Jacques Pépin

Host / Chef


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Jacques Pépin talks about his early years, and becoming an apprentice chef. He describes life as a chef in Paris in the 1950s, and eventually moving to America, where he worked as the chef for Howard Johnson’s, and Le Pavillon. He chronicles opening La Potagerie, and becoming well known, which led to appearances on What’s My Line? and To Tell the Truth. He recalls his professional relationship with Julia Child, with whom he appeared on the series Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home. Pépin also recalls appearing with Child on an infamous episode of Tomorrow when she sliced her finger. He discusses in-depth his many series on KQED, including Cooking with ClaudineJacques Pépin Celebrates, and Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul. He concludes discussing what he loves about cooking, career highlights and regrets, and how he’d like to be remembered. Adrienne Faillace conducted the interview on November 8, 2017 in New York, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"My advice to an aspiring chef is, if you really have the bug and love it, do it. You will have to work behind the stove in a small restaurant, and maybe do the dishes. This is the glory that a young chef can expect. But you have to do that first to be able to run a kitchen properly."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Jacques Pépin on his Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home series, and on his chemistry with Julia Child
10:06
Jacques Pépin on his then-most recent show Jacques Pepin Heart & Soul, and how things changed for cooking shows over the years
01:20
Jacques Pépin on his Cooking with Claudine series, and having his family on his shows
03:58
Jacques Pépin on working at Howard Johnson's and Le Pavillon, and on cooking for John F. Kennedy
05:59
Jacques Pépin on his French accent, and on the explosion of food shows on television, and on appearing on other chef's shows
04:58
Jacques Pépin on his process of cooking on television
01:43
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On gravitating toward cooking at an early age; on his family's experience with World War II, and on food rationing during the war; on food he enjoyed as a kid, and on his mother's restaurant
On deciding to become a chef, and on becoming an apprentice; on injuries in the kitchen; on how he came to work as a chef in Paris
On the type of cooking he did as a chef in Paris, and on putting his own stamp on dishes; on how chefs were regarded in Paris in the 1950s when he was coming up
On his military service, and becoming a chef for the military and serving various heads of state including Charles de Gaulle; on coming to the United States and on learning English
On working at Howard Johnson's and Le Pavillon, and on cooking for John F. Kennedy; on converting from the metric system when he worked in America, and on learning about American food

Chapter 2

On the food scene in America in the 1960s, and on various celebrity chefs of the day; on Julia Child's show The French Chef; on opening La Potagerie, and on becoming well known in the food world
On appearing on What's My Line? and To Tell the Truth; on his books "La Methode" and "La Technique," and on teaching cooking; on how he came to be a television chef
On preparing to cook on television; on the various people he worked with on his KQED television series; on sharing personal family stories on his KQED television series, and on his process of cooking on television
On his "happy cooking" sign-off; on being involved in post-production on his shows, and on the sponsors of his shows; on his more popular series (including Cooking with Claudine), and on nutrition in his recipes
On his Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home series, and on his chemistry with Julia Child; on Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home winning a Daytime Emmy Award; on appearing on Tomorrow with Julia Child when she cut her finger, later parodied on Saturday Night Live, and on Child's contribution to the world of cooking
On his show Jacques Pepin Celebrates; on his French accent, and on the explosion of food shows on television, and on appearing on other chef's shows; on his then-most recent show, Jacques Pepin Heart & Soul, and how things changed for cooking shows over the years
On what he enjoys about cooking, and on teaching cooking in class and on television; on his contributions to the world of cooking, and on his then-current activities; on mentors in his career
On sex discrimination in cooking, and on learning from female chefs; on career achievements and regrets, and on advice to aspiring television chefs; on how he'd like to be remembered
Shows

French Chef, The

View Show Page
Jacques Pépin on Julia Child's show The French Chef
02:23

Jacques Pepin Cooking Shows (KQED)

