Since I have a very plebeian palate, I’ve always considered French cooking to be a form of puttin’ on airs, just so much ooh-la-la pretentiousness (although I have to admit, I have had a couple of French dishes I really liked). Jacques Pépin, however, has given me a completely new perspective.
He’s quite an interesting guy. He was Charles de Gaulle’s personal chef back in the 1950s, and he later came to the United States where he worked for Howard Johnson’s, of all places (I don’t know if he was responsible, but the best hot dog I ever had in my life was at a HoJo’s in Cary, NC). He has also worked as a culinary instructor and has earned all kinds of awards.
