Cooking
You learn by doing. How many times have you heard that? It couldn't be more true when it comes to cooking. I have been very lucky to learn from my parents who are both good cooks and to learn from a wonderful cook whose family I lived with in Italy. Watching, listening, smelling, touching, tasting, all are necessary to become a good cook and are done in person. I was reminded of this reading the beginning chapters of Jacques Pepin's The Apprentice-My Life in the Kitchen.
I adore Jacques Pepin. There I've said it. While I've never even met the man, I have at least 4 of his cook books and have watched him cook on TV for countless hours. The next best thing to sharing a kitchen with a great chef is to read a good cook book or to watch a cooking show. And I have learned so much from watching him. His techniques are inspiring. Like watching an artist with a paint brush or a muscian with an instrument, the way he uses a knife is just amazing. He can make de-boning a chicken look like something as simple as tying a shoe!
Some of my favorite recipes have come from Jacques Pepin--a recipe for tart tatin with pears, ricotta dumplings, roasted red pepper sauce, potato crusted fish, I could go on and on. In his latest book, he recounts his early childhood and sprinkles in recipes along the way. But reading this book I realize, it's not just the recipes themselves or techniques; his enthusiasm for cuisine and for wanting to cook for people are really what it's all about. While I may never match him in skills, not only do I admire him, I certainly share his passion for the culinary arts and hopefully that helps to make me a better cook.
- Williams-sonoma Tools & Techniques
The sense of joy and satisfaction that I get from cooking something wonderful and sharing it or eating it is almost indescribable. Not only do I feel pride, but it inspires me to take on more and more recipes and techniques. I learned to cook from watching...
- Dave's Dinners: Cookbook Review & Contest
Recently I was watching a British cooking competition on television. The contestants had to do a segment on a live chat show. The producer said that television chefs have to be about 80% entertainment and the remaining 20% about cooking. Sad, but true....
- Amy Meets Jacques Pepin! Behind The Scenes
There isn't much fame or fortune in writing for KQED's food blog, Bay Area Bites. But aside from getting to know some of my fellow writers on the blog, the best thing about blogging for KQED to date has been meeting Jacques Pepin. My adoration...
- Kqed Food Site
Back in October I wrote something about Jacques Pepin's new series on PBS called Fast Food My Way. As a result, so many people clicked on the link to the website for the show that the folks over at KQED public broadcasting who had produced the series...
- What Makes A Good Cook?
A recent entry from Craigslist Food Forum with names removed to protect the identity of the posters: What makes a good cook? . . . passion . . . Intuition . . . A curious nature... . . . restraint . . . sensuality, creativity, good hands.... . ....
Cooking
Jacques Pepin
You learn by doing. How many times have you heard that? It couldn't be more true when it comes to cooking. I have been very lucky to learn from my parents who are both good cooks and to learn from a wonderful cook whose family I lived with in Italy. Watching, listening, smelling, touching, tasting, all are necessary to become a good cook and are done in person. I was reminded of this reading the beginning chapters of Jacques Pepin's The Apprentice-My Life in the Kitchen.
I adore Jacques Pepin. There I've said it. While I've never even met the man, I have at least 4 of his cook books and have watched him cook on TV for countless hours. The next best thing to sharing a kitchen with a great chef is to read a good cook book or to watch a cooking show. And I have learned so much from watching him. His techniques are inspiring. Like watching an artist with a paint brush or a muscian with an instrument, the way he uses a knife is just amazing. He can make de-boning a chicken look like something as simple as tying a shoe!
Some of my favorite recipes have come from Jacques Pepin--a recipe for tart tatin with pears, ricotta dumplings, roasted red pepper sauce, potato crusted fish, I could go on and on. In his latest book, he recounts his early childhood and sprinkles in recipes along the way. But reading this book I realize, it's not just the recipes themselves or techniques; his enthusiasm for cuisine and for wanting to cook for people are really what it's all about. While I may never match him in skills, not only do I admire him, I certainly share his passion for the culinary arts and hopefully that helps to make me a better cook.
- Williams-sonoma Tools & Techniques
The sense of joy and satisfaction that I get from cooking something wonderful and sharing it or eating it is almost indescribable. Not only do I feel pride, but it inspires me to take on more and more recipes and techniques. I learned to cook from watching...
- Dave's Dinners: Cookbook Review & Contest
Recently I was watching a British cooking competition on television. The contestants had to do a segment on a live chat show. The producer said that television chefs have to be about 80% entertainment and the remaining 20% about cooking. Sad, but true....
- Amy Meets Jacques Pepin! Behind The Scenes
There isn't much fame or fortune in writing for KQED's food blog, Bay Area Bites. But aside from getting to know some of my fellow writers on the blog, the best thing about blogging for KQED to date has been meeting Jacques Pepin. My adoration...
- Kqed Food Site
Back in October I wrote something about Jacques Pepin's new series on PBS called Fast Food My Way. As a result, so many people clicked on the link to the website for the show that the folks over at KQED public broadcasting who had produced the series...
- What Makes A Good Cook?
A recent entry from Craigslist Food Forum with names removed to protect the identity of the posters: What makes a good cook? . . . passion . . . Intuition . . . A curious nature... . . . restraint . . . sensuality, creativity, good hands.... . ....