Jacques Pepin French chef and also as a television presenter and writer Date of Birth: 18.12.1938 Country: USA

Biography of Jacques Pépin

Jacques Pépin, a renowned French chef, television personality, and writer, was born on December 18, 1935, in Bourg-en-Bresse, France. His parents owned a small restaurant called "Le Pelican" in Bourg-en-Bresse near Lyon. At the age of 12, Jacques began learning to cook in the family restaurant. He then went to Paris, to the famous "Plaza Athénée," to further perfect his culinary skills. Later, he served as the personal chef to Charles de Gaulle and two other French prime ministers.

In 1959, Pépin emigrated to America, but he declined an invitation to cook for President Kennedy at the White House. Instead, he took on the role of Director of Research and Development for the Howard Johnson hotel chain, where he worked for the next 10 years. Pépin demonstrated that his interests extended beyond the kitchen by earning a Bachelor's degree in 1970 and a Master of Arts degree in 1972 from Columbia University, specializing in 18th-century French poetry. While his accomplishments in the field of poetry research remain obscure, he is well-known for his numerous television shows and eighteen books.

One of his most notable works, "La Technique," is still considered the best textbook on French cooking fundamentals. The popularity of this book led Pépin to participate in the culinary television series, "The Complete Pépin," on PBS in 1997. In 1999, Jacques Pépin co-hosted a show called "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home" with Julia Child, which received an Emmy award in 2001. Subsequently, Pépin appeared on television cooking with his daughter, Claudine, who married chef Roland Viesnet. He also hosted shows such as "Fast Food My Way" (based on his book of the same name from 2004) and "Jacques Pépin: More Fast Food My Way" (which still airs on PBS Create Channel).

In 2008, Pépin served as a judge on the fifth season of the television show "Top Chef." Currently, Jacques Pépin is the Dean at the French Culinary Institute, a part of the International Culinary Center in New York, and a professor at Boston University. He leads online lectures on French cuisine and culture with K. Claflin, a historian at Boston University. Pépin is a frequent contributor to the publication "Food & Wine" and teaches his own culinary master class for professionals.

Furthermore, he has been honored with three French awards: "Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" (1997), "Chevalier de L'Ordre du Mérite Agricole" (1992), and the highest distinction, "Légion d'honneur" (2004), which is the highest honor a French citizen can receive. It is worth mentioning that Pépin currently resides in Madison, Connecticut, with his wife, Gloria.