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 could not put the book down! Great nostalgia for a "home cook" who began experimenting with cooking in 1968. Growing up my Mother, a very capable farm style cook, who had begun cooking for thrashers (farm workers who helped with the harvest) at age 12 during the height of the Depression in 1930 basically said "I'll cook...you study! If you excel in school you can always hire someone to cook!" She also made sure that everyday we had lovely simple meals made with tons of fresh ingredients, loaves of freshly baked bread and never wasted a thing. Fast forward to 1968 when upon graduating from college and soon to be married my friends threw a bridal shower for me where every single friend knowing I'd never boiled an egg, but loved to eat and made a decent "lab partner" in Chemistry each gave me a cookbook. Thank God my future Mother-in-law gave me the "Joy of Cooking" and I diligently went through it page-by-page...made a different blind pie crust everyday for a year surreptitiously until I finally could "pretend I was a natural" at creating the perfect flaky pie crust. I READ the recipe faithfully every morning for scrambled eggs as I'd make breakfast and if it had said "Stand on one leg and cluck like a chicken while beating the eggs" I'd have done it until my new husband pointed out after about 6 months of watching this procedure that I could probably make the scrambled eggs without looking at the pictures of how to do it in my "Better Homes and Garden" looseleaf binder cookbook. Little did he know that only a few weeks before I had had to call my Mother (over 500 miles away and a long distance phone call) to get the "recipe for baked potatoes" because I scoured the cookbooks and couldn't find it anywhere. I knew you washed the potato, left the skin on, put it in the oven...but for how long and what temperature (the knob on the oven went from 200 to 550)? Anyone that devoted, hungry, interested and with at least another six years of student poverty ahead while my husband finished medical school and his internship and two small children would be "pedal to the metal" to learn about everything I could about how to turn out great food on $50 a month! We became "locavores" before we ever heard the word...I never dared tell our dinner guests that the Escargot came from the Arboretum at UC Davis...you put enough garlic and butter on anything and it's delicious. Again Thank God...people like Julia Child, Craig Claibourne, James Beard, Jacques Pepin were all trying to help people like me who were clueless but oh so willing and fascinated. Reading "The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen" was like reading a love letter. A behind the scene of view of how the books that became such "good friends and trusted teachers" like James Beard's "Menus for Entertaining", Craig Claibourne'a "The New York Times International Cook Book", Jacques Pepin's "Technique", Julia Child and Simone Beck's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" that I wore out a few copies of some only to be quickly replaced while tattered spineless copies are kept for sentimental reasons, lovingly spattered and annotated for things I observed in my initial attempts.Maman reminded me of my Mother (no recipes, no measurements, delicious food). I got quite sentimental reading Pepin's book and tearing up a few times while laughing aloud at other episodes. I think "The Apprentice" is a must read for really anyone who enjoys making and cooking delicious food but it is perhaps particularly touching for those of us who remember learning so much from these great, talented, generous creative and innovative "teacher" chefs through the years. Life would have been infinitely less rich without them.

I don't know if Jacques actually wrote this book, but if he did he's a very good writer. I went through the book in a few days. The way the book was written just drew me in. It flowed extremely well. I learned a lot of things about Jacques that I didn't know before. Since I don't want to put up spoilers, I'll leave it to you to uncover them. A lot of interesting/funny food anecdotes. I had two disappointments. Although he mentions meeting with Julia Child and some of the things together, he really does not go into the relationship that had developed when they were on PBS shows together. I don't know if the book was written before that time period, or not. The second disappointment, and the thing that stopped me from giving it five stars was the ending. I truly didn't think that I had come to the end. I had to check two more times. I thought that when making the book an ebook that they left off a couple of chapters. For me, the book just ends and leaves you hanging. For fans of Jacques and of how chefs are treated, it's a great book.

Excellent book. Great read!

