Essential Pépin includes everything that is essential to Jacques -- his love of food and cooking, his teaching and mentoring, and his family and friends. Renowned as a chef’s chef and a great teacher, Jacques begins each thirty-minute episode with an introduction and an easy to follow step-by-step recipe that demonstrates his unparalleled technique. Jacques’ influence is felt far and wide, and many master chefs have showered their praise: “I often find that with Jacques Pépin, whether on television or in print, I walk away from my time with him having learned a little something more, and I feel a bit richer for that,” stated Lidia Bastianich. Anthony Bourdain added “Jacques Pépin is The Master -- the undisputed authority on … well, just about everything related to food.”
Jacques’ love of family and friends is evident in the series as he occasionally shares cooking duties with his daughter Claudine, granddaughter Shorey, best friend of fifty years, Jean-Claude, and other guest chefs.
Jacques’ classical training, solid technique and roots in traditional French cuisine are balanced with his understanding of current American trends, and the practical need to get dinner on the table. Awarded the Legion of Honor along with numerous James Beard and IACP awards, Jacques is legendary for his knowledge of food and his enthusiastic expertise in the kitchen.
A robust personal appearance schedule has been announced and a sizable social media campaign is in the planning stages. KQED.org/jacquespepin, will feature 75 recipes from the series, a gallery of pictures, a slideshow detailing behind-the-scenes activity, a gallery of Jacques’ artwork, and a compendium of other KQED-produced Jacques Pépin series.
The companion book, Essential Pépin, contains more than 700 of Jacques’ all-time favorite recipes, as well as a DVD showcasing Jacques’ techniques. The book will be published by Houghton Mifflin on October 18, 2011.
Jacques Pépin is the host of Essential Pépin. Tina Salter is the series producer, Bruce Franchini is the director, and Michael Isip is the executive producer. Essential Pépin is produced by KQED and distributed by American Public Television (APT.)
Essential Pépin is made possible by generous donations from KitchenAid, Oxo, and C. Donatiello Wineries.
Happy Cooking!
A sample list of recipes and an official bio of Jacques Pépin follow this document. Photos are available at kqed.org/press
About KQED: KQED (kqed.org) has served Northern California for more than 50 years and is affiliated with NPR and PBS. KQED owns and operates public television stations KQED 9 (San Francisco/Bay Area), KQED Plus 54 (San Jose/Bay Area), and KQET 25 (Watsonville/Monterey); KQED Public Radio (88.5 FM San Francisco and 89.3 FM Sacramento); the interactive platforms kqed.org and KQEDnews.org; and KQED Education. KQED is one of the nation's most-watched public television stations and the producer of local and national series such as QUEST; Check, Please! Bay Area; This Week in Northern California; Truly CA; and Essential Pépin. KQED's multi-cast television channels include KQED 9, KQED Plus, KQED Life, KQED World, KQED Kids, and KQED V-me, and are available 24/7. KQED Public Radio, home of Forum and The California Report, is one of the most-listened-to public radio stations in the nation with an award-winning news and public affairs program service delivering more than eighteen local weekday newscasts and news features. KQED Interactive hosts KQED’s cross-platform news service, KQED News, as well as video and audio podcasts and a live radio stream at kqed.org. KQED Education brings the impact of KQED to thousands of teachers, students, parents and the general public through workshops, community screenings and multimedia resources.
About KitchenAid: Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Today, the KitchenAid brand offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars. This year marks the brand's 10th anniversary of Cook for the Cure®, a partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® that has raised more than $8 million to help find a cure for breast cancer. To learn why chefs choose KitchenAid for their homes more than any other brand, visit www.KitchenAid.com.
About OXO: Founded in 1990 on the concept of Universal Design, OXO's mission is to create consumer household products that ease the tasks of everyday life for the widest range of users. Since the original 15 items were introduced, the OXO collection has grown to more than 800, in the areas of cooking, cleaning, gardening, storing, organizing and lighting. Today OXO Good Grips products are sold in 54 countries and are included in the permanent collections of numerous museums. The company has won more than 100 design and business awards worldwide. OXO is frequently used as a case study about how a well-executed Universal Design philosophy can be a successful business strategy.
