Customer Reviews

Jacques Pepin Fast Food My Way

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a JP junkie, 1st qualite. The CD set is as lovely as the show, and everyone knows what a great educator JP is- so why didnt they give us the whole season?

But the 8 episodes here are representative of his by the way style- for instance, in the sausage and potato packet in Episode 8, he shows you how to make your own quick mustard. Ditto for how to peel/chop and puree garlic. How to do risotto correctly, and how to identify what has made it go wrong for you in the past. all little secrets not to be known unless you see the show. These little tidbits are ladled heavily throughout the DVD set. In other episodes that I have on vhs (that I taped myself throughout the season) he talks about using a broken china dish to sharpen knives, - unfortunately I dont think this tidbit made it to the DVD.

The sound is a bit rough- on my set, Jacques' mic was not turned off when suddenly steam overwhelms it (producing a brushing sound on the audio). But he is so great, and the show is so helpful, with practical info I had to rate it a 5 star.

Get this DVD- you will NOT be disappointed!

Adapted from the new PBS series, Fast Food My Way is a 2-disc DVD set featuring the talents of Jacques Pepin, who demonstrates 8 easy lessons for preparing simple, nutritious, and elegant cuisine, the preparation of which can easily mesh with fast-paced lifestyles. Each lesson is a full menu, for a total of 30 delicious dishes, from Zucchini & Tomato Salad, to Crab Cakes in Red Sauce, to Stuffed Scallops on Mushroom Rice, Apple Skillet Cake, and so much more. A mouth-watering delicious and easy-to-follow introduction to the simple and fun joy of healthy cooking. Approx. 4 hours, color.

Had assumed the complete season would be on the DVD. Was particularly interested in his lobster bisque preparation, but it was not included! Bummer. Why didn't they do the entire season!!!

Jacques Pepin's latest cooking DVD is simple elegance. From the the four item menu to it's presentation, Jacques clearly explains his techniques and how to prepare the food.
This is a well prepared, produced and entertaining DVD.

First of all, the full season of this terrific program is NOT included on these DVDs. If you're okay with that (as I was) then keep reading.

Jacques Pépin, (along with the late Julia Child), has been in the cooking show business since before the producers of The Food Network were out of their diapers. He's also been cooking since he was a child while his father served in the World War Two French Resistance while his lovely mother operated one restaurant after another, each becoming bigger and better than the previous one.

Jacques enhanced his knowledge and his career by working in the best of European restaurants and subsequently coming to America where he turned down the Kennedys for the head chef's job at The White House to go to work for Howard Johnson. You can read all the details in: The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen.

This master chef's most recent series (I'm also including Jacques Pepin: More Fast Food My Way in that statement) is the best I've ever seen and I've been cooking and watching cooking shows my entire life. From my view, the only other programs which come close were The Frugal Gourmet's [Jeff Smith] PBS show and also the more recently produced programs featuring Julia Child, some of which include Jacques Pépin.

In the series under review here, you get two discs (200 minutes total time) which include eight lessons (programs) -- there are usually four dishes featured during each 1/2-hour program. In addition to the recipes themselves Jacques focuses quite a lot on culinary techniques and table presentation. But the key point is that you can make every one of these recipes yourself if you have any cooking experience at all and they will turn out perfect the first time. And these are not crazy dishes that no one will eat -- these are all very nice meals for the family. The following information is on the product page but, for convenience, I'll repeat it here:

Disc 1

Lesson 1:
* thirty minute cassoulet
* zucchini & tomato salad
* smoked salmon timbales
* orange & cream cheese

Lesson 2:
* mock tiramisu
* smoked trout salad with horseradish cream
* chicken breast on mashed cauliflower with red hot salsa

Lesson 3:
* salmon tartare on cauliflower salad
* chickpea ragout
* breaded pork scaloppine with mushroom sauce
* caramelized peaches

Lesson 4:
* pasta, ham & vegetable gratin
* romaine & radicchio with salsa dressing
* crab cakes in red sauce
* big almond macaroons with apricot filling

Disc 2

Lesson 5:
* egg & tomato gratin
* stuffed scallops on mushroom rice
* greens with quick cream dressing
* pineapple wedges in caramel

Lesson 6:
* sausage & potato packets
* devil shrimp
* mushroom & walnut salad in sour cream dressing
* apple peel granite with apple puree

Lesson 7:
* asparagus custards
* slow-cooked tuna steaks with tomato relish
* apple skillet cake

Lesson 8:
* tomato tartare with tomato water sauce
* rigatoni & mussels with saffron
* puree of peas with mint & cilantro
* strawberry shortbread panachee

The video quality of these programs is nothing short of crystal sharp. They serve as a companion video to Pépin's cookbook: Fast Food My Way. The book includes the recipes from the entire season of the series.

Of course nothing is without flaws, no matter how slight. Even though PBS production costs dwarf those of commercial television, they can't seem to hire technicians who have the slightest vestige of common sense, ergo: you have to click "play" on every one of these episodes as there is no "play all" function. The navigation is also a bit jumbled but you'll figure it out eventually. Also, the editor failed to cut out the witless commercials at the beginning of each program and that was a huge mistake -- few people want to see this and it badly dates the programs. It's all a shame but I can hardly hold Jacques Pépin responsible for all this nonsense. The programs were produced by KQED.

In summary, these "lessons" will boost your cooking skills and the recipes are really just great, not difficult at all.

Highly recommended!

Jacques Pepin - doing his French cooking thing- very fast indeed.
Some very interesting and unusual menus- entertaining to watch but I probably won't try any of the recipes myself. I appreciate his teaching the details of his HOW-TO techniques and those I will try to implement myself. My only criticism is that I wish the disk had a "play all" feature. The commercials in each segment's opening can be by-passed by "fast forwarding" on your DVd Player. If you are a Jacques Pepin fan this beautifully filmed DVD won't disappoint in content and quality of programing.

i have seen this series on pbs and loved the recipes and wanted the dvd which pbs does not offer... then i find it get it and discover that the worse thing about this isn't pepin's ability to let siliva gather in his mouth and slup here and there (a habit i really wish he would break), but they had the never to only put a few shows on the dvd. there are 26 shows in this particular series and to have to spend the kind of money they ask for and you do nto get the completed series is ridiculous. i say wait till it hits pbs in your area and tape the thing from tv.