Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home is the companion volume to Julia Child and Jacques Pepin's PBS series of the same name. The setup works like this: the two opinionated TV cooks confront different ingredients on each show, then make their way through to the finished dishes that make up a meal. The recipes reveal themselves along the way.

What's most important here--and it shows up in the cookbook--is that there is no one way to cook. The point of the book isn't to follow recipes, but to cook from the suggestions. And Julia and Jacques have many, many suggestions when it comes to home cooking in the French style. And many tips, for that matter.

Take chicken, for example. "Not everything I do with my roast chicken is necessarily scientific," Julia says. "For instance, I always give my bird a generous butter massage before I put it in the oven. Why? Because I think the chicken likes it--and, more important, I like to give it." Julia sets her chicken on a V-rack in a roasting pan in a 425-degree oven that she then turns down to 350 after 15 minutes. Jacques roasts his bird at 425, on its side, right in the pan. "To me," he says, "it's very important to place the chicken on its side for all but 10 minutes of roasting." After 25 minutes he turns his chicken over, careful not to tear the skin, and lowers the heat to 400. The bird finishes breast-side up for the last 15 to 20 minutes.

This book is divided into chapters on appetizers, soups, eggs, salads and sandwiches, potatoes, vegetables, fish, poultry, meats, and desserts. The she said-he said format works throughout, and a lot of what's said you may realize you have heard before. There are no big surprises here. But it's good fun, a decent reminder of some of the classics of French tradition, and a chance to loosen up and simply cook at home with a couple of masters--one to the right of you, one to the left. You decide which hamburger's the right one for you. --Schuyler Ingle

From Publishers Weekly

Culinary grande dame Child and master chef P?pin define "the basics of fine food that looks good, tastes the way it should and is a total pleasure to eat." Chapters are organized into appetizers, soups, eggs, salads and sandwiches, potatoes, vegetables, fish, poultry, meats and desserts. Based on the vast experience of these chefs, the book takes a she says/he says approach to home-style French cooking: While Julia finds the dark digestive vein in shrimp "ugly" and automatically removes it, Jacques considers it "perfectly good protein to eat"; Julia prefers seasoning food with white pepper, but Jacques uses black pepper, and so forth. Child and P?pin recycle familiar Franco-American classics, like Omelets, Souffl?s, French Fries, Sole Meuni?re, Roast Chicken, Steak Au Poivre and Cr?me Br?l?e, with a contemporary sleight-of-hand (e.g., stocks that can be made within an hour; a microwave method for clarified butter). Eschewing today's trendy global pantry, recipes emphasize fresh, seasonal ingredients. There is also no shortage of shopping, preparation and technique tips from the pros, such as Jacques's perspective on buying a good steak: "it's more useful to have knowledge about cuts of meat than a lot of money." A charismatic tag team, veterans Child and P?pin illuminate novice and seasoned home cooks alike, gently reminding readers that "eating, as well as cooking, should be pleasurable and guiltless." First serial to Gourmet; Good Cook Book Club main selection; author tour. (Sept.) FYI: Cooking at Home is based on a forthcoming 22-part PBS series.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1 edition (September 14, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375404317
• ISBN-13: 978-0375404313
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,212 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #29 in

  Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > French

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference on gourmet American cooking, December 1, 1999

By	"katnet3" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

I accidentally bought this book, planned to return it, and now intend to keep it as a handy reference for all the basics of gourmet American food. Every kind of food that belongs on a well-groomed American table is explored in loving detail by both chefs, from salmon gravlax to the perfect omelet to quick stocks and fine chowders, hamburgers, roast chicken and turkey, fish, creme caramels and other simple desserts. There are great tips all over the place, from how to turn out a perfect omelet to seasoning food in stages, as it cooks, so that all the flavors are brightened instead of ending up with a salty, overseasoned dish. You could plan buffets and banquets from this one book, and while you won't be congratulated on the extraordinary originality of the food, both conservative eaters and gourmands will enjoy the quality and simplicity. Therein lies the greatness of Julia and Jaques.

There is a lot of information here, not only on how to cook but also on how Julia and Jacques think and feel about food, in the margins and in the recipes. They don't hesitate to explore their differences of opinion, from seasonings to what to do if you make a mistake. As a weekend gourmet cook, I find this extremely helpful. It has already enhanced my comfort and ease with the food I cook, and that, to me, is worth it.

