My Life in Food: 700+ All-Time Favorite Recipes from Essential Ppin

Barb: The cookbook is wonderful but was supposed to come with a DVD which I did not get so that was disappointing

United States on Sep 13, 2023

shirley denise: This book is a regular compendium of Jacques Pepin recipes. It is an awesome book. I like the lack of fussiness about his recipes which are always very tasty. A few photographs would have been nice but after years and years of cooking I don't feel that they are essential. I was very impressed with the condition of the book (used) and the speediness of the delivery. All in all, a very good buy.

Canada on Jun 24, 2023

RFR: We keep buying Pepin Cooking Books. His recipes are easy to follow, practical and simple. You spend less time in the kitchen when you foll his recipes.

United States on May 09, 2023

raynelle norman: It truely is essential. I reference my copy everyday.

Canada on Jan 31, 2023

Amitava Banerjee: Jacques Pepin's "Essential Pepin" is a wonderful and comprehensive collection of Western cuisine. What is particularly helpful are the author's tips, reflecting his great experience as a famous chef. Even a person with moderate cooking skills is drawn to successfully attempt more elaborate meals, and the results are uniformly good.

I strongly recommend this book.

India on Jun 17, 2020

KarlR: I was looking for a book from Pepin to add to my existing collection or recipe books. But it also had to have both classic and modern kitchen techniques. Originally I was going to get his "New Complete Techniques" another must have book. But I was watching a Pepin Interview and he remarked about how this book has great recipes and a DVD of all his techniques he teaches at Boston U. if you ever saw his PBS shows where he shared all this skills this is all on the DVD. A delight from such a master. I've tried at least a dozen of his recipes from the book and really enjoyed them. My only challenge now is to get that great DVD into another digital medium so I can use it on my phone in the kitchen. The hardcover is cushioned and the font is easy to read. Organized by dishes. Soup, salads, vegetables, fish, meat, etc. As you work through a recipe helpful tips and tricks to make the dish come out as best it can are thoughtfully placed to take advantage of them. You will not be disappointed!

Canada on Aug 16, 2019

mrlawren: brilliant - always interesting [try the caramelised apple timbale] - and sometimes surprising [try the pea-pod soup] - this book is written in a straightforward yet personal way that is charming - the ingredients chosen and the measurements used are set up a little more for the North American kitchen and there are all kinds of recipes for the adventurous [try the lamb's kidneys in mustard sauce] - the recipes are not restricted to french standards at all and there are many interest recipes for bread - the lack of colour illustrations might trouble a rank beginner but even so the instructions are as clear as can be and as a result the book offers up more than seven hundred recipes of a tantalising variety and type - and it has an extensive and very usable index plus a DVD that has Jacques Pepin showing such techniques as how to debone a chicken for a galantine and what to do with an artichoke which will be invaluable to people who have previously concentrate more on the eating than the cooking end of the affair - really an outstanding, enjoyable and stimulating cookbook that I wouldn't be without

Canada on Jul 10, 2018

audrey frances: I've been watching M. Pepin's most recent television series, had copied out several recipes and tried them, and all were successful; at some point I thought -- I should just buy the book -- and I'm glad I did!

The frontispiece features nine nice pictures of the chef, from boyhood to a photo of him with his friend and sometime collaborator Julia Child. Chapters are:

Soups
Salads
Eggs and Cheese
Pasta, Rice, Grains, and Potatoes
Breads, Sandwiches, and Pizzas
Shellfish and Fish
Poultry and Game
Meat
Charcuterie and Offal
Vegetables and Side Dishes
Fruit Desserts
Puddings, Sweet Souffles, and Crepes
Cakes, Cookies, and Candies
Tarts, Pies, and Pastries
Frozen Desserts

Basics (which includes subchapters on Seasonings; Stocks; Sauces, Butters, and Oils; Relishes and Pickles; and Drinks).

Each chapter contains quite few recipes, which are geared toward accessible French country styles (recipes from the chef's family and techniques he's learned at various restaurants), but also Italian and Mexican recipes too. It's a very well-rounded collection. Each recipe is introduced in a paragraph that might discuss ingredients...

United States on Aug 24, 2012

Mayflower Girl: I've been a fan of Chef Pepin for 20+ years. I remember first learning to cook watching his show, "Cooking with Claudine" (his daughter) on PBS. I've owned a few of his cookbooks, and have always had great success with his recipes. I honestly wasn't sure how to rate this book. The recipes are excellent, 5 stars in breadth and content, but the lack of pictures is a serious flaw. The DVD is great for learning basic techniques--but does it make up for not one single picture in the actual book?? I don't know. Without the DVD, three stars. The lack of pictures is a serious problem. I added another star for the inclusion of the DVD, because even though these are basic techniques--it's a great tool. Plus there are more videos on the publisher's website.

This is a massive cookbook. Recipes on everything one could imagine--even offal (brains, tripe, etc. But what's glaringly absent are pictures. There's not one picture of one completed dish in the book. Why? Many people choose recipes with their eyes. I'm not such a good cook that I could judge whether or not I want to make something just by reading the ingredients. I can't understand this glaring omission as the other cookbooks...

United States on Oct 19, 2011