The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen

Anyone who seriously enjoys food/eating knows or should know about Jacques Pepin, the French chef who has done so much to advance the art of food, food preparation and food sophistication. He has been around for quite a long while, and is one of the few originals who really started the food revolution which rages today. This book, "The Apprentice, My Life in The Kitchen," is an older book (copyright 2003) which was—fortunately—a recent subject of Amazon's BookBub deal of the day. It is a fun, easy read, extremely well written, and packed with Pepin's bubbly personality, wit, as well as a vivid recounting of the rather amazing life he has led. Born in a small French town near Lyon, Bourg-en-Bresse, now well known for, inter alia, chicken dishes, he was apprenticing in his mother's restaurant from an early age, worked his way up the "brigade" kitchen system established by Escoffier through restaurants in Lyon and ultimately Paris, and ultimately came to America where he literally made history. He worked in top restaurants in New York City. He enrolled in Columbia University to learn English, and stayed there through a Ph.D program. He was the culinary director for the Howard Johnson chain of motels and restaurants when Howard Johnson, Sr. ran the operation nationally and successfully. Pepin brought class, and efficiency to the chain's restaurants; when Sr. died and Jr. took over, and made radical changes to a cheaper, fast-food operation, Pepin was out the door. He friendships extended to the luminaries in food, especially the early ones, such as Craig Claiborne, James Beard and Julia Child, among many others. He taught cooking in many different venues, and wrote prolifically books and articles. He had several different TV shows. And this is not in the book, but relevant: he became the culinary director for Oceana, a luxury cruise line, and established it as the generally agreed "best food at sea." He includes his recipes for many different dishes at the end of each chapter. Pepin is a towering figure in food, a foundational leader to the hundreds of celebrity chefs we have today. His book shows why: his intelligence, his determination and discipline, his awareness and vision, and the value of training and education, all shine through. A very pleasant read, by and about a man who lived success with every savory bite.

I grew up watching Chef Pepin on PBS and I loved it when he and Julia Child would team up and do shows together. In fact, Jacque Pepin influenced many in my immediate and extended family. When we'd cook as kids, we'd try to affect our best Jacques Pepin accents because at least for us, he epitomized the classic French chef. Later on, I learned about Bocuse and Robuchon and other French chefs, and while they were incredible, Jacques Pepin would always represent what I felt was the archetype of a great chef, French or not. "The Apprentice" is an absolutely fantastic book, taking the reader back to the chef's early childhood in war-torn France and his progression from a stable hand to his apprenticeship and on to his illustrious career with Howard Johnson's. And while he implies that he along the way that he experienced much hardship, instead of sinking into bitterness, he tells his tale with affection and with a sentimentality that endears rather than makes one sympathize. Even when he speaks negatively about situations or people he encountered, he communicates what he learned as opposed to complaining. As for me personally, I didn't want to the book to end. Chef Pepin is a wonderful and engaging storyteller. I felt like the kid in the Princess Bride while reading the book: What happens next?! What happens next?! But in addition, he is a great teacher and this book is full of life lessons. His is an inspiring story of never quitting; of doing what needs to be done to achieve your goals; that establishing and maintaining friendships does more to "get ahead" than playing petty politics. And finally, this book is a testament that excellence trumps all.

This 2003 hardcover edition yields a nice personal biography of beloved French chef, Jacques Pépin. He has also given us a few of his unique recipes along the way. The book covers Pépin's life, including details of his immediate family, from childhood until recent times. He also talks about many of his well-known close associates such as James Beard, Craig Claiborne, Julia Child, Ed Giobbi, and Helen McCully. This work is nicely illustrated with many photos from Pépin's lifetime. Pépin was born in France (his father participated in the resistance movement during the WW II years) where he was apprenticed to renowned French chefs of the period. When he came to America he worked a long stretch for Howard Johnson but ultimately he went out on his own to engage in developing recipes for "American cuisine" -- writing cookbooks and teaching others his superb culinary techniques eventually became his forté and hallmark. He also discusses his successful marriage, his near-fatal car crash, and how he rose to conduct his numerous television appearances and programs. There are a few of Pépin's recipes in here but this is by no means a cookbook. Most of the recipes are there simply to punctuate the commentary of text. For some of Pépin's best recipes, get Jacques Pepin's Simple and Healthy Cooking . This is not what one would call a compelling biography but it's certainly an interesting one, especially for those who are fans of Jacques Pépin and/or for anyone interested in the culinary arts.

Enjoyable memoir about the life of a chef, the evolution of his career, French cuisine and his coming to the US and the beginnings of nouvelle cuisine. I enjoyed reading about famous restaurants and chefs, his family and his love of simple dishes , the Howard Johnson era-overall sorry to come to its conclusion.

What a delightful book! I had trouble putting it down, it is wonderfully fascinating, his life was so well lived , and well told.! I am a foody, but I don’t think you have to be to enjoy this book.

Great book by a great chef. For any chefs or just avid readers. This is a must.... Quality and printing is impeccable . Thank you . Also got it on a great deal

This was a gift for my wife who greatly enjoys Jacques Pepin's videos of food preparation on You tube. He is a charming, educated man who is open about all aspects of his life, and at the same time humble and unassuming. A good read with recipes to boot. Nice printing.

Great quality. Jacques is a great storyteller

Great memoire of a wonderful person, not just a great, important chef but a wonderful, kind and intelligent, generous person. An old school gentleman master of his craft.

Very good!