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two Legends for the Price of One, July 9, 2000

By	"jjdumas" (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews

In all honesty, I've only used two of the recipes from this book so far. Still, I recommend this book. I think that says more about my love for the authors rather than the recipes themselves. The recipes are pretty much classic standards, and for the most part they seem easy and straightforward. It's the personalities of Julia and Jacques that make this book exceptional - definitely a worthwhile addition to your collection. The chemistry between these two icons of great cooking is so genuine, and the love they have for food and cooking is so infectious, that even if you aren't inspired to follow any specific recipe, you will definitely be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen. They complement each other so well, too. It's amusing and enlightening to see how their styles and experiences differ, even in small details. An example of the general format - there are two recipes for scalloped potatoes: his, potatoes boulangere with a chicken stock and onions; hers, potatoes dauphinoise with milk or cream and garlic (he prefers freshly ground black pepper, she prefers white). If you watch the companion series on PBS, you will definitely want to turn to this book. Before I start any of my own recipes the kitchen, I'll routinely consult J & J (e.g. how long would they cook a pork tenderloin?) This book makes an excellent gift, too. Just make sure you buy yourself a copy.

The only negative - the page design of the book may be more appropriate for bedside reading or the coffee table, rather than for the kitchen.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars French and American Home Cooking by two Masters, May 14, 2004

By	B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book is a companion to a PBS television series on cooking demonstrated by Julia Child and Jaques Pepin where they concentrate on largely French home cooking, with much of the `meat' of the book being created by differences in approach between the two great culinary educators. Julia Child's justly famous `Mastering the Art of French Cooking' and the long series of PBS cooking shows are well known. It may be less well known outside the foodie world that Jaques Pepin is one of the leading authors of professional level books on cooking technique. The best known of these volumes is `La Technique' and `La Methode'. Pepin is also a professional educator in his role as dean at the French Culinary Institute in New York City.

It is probably pure destiny that these two culinary legends should collaborate on one or more projects. Pepin came to the United States in 1959 and almost immediately got a position as a chef at La Pavilion, based on his great good luck of being the chef to the family of Charles DeGaulle while DeGaulle was President of France. Three years later, Julia Child's book was published and Pepin was dumbstruck, as he felt that this is the book he should have written himself. Pepin was lead from the strenuous world of the professional kitchen to a career of writing and teaching when he was seriously injured in an automobile accident and he could no longer spend the long hours of standing.

This volume is a delight to read, even if you prepare none of the recipes in the book. In fact, the recipes tend to take a back seat to the dialogue between the two principles credited with the creation of the book. The book also enjoys one of the best possible support staffs available for culinary literature. Alfred A. Knopf publishes the book and the editor is Judith Jones, the same editor who convinced the Knopfs to print Julia Child's first landmark book. Knopf's artistic and production talent available for a major book publication has been applied to full effect. The text has the benefit of having been assembled by a professional culinary wordsmith, David Nussbaum, who culled the recipes and comments from the `authors' notes and the videotapes of the PBS TV series.

The general layout of the book is that each principle author provides a recipe on an important ingredient or dish such as mussels, shrimp, hamburger, or potato salad. Each major ingredient is accompanied by sidebars by one or both of the principle authors on either handling the ingredient or strategies for preparing the dish. Some of the most interesting encounters come when the principle authors do not agree on a technique. Some disagreements are surprising, as when Chef Pepin prefers the American technique of making a hamburger while Ms. Child prefers the French, where a savory shallot saute is worked into the middle of the hamburger patty. The index very cleverly color codes recipe titles indicating whether they were supplied by Ms. Child or Chef Pepin.

The point at which the recipes wrest your attention from the banter between the two authors is when the book offers a sample of French home cooking which has rarely if ever seen the inside of an American home kitchen outside of the world of professional chefs and professional foodies. The first such recipe is Jacques's Sausage in Brioche. This is a sort of French beef Wellington where sausage replaces the beef fillet and brioche replaces the puff pastry. This is not a recipe for wimps, as brioche dough typically must be risen overnight to fully develop the dough. Pepin does give a shortcut, but it is not recommended.

The topics of the recipe chapters are familiar to all who have looked through a French cookbook. These chapters are Appetizers, Soups, Eggs, Salads and Sandwiches, Potatoes, Vegetables, Fish, Poultry, Meats, and Desserts.

The photographic arts are put to very good use in this book. Not every dish is accompanied by a photo of the finished preparation, but every special technique is explained in great detail and demonstrated very effectively in pictures. And, the techniques are not limited to the usual cutting up a chicken and cleaning an artichoke.

If you have a happy collection of good cookbooks on classic French cookery, you probably already have recipes for many of the dishes in this book. You do not buy the book for only the recipes. You buy the book for the special insights these two major culinary educators can give you on dishes, ingredients, and techniques and for the riff created when their opinions are different.

The long and the short of it is that you buy this book for inspiration. I have yet to find a culinary teacher who can encourage me to try a difficult recipe as effectively as Julia Child. I can also not find a culinary teacher who can explain technique as well as Jacques Pepin.

Very highly recommended for foodies and fans of both principle authors.