And there are the dishes for backyard parties, including grilled chicken tenderloin in an Argentinean chimichurri sauce.
Jacques Pépin: Heart & Soul in the Kitchen is an intimate look at the celebrity chef and the food he cooks at home with family and friends—200 recipes in all. There are the simple dinners Jacques prepares for his wife, like the world’s best burgers (the secret is ground brisket). There are elegant dinners for small gatherings, with tantalizing starters like Camembert cheese with a pistachio crust and desserts like little foolproof chocolate soufflés. And there are the dishes for backyard parties, including grilled chicken tenderloin in an Argentinean chimichurri sauce.
Spiced with reminiscences and stories, this book reveals the unorthodox philosophy of the man who taught millions how to cook, revealing his frank views on molecular gastronomy, the locovore movement, Julia Child and James Beard, on how to raise a child who will eat almost anything, and much, much more. For both longtime fans of Jacques and those who are discovering him for the first time, this is a must-have cookbook.
596 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2015
596 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
About the author
Jacques Pepin
2 books9 followersLibrarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. For the chef, see Jacques Pépin.
Jacques Pepin is Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Université de Sherbrooke, Canada. He has conducted research on infectious diseases in sixteen African countries.
Jacques Pepin is Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Université de Sherbrooke, Canada. He has conducted research on infectious diseases in sixteen African countries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 27, 2015
Great photos and personal essays about food make this a really wonderful cook book read. I have a crush on him- his accent, charm and confidence are so appealing, but I also think this is one of his more pretty yet accessible cook books for every day recipes.
September 18, 2018
I love Jacques Pepin and I would marry this man! I want him to cook for me everyday but as he is taken by such a beautiful woman, I will stand for seconds and make his recipes as I pretend to hang out with just about the coolest person on this Earth. This is a wonderful blend of fabulous recipes, funny stories, amazing art work (The man can paint!!!) and easy to follow recipes for everyone. If you do not like his tomato- eggplant gratin served with warm, crispy bread there is something seriously wrong with your palette. Monsieur Pepin is a delight and I loved reading this and re-reading it over and over. He mixes culture and blends his love of food into an everyday adventure. I HIGHLY recommend this book as a staple in everyone's kitchen. Trust the recipes and have fun looking at his selection of photos with family and friends. It's like reading his personal scrap book....what more can I say, aller cuisiner!
January 3, 2020
I borrowed this through Prime Reads.
Jacques Pepin has published tons of cookbooks over the years. In this one, he says he wanted to collect the recipes that he likes to make. The emphasis here is on foods for entertaining and savory meals. There are very few recipes for breads or desserts, and many of those are shortcut-style recipes (use existing brioche or madelines, that kind of thing) rather than making them from scratch.
Many of the recipes do look good. However, they also heavily reflect his level of prestige and the area where he now resides in New England. I live in Arizona. So many involve ingredients that I cannot get at all, or if I did, they would be terribly expensive. I look at a lot of recipes and thought, "Well, I might order that in a fancy restaurant" but I'd never make it myself at home--my husband sure wouldn't eat it.
I prefer cookbooks that have pictures of the finished results, too. There were few photographs. I did, however, enjoy Pepin's frequent paintings. That personal touch added to the pleasantness of his voice throughout the text.
In the end, I only found a couple recipes I might be willing to try, but nothing I want to rush out and make right away. This would be a fine cookbook for someone in the northeast US or with a willingness to spend extra on kitchen experimentation, but not for me.
Jacques Pepin has published tons of cookbooks over the years. In this one, he says he wanted to collect the recipes that he likes to make. The emphasis here is on foods for entertaining and savory meals. There are very few recipes for breads or desserts, and many of those are shortcut-style recipes (use existing brioche or madelines, that kind of thing) rather than making them from scratch.
Many of the recipes do look good. However, they also heavily reflect his level of prestige and the area where he now resides in New England. I live in Arizona. So many involve ingredients that I cannot get at all, or if I did, they would be terribly expensive. I look at a lot of recipes and thought, "Well, I might order that in a fancy restaurant" but I'd never make it myself at home--my husband sure wouldn't eat it.
