Freshly Squeezed: The Extraordinary Life of Jacques Pépin

Jacques Pepin is a towering figure in the world of food in the US. His iconic television show, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, won an Emmy award, and he has written his name in culinary history, both in his adopted home of the United States and across the world.

At 87 years of age, Jacques Pepin remains the same charismatic and enthusiastic chef as always and shows no signs of quitting. In fact, the output of the Frenchman is quite extraordinary. He is a chef, educator, television star and artist – his latest release is a book of his paintings that he has laboured over for decades.

The esteem in which Jacques Pepin is held by ordinary people and the culinary world is unparalleled. He has inspired generations of people to enter the kitchen and given the gift of cooking to millions at home. He has cooked for presidents and dignitaries, was a personal friend of James Beard, has run his own restaurants, and has penned over 30 books.

It can be argued that Pepin’s biggest achievement is not his prolific professional output, but doing it all with charisma, warmth, and genuine authenticity, which makes him one of the greatest ambassadors of France in the world.

Fine Dining Lovers’ editor-in-chief caught up with Pepin to talk about his extraordinary journey, from a small town in rural France, to Paris, the culinary world, and then to the US, where he raised a family, came back from the brink after a devastating car crash, and achieved the American Dream.