I became aware of the existence of M. Pepin's "The Apprentice" while searching Amazon for various cookbooks. As a recently returning professional cook - after a 14 year exploration of other professions - I decided to see what was "new" in the world of cookbooks. I just finished reading "The Apprentice" and I decided that, though it probably wasn't necessary to add one more positive review to this offering, I felt it was one of the few ways I could convey my appreciation for Chef Jacques Pepin and his influence in my life. Back around 1980 while working as a newly promoted dishwasher turned cold prep-cook at a hotel near Buffalo, NY in my last year of High School with no real idea what I wanted to do with myself I decided to pursue a career in food service specifically as a chef. I didn't think about attending a cooking school even if I knew where to go, I decided the best way to learn was hands-on in the kitchen, which I supplemented with loads of reading whatever decent professional-level cookbooks I could get my hands on. The first few purchases included J. Pepin's La Technique and La Methode, The Larousse Gastonomique (suggested by the chef I was working under), Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and Giuliano Bugialli's "Classic Techniques of Italian Cooking". I have been a fan of Jacques Pepin ever since. Thanks to his two books he became my "mentor" and inspiration to try to do it right. The Apprentice is an excellent reminder to today's Culinary School students and graduates that at one time there was another way to become a professional cook/chef that didn't have anything to do with shelling out a bunch of cash expecting to learn everything you need to know. As M. Pepin says on page 242-243 while discussing his experiences as the dean of the French Culinary Institute (FCI) - "When I began teaching at the FCI, I could not help but compare the training my students got during their six-month crash course, designed to impart 250 basic culinary competencies....with the long years I spent learning many of the same techniques as an apprentice and as a commis. I don't want to romanticize my training. It was an artifact of a different era, and although it worked then, it is unacceptable in today's fast-paced world. But there is something to be said for carefully learning techniques and absorbing long-established culinary traditions. If nothing else, it gives a young cook perspective that can help in avoiding some of the mistakes common in kitchens run by chefs who rely on gone-wild notions of `creativity' instead of common sense." It is this common sense, no-nonsense perspective that pervades The Apprentice (and his approach to cooking) and shows how M. Pepin's success laid in his willingness to work hard, his ability to adapt to new situations and be open to new ideas, ingredients, and techniques. While reading The Apprentice, right after starting a new cooking position this past April, I found Pepin's perspective gave me new hope and encouragement to continue to do my best after returning to a career which I once felt was a waste of time and effort (burned out after 14 years and a desire to try something else). Even after selling off or giving away most of my cookbooks, I still hung on to my copies of La Technique and La Methode, just in case. For new cooks, reading The Apprentice is worth the money just to get M. Pepin's perspective on Nouvelle Cuisine, his views on the differences between home cooking and professional cooking (both have their place, both are important), and his need to try to convince various University faculty the importance of "a program in which students would learn about the social and historical phenomena of food - food production, food habits, beliefs about food. Such a program would address the core concerns on human existence." Before I read The Apprentice, I thought I knew enough about Jacques Pepin the chef, now I know something about the man. I am also glad to see that he is appreciated above many of today's so-called "celebrity chefs". Merci, merci mille fois M. Pepin!!

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 was such a charming book. Really a delight to read. Though I don't cook much, I love memoirs, especially about France, and I'd certainly heard of Mr. Pépin. When I managed bookstores years ago, one of his cookbooks was a bestseller. I loved hearing about his childhood in France from idyllic days in the countryside to his mother's ingenuity in business to his early love of the kitchen and cooking. There were memorable vignettes, such as the glorious day when the first Allied tank came rumbling through his town or his initiation at his first real job as an apprentice. You can feel his love of life in the writing and it's a joy to read. I also loved hearing about his life in the U.S. - New York City, in particular. Man, was he smart. There are wonderful, simple recipes at the end of most chapters, too. I did get the impression that the last 20% of the book was more hurriedly written, which is why I gave four stars instead of five. But the 80% before that is a solid 5 star-read.

Reading this book is like reminiscing with a good friend, although he does all the talking and I do all the listening. No, I don’t know Jacques Pepin, but his writing style is so conversational and accessible that it feels as if I do. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve watched his cooking shows and I “hear” the book in his voice. My only regret is that I have this book in electronic format, which makes accessing the recipes later just a bit more difficult.

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

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.

I love this book, such an excellent read. Was impressed with Jacques Pepin’s cooking history and how he became such a great chef. Did not know how much of an influence his mother had in leading him to his career choice. Impressed with who he cooked for as well, not everyday you get to cook for Charles de Gaulle. Great read for anyone who loves cooking and I love the inclusion of the recipes.

A lovely book from one of the most influential chefs at the turn of the century - and a remarkable good person, Monsieur Jacques Pepin. An impressive view of a 6 yo kid on France under WWII's fire and the sad " l'occupation " followed by a life worth reading about. Great photographs belonging to the author, a wonderful graphic belonging to the very talented people Monsieur Pepin's book more than deserves. Highly recommended.