About C. Donatiello Winery: C. Donatiello Winery was founded by Chris Donatiello, a former wine and spirits sales manager from New York City who moved west to follow his dream. Winemaker Webster Marquez worked with C. Donatiello on its inaugural vintage in 2006 to create small-lot, site-specific Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with minimal interventions, allowing C. Donatiello wines to express the unique terroir of the vineyard. For more information, call 707.431.4442. Please visit C. Donatiello Winery online at www.cdonatiello.com or on Facebook.
About American Public Television: American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. In 2010, APT distributed nearly half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, A Ripple of Hope, Rick Steves' Europe, Newsline, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia's Italy, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, Murdoch Mysteries, Doc Martin, Rosemary & Thyme, The Rat Pack: Live and Swingin’, Johnny Mathis: Wonderful, Wonderful! and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create® – the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. APT is also a partner in the WORLD℠ channel expansion project including its web presence at WORLDcompass.org. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org. For more information on Create, visit CreateTV.com.
THE PERSONALITIES BEHIND ESSENTIAL PÉPIN
JACQUES PÉPIN, HOST
Jacques Pépin is world-renowned as a chef and the host of his acclaimed and popular cooking programs on public television, and as a respected instructor, a prolific author and gifted artist. Pépin has been awarded the highest honor by the French Government and holds the title of CHEVALIER DE L'ORDRE NATIONAL DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR. Pépin currently hosts public television series, Essential Pépin. Featuring recipes for fast, healthy meals, this is the thirteenth series hosted by Pépin and produced by KQED Public Television in San Francisco. It is being broadcast over public television stations nationwide. The companion cookbook to the series, also called Essential Pépin (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA), will be published in October 2011. Pépin’s memoir, The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen, was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2003 and in paperback in May, 2004. He is also a proud grandfather of his daughter Claudine's first child, Shorey.
Pépin was born in Bourg-en-Bresse, near Lyon. His first exposure to cooking was as a child in his parents' restaurant, Le Pelican. At age thirteen, he began his formal apprenticeship at the distinguished Grand Hotel de L'Europe in his hometown. He subsequently worked in Paris, training under Lucien Diat at the Plaza Athénée. From 1956 to 1958, Pépin was the personal chef to three French heads of state, including Charles de Gaulle.
Moving to the United States in 1959, Pépin worked first at New York's historic Le Pavillon restaurant, then served for ten years as director of research and new development for the Howard Johnson Company, a position that taught him about mass production, marketing, food chemistry and American food tastes. He studied at Columbia University during this period, earning an M.A. degree in 18th-century French literature in 1972. In 1997, on the 50th anniversary of the creation of the School of General Studies at Columbia, Pépin was honored along with four other distinguished alumni of the School, each representing a different decade in its history.
Pépin shared the spotlight with Julia Child in a PBS series that still appears on public television stations. The twenty-two episode series, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, was the winner of The James Beard Foundation's award for Best National Cooking Show -- 2001, and the duo received a 2001 Daytime Emmy Award from The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. There are companion cookbooks to the series with Child and to two earlier public television series he co-hosted with his daughter -- Jacques Pépin's Kitchen: Encore with Claudine (1998) and Jacques Pépin's Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine (1998).
A former columnist for The New York Times, Pépin writes a quarterly column for Food & Wine. He also participates regularly in that magazine's prestigious Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and at other culinary festivals and fund-raising events worldwide. In addition, he is a popular guest on such commercial TV programs as The Late Show with David Letterman, The Today Show, and Good Morning America.
Pépin is the recipient of three of the French government's highest honors: he is a Chevalier de L'Ordre National de la Legion d' Honneur, Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1997) and a Chevalier de L'Ordre du Mérite Agricole (1992). He is the Dean of Special Programs at The French Culinary Institute (New York), and an adjunct faculty member at Boston University. Pépin is a founder of The American Institute of Wine and Food, a member of the International Association of Cooking Professionals, and is on the board of trustees of the James Beard Foundation. He and his wife Gloria live in Madison, Connecticut.
TINA SALTER, SERIES PRODUCER
Born and bred in the UK, Tina Salter attended the original London Cordon Bleu and has worked in the United States, the UK and France. For more than twenty years, Salter has been working in food and food television, including production of seven series with Jacques Pépin. Other series include those of Martin Yan, Joanne Weir, Anne Willan, Cooking at the Academy, and six seasons of KQED’s local restaurant-review program, Check, Please! Bay Area. She has authored two cookbooks, Nuts and Gratins and has produced or contributed to many more including American Boulangerie, Williams Sonoma Christmas, and Heidi Krahling’s Insalatas,Salter’s experience includes styling food for print and video, developing and testing recipes for consumer websites, organizing events, and catering. She continues to develop culinary projects for both video and print. The mother of two food lovers, Salter lives in Marin County, California.