View Show Page
Jacques Pépin on preparing to cook on television
02:31
Jacques Pépin on the various people he worked with on his KQED television series
02:26
Jacques Pépin on sharing personal family stories on his KQED television series, and on pairing food and wine
01:56
Jacques Pépin on his process of cooking on television
01:43
Jacques Pépin on his "happy cooking" sign-off
00:25
Jacques Pépin on being involved in post-production on his shows, and on the sponsors of his shows
02:42
Jacques Pépin on his more popular series, and on nutrition in his recipes
04:22
Jacques Pépin on his Cooking with Claudine series, and having his family on his shows
03:58
Jacques Pépin on his Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home series, and on his chemistry with Julia Child
10:06
Jacques Pépin on Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home winning a Daytime Emmy Award
01:06
Jacques Pépin on his show Jacques Pepin Celebrates
02:56
Jacques Pépin on his then-most recent show Jacques Pepin Heart & Soul, and how things changed for cooking shows over the years
04:30

Saturday Night Live

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Jacques Pépin on appearing on Tomorrow with Julia Child when she cut her finger, later parodied on Saturday Night Live
04:00

To Tell the Truth

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Jacques Pépin on appearing on What's My Line? and To Tell the Truth
03:55

Tomorrow (1973-82)

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Jacques Pépin on appearing on Tomorrow with Julia Child when she cut her finger, later parodied on Saturday Night Live
04:00

What's My Line?

View Show Page
Jacques Pépin on appearing on What's My Line? and To Tell the Truth
03:55
Topics

Advice

View Topic
Jacques Pépin on advice to an aspiring television chef
02:17

Characters & Catchphrases

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Jacques Pépin on his "happy cooking" sign-off
00:25

Creative Influences and Inspiration

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Jacques Pépin on mentors in his career
01:04

Emmy Awards

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Jacques Pépin on Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home winning a Daytime Emmy Award, and on working with Julia Child
01:06

Historic Events and Social Change

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Jacques Pépin on his family's experience with World War II, and on food rationing during the war
03:19

Pivotal Career Moments

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Jacques Pépin on mentors in his career
01:04

Pop Culture

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Jacques Pépin on his "happy cooking" sign-off
00:25

Television Industry

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Jacques Pépin on advice to an aspiring television chef
02:17

War

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Jacques Pépin on his family's experience with World War II, and on food rationing during the war
03:19

World War II

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Jacques Pépin on his family's experience with World War II, and on food rationing during the war
03:19
Professions

Hosts

View Profession
Jacques Pépin on deciding to become a chef, and on becoming an apprentice
03:48
Jacques Pépin on how he came to be a television chef
05:18
Jacques Pépin on preparing to cook on television
02:31
Jacques Pépin on being involved in post-production on his shows, and on the sponsors of his shows
02:42
Jacques Pépin on what he enjoys about cooking, and on teaching cooking in class and on television
03:15

Television Chef

View Profession
Jacques Pépin on deciding to become a chef, and on becoming an apprentice
03:48
Jacques Pépin on how he came to be a television chef
05:18
Jacques Pépin on preparing to cook on television
02:31
Jacques Pépin on being involved in post-production on his shows, and on the sponsors of his shows
02:42
Jacques Pépin on what he enjoys about cooking, and on teaching cooking in class and on television
03:15
Genres

Service Shows

View Genre
Jacques Pépin on his KQED Cooking Shows
54:10
People

Julia Child

View Interview Page
Jacques Pépin on Julia Child's contribution to the world of cooking
01:13
Jacques Pépin on his Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home series, and on his chemistry with Julia Child
10:06
Jacques Pépin on appearing on Tomorrow with Julia Child when she cut her finger, later parodied on Saturday Night Live
04:00

John F. Kennedy

View Person Page
Jacques Pépin on working at Howard Johnson's and Le Pavillon, and on cooking for John F. Kennedy
04:01

All Interviews

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