The Inimitable Pepin

The TV program "At The Table With..." on the Food Network recently featured chef Jacques Pepin. It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about him, having read his delightful autobiography, "The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen", and watched his cooking shows on PBS for close to two decades. But it echoed all the admiration and appreciation I have for the man, in the heartfelt testimonials from family, friends, colleagues and fans. I'm Joe Schmoe on the culinary map, but the top chefs of the world are as awed as I am by Pepin's mastery of the kitchen and -- more importantly -- his humility and eagerness to teach anyone who wants to learn how to cook.

I've always had the good fortune of being surrounded by people who cook exceptionally well, but (with all due respect to you guys) I have to say that Jacques Pepin is my biggest culinary influence. I've always had a roly poly frame so of course I've always been fond of eating, yet it is Pepin who made me want to be in the kitchen, making the things I like to eat.

The vast scope of his career should be humbling to anyone. Unlike the hot shot chefs of today whose career doesn't even begin until he or she enters a culinary school in early adulthood (and graduates in a mere 4-6 years of formal training), Pepin has been working in kitchens since 1947 at the age of 12.

It should be pointed out that the commercial kitchens of that era make Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen look like kindergarten. Pepin spent his teens working up the hierarchy of the old school brigade system, starting as an assistant, commis, then chef de partie in every single station (including saucier, rotisseur, entremetier, and so on), before moving on to sous chef then finally chef de cuisine. He would have to single-handedly peel hundreds of potatoes or artichokes for each dinner service, night after night, and learned classic French recipes through osmosis because none of the recipes were written down for him. He eventually became the chef for various heads of state and worked the top restaurants in France.

Is it any wonder that he can deftly debone an entire bird in under 30 seconds (all the while talking to his audience)? Or finely minces a garlic clove to a paste with a knife in the blink of an eye? Or manually whisks egg whites into stiff peaks for a meringue faster than an electric mixer? Watch how beautifully and effortlessly he segments a whole chicken into seven pieces for cooking.

His technical prowess aside, the real reason why the public loves Jacques Pepin is his ability to make cooking accessible and the complete lack of egotism in the way he teaches. In a curious twist of fate, it was a near-fatal car accident that sidelined his grueling restaurant career and began his television career as a teacher. Pepin himself considers this a blessing in disguise: it gave him a heightened appreciation for life and the ability to reach millions with his message that anyone can cook (the theme shared by the film, "Ratatouille").

And teach, he does. Most of the culinary tips and tricks I know have come from Pepin. Even if he explains it only once, he has the ability to make it stick in your brain. I learned how to cook a hard-boiled egg without the green sheath of sulphur forming around the yolk. I learned how to chop onions without my eyes tearing up. I learned how to debone a salmon steak and turn it into a neat round of flesh ready for cooking. He was the first person to show me how to deglaze a roasting pan and not let anything go to waste in a recipe. Even the importance of tying an apron in front of you was something I picked up from him.

I owe him my deepest gratitude for all that he has given. His lessons will stay with me for the rest of my life.