The Apprentice

The sparkling personality, sense of humor and charm familiar to Jacques Pépin's television audiences carries over to the page in the superstar chef's humbly titled memoir, The Apprentice.

A clever, mischievous and very likable boy, Pépin's earliest food memories are hungry ones from his childhood in war-torn France. After World War II, his first restaurant job was peeling potatoes for his mother at her restaurant, and he became an apprentice in a hotel kitchen at age 13. In this delightful tale he works hard, plays fair, is kind to others and good to his family, and his efforts take him to Paris, and then New York. Except for the terrible car accident that required him to reinvent himself as a teacher and television personality, he seems to have always been in the right place at the right time. He cooked for Prime Minister Gaillard and then General Charles de Gaulle, met Pierre Franey, Craig Claiborne and Julia Child, and turned down a job cooking for JFK to accept one with Howard Johnson. But just as entertaining and enjoyable to read about are his tender memories and thoughts about his relationships with his parents and brothers, and with his wife and daughter.

We all wish we could cook like Pépin(and every chapter ends with one of Pépin's favorite recipes), but this enchanting tale will make you wish you knew him. The clear, simple way he expresses himself and the honesty with which he tells his story will bring you to tears and make you laugh out loud. --Leora Y Bloom, Amazon.com

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A delicious morsel to be savoured - Rated
I was not familiar with Jacques Pepin before I was given this book as a present, but had already sampled Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman's offerings. This is a different type of book.

The author shares his earliest memories of the kitchen with us, explaining why he was so drawn to the kitchen. His love of freshness and quality of ingredients is obvious from the start, as is his love of his family (both as a child and later as a husband and father).

I couldn't put this book down. The recipes within it are not particularly complex, and have been carefully chosen to repesent the essence of what Pepin really likes to cook - simple, tasty, fresh food that delights the senses. In many ways, this book is like one of his dishes. It is very easy to read, the anecdotes resonate and I was left at the end with a threefold set of desires; to try one of the recipes, to buy another of his books, and to find some of his old recordings to watch.

All too often these days, chefs are portrayed as harsh taskmasters with little love for their staff (and often less for their customers). Pepin comes across as a genuinely warm man, creative, artistic and the sort of guy you wish would invite you round for one of those late sunday lunches that turn into dinner and end sometime the next morning after all the wine has been finished.

A JOY TO READ AND SAVOR - Rated
As satisfying as a 5-star meal, as delicious as his mother's cheese souffle, Jacques Pepin's autobiography is rich in scenes, friends, recipes, and anecdotes.

Surely one of the most famous chefs in the world who came into homes through his PBS cooking shows and popular cookbooks, Pepin now reveals the story behind the public face.

Born in prewar France to a cabinetmaker and an energetic woman who owned a small restaurant Pepin was enamored with the kitchen as a youth. He left his formal education behind at the age of 13 to sign on as an apprentice in the arduous training system then required. It was a difficult road he had chosen in a system reminiscent of feudal days. Yet the young man persevered, and before the age of twenty found himself in France's most elite restaurant. Next, he would become personal chef to Charles de Gaulle.

After coming to America he numbered among his friends those with like interests and gifts - Julia Child and James Beard. He also earned a degree from Columbia University, and began to work for Howard Johnson.

A serious automobile accident might have meant the end of anyone's career, but not Pepin's. When he was unable to keep up the daily routine in a kitchen he became a cooking teacher, and a television icon.

"The Apprentice: My Life In The Kitchen" is a joy to read and savor.