Product Details

• Actors: Jacques Pepin
• Directors: Kqed
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Janson Media
• DVD Release Date: March 2, 2007
• Run Time: 600 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000O75I4M
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,452 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Jacques Pépin, the man who taught millions of Americans how to cook, shares the techniques he honed in the most famous kitchens of the world to show you how to create simple, special meals in minutes. The complete PBS series is available on these three DVDs. Use the interactivity of the DVD format to learn how to create complete menus -- over one hundred great-tasting dishes -- all special enough for company, yet easy enough for those weekday evenings when you have no time. Easy and fast can still be deliciously elegant -- with Jacques Pépin Fast Food My Way. The complete PBS series is available on these three DVDs. Use the interactivity of the DVD format to learn how to create complete menus -- over one hundred great-tasting dishes -- all special enough for company, yet easy enough for those weekday evenings when you have no time. Easy and fast can still be deliciously elegant -- with Jacques Pépin Fast Food My Way.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great series but ...., December 23, 2007

By 

Mutual Information - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jacques Pepin Fast Food My Way Set of 3 DVDs (DVD)

Jacques Pepin is my favorite TV chef. His technique is amazing. These recipes are from all segments of his life and they are fairly uncomplicated. I believe this series is Pepin's finest in production style and quality. And the master chef is in great form.

About the DVDs, these are good video transfers but it appears that the audio has been tampered with. The TV broadcast sound quality is very good but the DVD's have an annoying distortion. I don't why they did this but it's clearly intentional because the promo ads have good audio. Also this set is not complete. There should have been 26 shows in this set but two are missing. Why did they make that odd ball decision? There's no chance they will release a DVD of the missing shows.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff but: The audio is terrible, February 26, 2008

By 

Inkslave (Da Heartland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jacques Pepin Fast Food My Way Set of 3 DVDs (DVD)

Jacques Pepin is a hero of mine and one of the very best TV chefs ever. And this series is nothing short of brilliant.

But the audio quality on the discs is simply terrible. I am dumbfounded that no one fixed this before they were released. The sound is so "hot" that everything buzzes, even the lilting organ music that used to make me so wistful while I was watching the show in its original run on PBS.

You can fiddle with your dials to make it bearable, barely. But what a shame. Jacques deserves so much better.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great cooking shows - you will learn a lot, December 25, 2009

By 

kalyson (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jacques Pepin Fast Food My Way Set of 3 DVDs (DVD)

I loved these cooking videos. It is amazing how much you can learn when someone like Jacques Pepin is the teacher. Unlike some cooking shows, almost all of the steps are shown here, with clear explanations of each step. I am learning techniques like how to hold the knife, how to chop vegetables different ways, how to coordinate different activities in meal preparation, etc., aside from just the recipes themselves.

I prefer these videos over the ones by Emeril Lagasse (Mr. Bam!) because these are more calm, less frenetic, and I learn more. I don't buy cooking videos to be entertained, I buy them so I can learn about cooking. With this series, I am learning a great deal.

The recipes are also found in the book that accompanies this DVD series: http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Food-Way-Jacques-Pepin/dp/0618393129/ref=pd_sim_d_4
The book has the same title as this series "Fast Food My Way" by Jacques Pepin. On Amazon the book is searchable online and you can see the recipes and menus that are presented.

It is true that the sound quality is not perfect -- I am watching the show on my computer and turn the volume down somewhat to compensate. It sounds all right that way and does not buzz.

Some of the recipes have shortcuts I don't know that I would take, since I don't really look for fast cooking in general. I like to cook more complex recipes at home, and some ingredients like canned peaches I would probably avoid. But this is a matter of personal preference. I did not gravitate towards this series because the recipes were fast (and they are), but because I like learning new techniques and like Mr. Pepin's style of teaching. Many of the recipes are very good, though, even though they are pretty streamlined.

I would recommend the book to beginning and intermediate cooks, or anyone who enjoys watching good cooking shows and wants ideas for quick meals to prepare.