I prefer cookbooks that have pictures of the finished results, too. There were few photographs. I did, however, enjoy Pepin's frequent paintings. That personal touch added to the pleasantness of his voice throughout the text.
In the end, I only found a couple recipes I might be willing to try, but nothing I want to rush out and make right away. This would be a fine cookbook for someone in the northeast US or with a willingness to spend extra on kitchen experimentation, but not for me.
November 13, 2019
The stories are as good as the recipes in this great tome by a grand master.
Maybe not for everyday cooking, but from time-to-time, I'll pull this out and give one of the recipes a try if it looks interesting. I have never been disappointed.
Jacques Pepin is an engaging professional and this peek into his life and his kitchen was super.
Maybe not for everyday cooking, but from time-to-time, I'll pull this out and give one of the recipes a try if it looks interesting. I have never been disappointed.
Jacques Pepin is an engaging professional and this peek into his life and his kitchen was super.
November 21, 2015
I liked this book a lot, and bought it for my husband. The recipes are good, and definitely able to be made in my home kitchen. I made two of the dishes and my children loved them - all-around winner!
January 2, 2016
Everything looks incredibly tasty, reasonably simple, and the ingredient lists aren't prohibitive. Will update after making recipes, but the four stars is for my initial impression.
February 17, 2020
If you like French inspired food then these recipes seem fairly easy. The book has stories and really good pictures. I met Jacques Pepin once with my mom and he is the nicest man.
February 12, 2020
Our true review is 3 1/2 stars. Hands down this is the best food we have ever had. We are presently plump, tired, and dreaming of this great food. However our lower rating is because the food while it was good and used ingredients we could find in even our own little grocery store, it was a hard cookbook for an unexperienced cook. Even one of our experienced cooks had a disaster with a recipe and it wasn't edible. Some of the directions where vague, timings where based on eye, and harder cooking terms where not explained for a newbie cook. But like we have said before this book will stay with us on how good the food was.
During the discussion we enjoyed camembert with pistachio crust, gougeres with cheese, tomato velvet soup, cucumber, onion, and mint salad, ricotta quenelles, shrimp burgers on zucchini, saute of rabbit with mushrooms and cream, carrots with chives, coffee panna cotta, and chocolate souffles.
During the discussion we enjoyed camembert with pistachio crust, gougeres with cheese, tomato velvet soup, cucumber, onion, and mint salad, ricotta quenelles, shrimp burgers on zucchini, saute of rabbit with mushrooms and cream, carrots with chives, coffee panna cotta, and chocolate souffles.
March 10, 2016
I love this book. Everything I've made in it has been flavorful, healthy, and simple to make. We love the Tomatoes Provencale, Parisian Potage with Country Bread, Garlic Escargot in Baked Potatoes, Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti. It's all wonderful. As icing on the cake, the book is peppered with charming watercolors from Jacques.
August 1, 2018
I'm a huge Jacques Pepin fan and when I heard about this book, I knew I had to have it. It's the companion book to his last season on television. Such a great book and I truly savored every word.
Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5+ Stars
Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5+ Stars
July 13, 2016
Beautifully done cookbook - had some great recipes and lots of great stories from Chef author. He seems like someone I would want to sit down with and pick his brain.
October 26, 2015
I'd love to see a book of his artwork. Charming.
January 14, 2019
Pepin, one of the most well known chefs and cookbook authors alive today, created this cookbook to reflect his home cooking, which includes his French background but also Mexican, Asian and Italian influences. In the intro, Pepin says his goal is to cook really good food that isn’t fussy. This is not, he states, about a culinary experience! And this is a very practical cookbook, accessible to almost any cook.
Pictures are a combination of Pepin’s paintings, food and family.
Directions are detailed without being fussy, and some techniques are explained.
Pepin provides explanatory sections that are very helpful like one of how he uses cheese and another on tiny fish.