BRUCE FRANCHINI, DIRECTOR
Bruce Franchini's work encompasses a wide variety of programming from cooking to documentaries, drama, music, and dance, including Great Performances, Audrey Hepburn's Gardens of the World and Steve Allen's Meeting of Minds. He has produced and directed for PBS, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC-TV and Disney Channel, as well as for independent production companies and corporate clients. On public television he has directed Fast Food My Way, Julia Child & Jacques Pépin: Cooking at Home and Jacques Pépin's Techniques as well as two Cooking in Concert specials. He directed Julia on three other public television programs, as well as Lidia Bastianich, Michael Chiarello, Lorenza DeMedici and Joanne Weir.
JEAN-CLAUDE SZURDAK, CHEF AND KITCHEN MANAGER
Jean-Claude Szurdak has spent more than 50 years in the kitchen. Between 1956 and 1958 he worked with his best friend Jacques Pépin for three French heads of state, a position Szurdak prepared for at the Michelin-starred Ponchartrain and Drouant. In 1960, he came to New York and served as chef at La Toque Blanche. Later, he was proprietor of Elysees Pastry and Moccha Pastry. Szurdak also ran the exclusive Jean-Claude catering company in New York City for 20 years. He presently works independently with Jacques on cooking-related projects including the Food and Wine Classic, the James Beard House and other culinary events. Jean-Claude served as chef and manager of the back kitchen on Fast Food My Way and appeared as a guest on two of the episodes.
DAVID SHALLECK, VOLOCHEF
David Shalleck is the founder of VOLOCHEF®, a full-service culinary production company for the hospitality and media businesses. A television culinary producer and food stylist on more than 250 shows, he has worked alongside some of America’s most celebrated chefs and hosts. Recent credits include the PBS series Essential Pépin and More Fast Food My Way with Jacques Pépin, Made in Spain with José Andrés, Chef’s Story at the French Culinary Institute, and the Food Network’s Iron Chef America, working with Cat Cora. He is also the author of an acclaimed culinary travel memoir, Mediterranean Summer published by Broadway Books in 2007. A veteran of more than twenty-five years in the food business, Shalleck ran the kitchens in noted restaurants; cooked for events in New York, San Francisco, the Napa Valley, Provence, and many regions in Italy; and created Mediterranean inspired menus for Windstar Cruises. His clients include production companies, publishers, restaurant operators, and many national brands. A graduate of Syracuse University in set and lighting design, Shalleck currently lives in San Francisco.
CHRISTINE SWETT, CULINARY PRODUCER
Christine Swett has worked on a number of premier public television cooking series including Jacques Pépin's More Fast Food My Way, Cooking with Claudine and Jacques Pépin Celebrates!; Joanne Weir's Weir Cooking in the City; three seasons of Mollie Katzen's Cooking Show; the California Culinary Academy's Cooking at the Academy; and the award-winning Martin Yan's Asia. She has also worked with a number of renowned authors, chefs and doctors including Tina Salter, Gratins; Dr. David Ludwig, Ending the Food Fight; and Dr. Dean Ornish, Eat More, Weigh Less, to develop, test and edit new recipes for publication. Swett holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon. She recently moved with her family and two bouncy black labs from Berkeley, CA to Paradise Valley, AZ and is having fun developing recipes to use up the fruit from her citrus orchard, and saguaro cactus!
Essential Pépin (Episode Descriptions)
Episode 101
SAVORY STAPLES
RISOTTO WITH VEGETABLES
DARPHIN POTATOES
SKILLET SWEET POTATO
GREEN COUSCOUS
CORN POLENTA WITH MUSHROOM RAGOUT
Episode 102
FABULOUS FINS
CURED SALMON IN MOLASSES
TUNA STEAKS WITH TAPENADE COATING
TUNA TARTARE ON MARINATED CUCUMBERS
POACHED SALMON IN RAVIGOTE SAUCE
RAY MEUNIÈRE WITH MUSHROOMS
Episode 103
SWEETS FOR MY SWEET
TARTELETTES AUX FRUIT PANACHES
TARTE TATIN
MÉMÉ’S APPLE TART
INDIVIDUAL CHOCOLATE AND NUT PIES
Episode 104
VEG-IN!
RAGOUT OF ASPARAGUS
ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO GRATIN
CAULIFLOWER GRATIN
ARTICHOKE HEARTS HELEN
CORN TEMPURA
Episode 105
FINE FINISHES
CHEESECAKE WITH APRICOT-BLUEBERRY SAUCE
FLAN A LA VANILLE WITH CARAMEL-COGNAC SAUCE
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING
Episode 106
SPECIAL SPUDS
GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
POTATO RAGOUT
GRATIN DAUPHINOISE
CREAM PUFF POTATOES
Episode 107
ECONOMICAL OFFAL
PORK LIVER PATE
ROAST SAUSAGE WITH POTATOES
BRAISED SWEETBREADS IN MIREPOIX
BRAISED TONGUE WITH LENTILS
Episode 108
COZY CARBS
RICOTTA DUMPLINGS WITH RED PEPPER SAUCE
MACARONI BEAUCAIRE
GNOCCHI MAISON
LINGUINE WITH CLAM SAUCE AND VEGETABLES
Episode 109
CLASSIC CONCLUSIONS
CREPES A LA CONFITURE
ORANGE SOUFFLÉ CRÊPES
BAKED ALASKA
APRICOT AND PISTACHIO SOUFFLÉ
Episode 110
EASY AND ELEGANT SEAFOOD
LOBSTER IN ARTICHOKE HEARTS
SHRIMP PANE ON WATERCRESS
ESCOFFIER QUENELLES
MONKFISH ROULADE
Episode 111
CATTLE CALL
GRILLED STEAK WITH LEMON-THYME BUTTER
SPICY RIB ROAST
VEAL CHOPS WITH CAPER SAUCE
BRAISED BEEF IN RED WINE
Episode 112
FRUIT FETE
GOOD LADY APPLES BON FEMME
STEW OF RED SUMMER FRUIT
BRAISED PEARS IN A CARAMEL SAUCE
FLAMBÉED BANANAS
APPLE FRITTERS
Episode 113
VEGETABLE BOUNTY
ENDIVE WITH OLIVES
STEWED NAVY BEANS
GRATIN OF LEEKS
CLASSIC RATATOUILLE
TOMATOES MAISON
Episode 114
FAMILY FAVORITES
GRILLED LEG OF LAMB
PORK LOIN TOURNEDOS WITH CREAM AND CALVADOS
PUERTO RICAN PORK AND BEANS
LAMB NAVARIN.
Episode 115
ALL PUFFED UP
SUGARED PUFF PASTE STICKS
FAST PUFF PASTRY
CRYSTALLIZED PUFF PASTE OF ORANGE
CHOUX À LA CRÈME
CHOCOLATE PARIS-BREST CAKE
Episode 116
SHELL-EBRATION
CRAB CAKES WITH AVOCADO SAUCE
OYSTERS MADISON
MUSSELS POULETTE
MUSSELS GRATINEE
CLAM FRITTERS.
Episode 117
ROLLIN’ IN DOUGH
SODA BREAD
GROS PAIN
LONG PROOFED BAGUETTE
BRIOCHE
BREAD GALETTES
Episode 118
EGG-CEPTIONAL
MOLLET EGGS FLORENTINE
EGGS IN RAMEKINS
EGGS EN COCOTTE
SCRAMBLED EGGS IN BREAD CASES WITH CANDIED OYSTER MUSHROOMS
FINES HERBS OMELET
MUSHROOM OMELET
FLAT POTATO OMELET
Episode 119
GAME DAY
VENISON STEAKS IN SWEET-SOUR SAUCE
SKILLET DUCK WITH RED OAK SALAD
SAUTÉED RABBIT WITH MORELS AND PEARL ONIONS
Episode 120
SOUPER SOUPS FOR SUPPER
TOMATO CHOWDER WITH MOLLET EGGS
BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH BANANAS
GARLIC SOUP
ONION SOUP LYONNAISE-STYLE
CONSOMMÉ
Episode 121
LIGHT AS AIR
MERINGUE SHELLS WITH CHANTILLY CREAM
MACAROONS
CHOCOLATE ROLL
CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ CAKE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
Episode 122
GOOD CATCH!
GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH SPICY YOGURT SAUCE
BAKED MACKEREL WITH POTATOES AND ONIONS
SEAFOOD WITH “HANDKERCHIEFS”
POACHED TROUT IN VEGETABLE BROTH
Episode 123
EGGS-QUISITE
QUICHE WITH BACON
EGGS JEANNETTE
FLAN WITH GREEN HERBS
SPINACH, HAM AND PARMESAN SOUFFLÉ
Episode 124
SWEET ENDINGS
CHOCOLATE MINT TRUFFETTES
QUICK ALMOND AND PLUM CAKE
TUILES À L’ORANGE
SUMMER CORNETS SUSIE
Episode 125
OCEAN OPTIONS
BRANDADE DE MORUE AU GRATIN
SEA BASS IN SHREDDED POTATO SKIN
NAGE COURTE OF STRIPED BASS
CODFISH IN OLIVE OIL AND HORSERADISH SAUCE
Episode 126
FOWL PLAY
TURKEY CUTLETS IN ANCHOVY-LEMON SAUCE
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON BUTTER
ROAST CAPON WITH COGNAC AND MUSTARD SAUCE
BALLOTTINE OF CHICKEN WITH SPINACH FILLING
Recipes from Essential Pépin available at KQED.org*
Eggs, Soufflés, and Quiches
Mollet Eggs Florentine
Scrambled Eggs in Bread Cases
Fines-Herbes Omelet
Quiche with Bacon
Gratin of Eggs and Spinach
Flan with Green Herbs
Soups
Tomato Chowder with Mollet Eggs
Black Bean Soup with Bananas
Onion Soup, Lyonnaise-style
Pasta, Rice, Grains, and Potatoes
Gnocchi Maison
Linguine with Clam Sauce and Vegetables
Macaroni Beaucaire
Green Couscous
Corn Polenta with Mushoom Ragoût
Dauphin Potatoes
Potato Ragoût
Gratin Dauphinois
Cream Puff Potatoes
Shellfish and Fish
Poached Trout in Vegetable Broth
Baked Mackerel with Potatoes and Onions
Grilled Swordfish with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
Ray Meunière with Mushrooms
Tuna Tartare on Marinated Cucumbers
Poached Salmon in Ravigote Sauce
Brandade de Morue au Gratin
Sea Bass in Shredded Potato Skin
Nage Courte of Striped Bass
Lobster in Artichoke Bottom
Shrimp Pané on Watercress
Monkfish Roulade
Crab Cakes with Avocado Sauce
Mussels Gratinée
Clam Fritters
Vegetables and Side Dishes
Zucchini-Tomato Gratin
Corn Tempura
Sautéed Haricots Verts and Shallots
Classic Ratatouille
Endive with Olives
Stuffed Tomatoes Maison
Meat
Spicy Rib Roast
Grilled Veal Chops with Caper Sauce
Braised Beef in Red Wine
Lamb Navarin
Pork Loin Tournedos with Cream and
Calvados
Puerto Rican Pork and Beans
Poultry and Game
Venison Steaks in Sweet-Sour
Sauce
Skillet Duck with Red Oak Salad
Braised Rabbit with Morels and Pearl Onions
Turkey Cutlets in Anchovy-Lemon Sauce
Roast Capon with Cognac and Mushroom Sauce
Ballottine of Chicken Three Ways (Spinach only)
Charcuterie and Offal
Pork Liver Pâté
Braised Sweetbreads in Mirepoix
Roast Sausage and Potatoes
Brioche, Breads, and Pizza
Small, Large Brioche
Gros Pain
Baguettes
Soda Bread
Fruit Desserts
Braised Pears in Caramel Sauce
Apples Bonne Femme
Stew of Red Summer Fruits
Tarts, Pies, and Puff Pastry
Tarte Tatin
Tartelettes aux Fruit Panaches
Cream Puff Fritters
Sugared Puff Paste Sticks
Individual Chocolate and Nut Pie
Cakes, Cookies, and Candies
Quick Almond and Plum Cake
Tuiles à la Orange
Chocolate Mint Truffettes
Macaroons
Chocolate Roll
Puddings, Sweet Soufflées,
Bread and Butter Pudding
Flan a la Vanille
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Soufflé Cake with Raspberry
Sauce
Ice Soufflé Grand Marnier
Orange Soufflé Crêpes
Baked Alaska
