Product Details

• Actors: Jacques Pepin
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Number of tapes: 5
• Studio: Bay Books (CA)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0912333294
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,197 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cooking School in a Box!, December 29, 2007

By	Doctor A. (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

If your desire is to bring your culinary skills to a higher level, this series of video tapes is absolutely superb. Jacques Pepin is one of the icons in the food world... and he is equally adept as a teacher. This is not the typical cook show flash with trendy recipes, but rather a true comprehensive course in cooking techniques. Both the beginner and those more experienced in the kitchen will benefit from this 5-tape series. My wife and I are professionally trained, yet we have watched this series numerous times and continue to learn with each viewing. I cannot offer high enough praise for Jacques' video contribution to aspiring chefs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Start with the basics, November 10, 2007

By	lucky lam (USA) - See all my reviews

I debated whether to buy this series or the new DVD which comes with recipes. However, I had seen this when it was first shown on PBS and liked it very much, so I decided to stick with the original. Very glad I did! Jacques Pepin is very thorough in explaining and demonstrating how to get started in the kitchen, such as why chefs always have a towel attached to their aprons (so they can clean knives and dry hands, and handle hot-to-touch pots/pans!). The first tape discusses safety in the kitchen, especially how to use knives and other sharp implements. You see the logical sequence as you build up skills. (Just like having to learn to walk before running.) The tapes get more complicated as he discusses eggs, how to cook, carve and serve meats, fish and poultry, etc. But everything falls back on the first steps shown in tape 1. Even though this is on VHS and some viewers may have gone all DVD, this series is worth going retro again. (Buy a combo VHS/DVD unit and everyone will be happy.) The one difficulty I had was that sometimes I didn't quite understand Mr. Pepin's accent. Oh well, c'est la vie. And happy cooking!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to watch - even re-watch, August 4, 2009

By	C. C. Barnhart (Crested Buute, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Chef Pepin covers all the basics from sharpening knives and using towels to the complexities of proper boning and the 'correct' ways to crack an egg or make an omelet. This video collection is great for those who aspire to improve cooking techniques. I submit that even those very experienced in the kitchen will learn enough to make the investment worthwhile. FWIW, I saved substantially by being willing to purchase on VHS format.