Feb 25 2017

Alone In The Kitchen With An Old Frenchman

Recently French chef Jacques Pépin turned 80 and retired. Over the years, he educated viewers of Public Television on how to cook and, something that no other cooking show host has done, techniques in the kitchen with wisdom, humor and a smattering of French lessons. As Gilad Edelman wrote in a Slate article, this man will teach you how to cook

Fruit Fete

Jacques Pepin cooking in episode 112 of Essential PepinBecause apples are available all year, we often forget how delicious they are freshly baked, all warm and puffy, straight from the oven. Jacques’ Good Lady Apples Bon Femme recipe satisfies all apple cravings with maple sweetened fruit. In this show, Jacques goes on to add basil leaves to a Stew of Red Summer Fruit to make a deliciously flavorful, fragrant dessert. He also prepares two more simple and tasty dishes: Braised Pears in a Caramel Sauce and Flambéed Bananas. Apples return as the main ingredient for the final dish of Apple Fritters.

Good Lady Apples Bon Femme

For these baked apples, ubiquitous in home cooking as well as in country inns and restaurants, only a few ingredients are needed. Inexpensive and quickly prepared,

Stew of Red Summer Fruit

Basil lends a delightful fragrance and a slightly licorice taste to this stew. A tasty hodgepodge of red summer fruits, it can be made in winter with fruits such as bananas, apples, and oranges.

Braised Pears in a Caramel Sauce

Depending on the ripeness of the pears, you may need to modify the cooking time so they are tender at the same time as the juice and sugar have caramelized.