The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen

by Jacques Pépin

Book Overview

In this captivating memoir, the man whom Julia Child has called "the best chef in America" tells the story of his rise from a frightened apprentice in an exacting Old World kitchen to an Emmy... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618444114
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

I’ve been inspired by Chef Pèpin for over a decade.

This bio pic added more kennel to the fire of my passion for the craft of the culinary arts.

Famous Chef

Great autobio about Jacques Pepin!

This is a wonderful memoir about life as a chef, starting at age 13 or so.

I loved (and love) this book, which I am now in the process of reading for the second time. It's so good that it wouldn't surprise me if later I decided to read it even a third time! The world of restaurant kitchens is so very different from what most of us know that it's absolutely fascinating. And Mr. Pepin is such a fine writer and teller of tales that I cannot imagine anyone being bored by his memoir.

Perfect memoir+cookbook

This was a wonderful read, as a memoir, a fooddie book, and a cookbook. I knew nothing about Pepin besides the name, but his is a remarkable story. The writing is light, snappy, and engaging. He paints a lovely picture of food as a part of life. The story where the snails are all over the bathroom...! Cooking for DeGaulle, almost by accident, and then for Howard Johnsons... Best of all, the recipes are good. The souffle recipe and the tart recipe have become standards in our house; I must have made them a dozen times already, often with easy variations. Just can't recommend it highly enough as a light read in any season.

Charming, delightful, lovely writing

What a marvelous read!! What's not to like about this memoir? Jacques is a life-loving man who has had a fabulous life cooking and living. The book reveals a man very much like the generous, creative, charming cooking teacher I've admired for so long. His book now demonstrates his skill as a writer and raconteur. Do yourself a favor and read this remarkable book. I was sorry when it ended.

Delightful Reading

I enjoyed every minute of this delectable memoir. Amusing and thoughtful; Pepin shares an intimate look from WWII France and as an ex-pat in America. I hated to see the book end.

Wonderful, Entertainging Read from Gourmet All-Star

I enjoyed this read tremendously, and if you're into food, so will you.Pepin writes very unassumedly, and is most humble about his very productive career, from personal chef to DeGaulle to fame in America and TV star.From his humble roots to his current fame which is spreading, this guy can cook and reflects significantly in his career of the changes in gourmet cooking.The stories he provides are the highlight for me: the apprentice spook with the chicken boning machine, his incidents with learning the English language (e.g. the story of the word in French for shower when asked why his head was wet), the presentation of "sanitary napkins", his TV pilot shot with ingredients from the trash, etc. These all provide for just an absolutely magnficent read.Recipes are provided for each segment of his career. Especially respectful of this chef who knows the finest of formal, rigid French classical cooking, but himself admitting that he likes American basic, comfort food and new style of combing old with new.Refreshing read from a food Hall of Famer!

Thoroughly Enjoyable

I've been waiting for this book my whole life! I sat down with the book last evening, intending to read for a while, maybe return later. Could not put it down. A well written, funny, sad, informative and always enchanting account of an incredible career. Pepin's account of coming up through the his family's bistros, then the old school European hotel/restaurant system--and later New York's legendary Le Pavillon-- is fascinating first person memoir--and terrific history. I can't say enough good things about this book. It's right up there with Orwell, Freeling, Bemelmans--but better, richer, more passionately drawn. An instant classic.