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
Cooking Clever
Budget-friendly dishes made with inexpensive ingredients are packed full of flavor when Jacques steps in… the result — unforgettable meals. Today, Jacques prepares Mussels with Cream and Chives on Soft Polenta for an easy seafood dinner. Classic Spaghetti à la Bolognese includes Jacques’ special tip to make a delicious, hearty and flavorful sauce. Another seasonal favorite, Tomato and Potato Salad with Mustard Sauce, is perfect when tomatoes are ripe and is served on spicy arugula. Finally, a delicate Sautéed Radicchio salad ends on a savory-bitter note.
“The classic way to cook mussels is with white wine, onion, garlic, and parsley. In this recipe, I steam the mussels in wine until they open, then discard the empty half shells and finish the sauce with shallots, mushrooms, cream, and chives. Heavy cream is best, but sour cream also works well for a lighter dish.” —Jacques Pépin
“It is sometimes difficult to combine the meat with the other ingredients without lumps forming. To prevent this, I put the meat in a bowl, add some chicken stock, and crush the meat into the stock with my fingers. As the meat gets wet, it becomes a smooth mixture without lumps. Then I add it to the pot with the remainder of the ingredients and proceed with the cooking. If you are serving a smaller group, just freeze the extra sauce for another time.
“I like to cook the spaghetti and season it apart from the Bolognese sauce, then serve it with the sauce on top.” —Jacques Pépin
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