Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home

Cafe Society
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Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, that is. This delightful cooking program is now available on AmazonPrime.

The show ran for one season of 17 episodes in 2000. Jacques, born in 1935, was a hale and hearty 65. Julia, born in 1912, was 88 (she died in 2004).

It’s lovely watching them together. They are both vivid, strong personalities, and there is a lot of chemistry between them. And so much respect-- you can tell they enjoy each other’s company. Jacques is deferential toward her without being patronizing. She is definitely showing her age, and you will see him casually move a pot handle out of her way, or make a suggestion about adding an ingredient. Even though it’s her kitchen, he is like the perfect male dance partner, always watching out for her without seeming to, and always showing her in her best light.

There was a thread recently asking what celebrity/famous person were you going to miss the most when they’re gone. Mine was Jacques Pepin. I watch on of his cooking programs two or three times a week on PBS. Now he’s 81, and showing *his *age. I might or might not ever cook any of the things he does, but just to watch him chop an onion at lightning speed is dazzling. And to see him bone a chicken-- it’s like watching a surgeon. His cooking experience is vast, and he is also an accomplished artist.

If you’re a Jacques and/or Julia fan, you’ll enjoy visiting or re-visiting this series.

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I loved that series. I remember that they’d sometimes disagree a bit on how to do something, which would give the audience a chuckle. People in the audience probably recognized themselves in the “too many cooks” scenario.

Yes, Jacques is a wonder. He is so fast, yet never looks like he is hurrying. He began cooking as a child in his mom’s bistro in Lyon, and I’m sure the early training was a factor in his turning out to be a great pro.

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Thanks for the notice. My wife is a big fan of the show, and the companion cookbook produced for the show is also really good – it’s got a lot of great explanations of technique in addition to some wonderful recipes. Most importantly, it demonstrates that there’s no one right way to do much of anything in the kitchen – it’s a very liberating book.