Some of the recipes surprise me because it’s hard to imagine a chef serving them like a ritz cracker tower and brown bread slices with butter. In contrast, several recipes contain caviar, which suggests a much fancier pantry than I have. But several dishes intrigued me that I would have never tried if Pepin wasn’t the one recommending them, like a tuna mascarpone cream. Pepin also gives voice to the idea that food has a much longer life than we usually allow it: wilted greens, stale bread can be repurposed. This is a startling contrast to chefs that say use only the best ingredients. Hard to imagine them providing uses for wilted lettuce or moldy cheese. Useful menus are included at the end.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, which combines an easy going attitude with interesting but not complicated dishes. This is the cookbook I would give as a wedding gift.
March 24, 2018
Simple and Easy
Endless great recipes that are simple and home style. Prefect for impressing family and friends. I am pleased with this cookbook. The recipes are open ended enough to add your own heart and soul but still be delicious. I highly recommend this cookbook. It will not sit somewhere in the Amazon cloud unused and forgotten.
Endless great recipes that are simple and home style. Prefect for impressing family and friends. I am pleased with this cookbook. The recipes are open ended enough to add your own heart and soul but still be delicious. I highly recommend this cookbook. It will not sit somewhere in the Amazon cloud unused and forgotten.
April 2, 2018
A Masterpiece!
He's done it again. This book is definitely the best cookbook I have ever read, hands down. Mr. Jacque Pepin has been so generous to share his best recipes and also he has gave us a glimpse of some special moments in his life. Thank you everything. This is a must read for all of us cooks. May God bless you and your family, Amen.
He's done it again. This book is definitely the best cookbook I have ever read, hands down. Mr. Jacque Pepin has been so generous to share his best recipes and also he has gave us a glimpse of some special moments in his life. Thank you everything. This is a must read for all of us cooks. May God bless you and your family, Amen.
July 25, 2022
Just superb. I've always loved Jacques Pépin, and this cookbook is fantastic. Not only the recipes, but his little stories. How I wish I could sit down to a meal with him! I'd settle for a glass of water, just to be able to talk to him.
I have so many recipes from this book on my "make soon" list, I think it set a record.
I have so many recipes from this book on my "make soon" list, I think it set a record.
July 8, 2024
Something For Everyone
I always find you are doing well to find one recipe you will use for every cookbook you read. Jacques Pepin has several in this simply scrumptious collection. From very easy to more involved, with ingredients we can all obtain, instructions made with home cooks in mind, I have succeeded at a few already. I am sure there are more to do soon. Check it out!
I always find you are doing well to find one recipe you will use for every cookbook you read. Jacques Pepin has several in this simply scrumptious collection. From very easy to more involved, with ingredients we can all obtain, instructions made with home cooks in mind, I have succeeded at a few already. I am sure there are more to do soon. Check it out!
April 24, 2018
A gift from my wife. Over the last couple months, Sunday dinners in our house tend to be experiments based on this book (based on the show). Warm and inviting writing, with delicious, family-friendly - and relatively simple - recipes from an old-school master. What's not to like.
March 2, 2019
Very good and easy to make simple recipes. Lots of stories about how he came to use the recipe and suggestions for pairing dishes. I enjoyed the recipes and they are quite easy to use with many ingredients I already had.
March 8, 2017
As with all his books, a pleasure to read--and to cook from!
July 14, 2017
Great recipes that are easy to duplicate.
March 7, 2018
If you want to eat like Pepin does everyday, this is the book.
August 6, 2018
Beautiful book, solid accessible recipes, unpretentious content.
July 4, 2019
4.5 stars rounding up. Can he be my honorary grandfather/kitchen mentor? Even with his penchant for offal?
November 14, 2019
Simple recipes twined into a sweet memoir
Great read with simple recipes. You'll find
You probably have most of the ingredients already in a moderately stocked kitchen.
Great read with simple recipes. You'll find
You probably have most of the ingredients already in a moderately stocked kitchen.
February 18, 2020
Great recipes!!
August 2, 2021
Love the down to earth approach to French cuisine, and a wide array of dishes.
October 3, 2022
Another nice Jacques book that didn't strike my fancy too much.
January 7, 2025
Enjoyed reading the essays. Recipes not my cup of tea.
January 2, 2020
Beautiful book, can't wait to prepare these recipes! You can tell they will be wonderful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews