Pépin, along with a handful of other chefs like him, changed the way Americans perceived food. At one point, Pépin, nearing his 80th birthday, contemplates a wall filled with framed pictures of close friends and people who have been influential in his life. I realized then that his true accomplishment was not becoming a celebrity chef, writing cookbooks or teaching cooking techniques on TV, though they were the tools of his trade. His mission has always been to demonstrate the art of nurturing and the craft of building and fortifying community.

Jacques Pépin nearing his 80th birthday, contemplates a wall filled with framed pictures of close friends and people who have been influential in his life. (screenshot from Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft)

This timely tribute to one immigrant's journey in the U.S. reminds us that change is as likely to arrive on our shores as it is to be home grown, given the right conditions. Everything worth having is worth working for and, as Pépin demonstrates, there are tried and true techniques that, with practice, will help us to master the art of living.

Jacques Pépin (R), director Peter L. Stein (L), director of photography Vicente Franco, and sound engineer Jose Araujo, during the filming of Pépin’s American Masters documentary, 2016. (Jennifer Huang )

https://player.vimeo.com/video/211423771
Documentary maker Peter L. Stein describes some of the special on- and off-screen challenges of bringing Jacques Pépin's story to the screen for PBS's American Masters, and recalls his longtime collaboration with Jacques as producer of many of his early public television series.

Jacques Pépin: The Art of CraftJacques Pépin: The Art of Craft

Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft Reveals How a French Chef Became an ‘American Master’