• chawkins on November 04, 2015

  Apple Galette (page 352). I was kind of leery of using pizza dough as the base, but I have faith in Jacques and it turned out to be a tasty treat. Just make sure all the sugar that you sprinkled on the baking sheet stayed underneath the dough, mine didn't and they burnt and set off the smoke alarm. So glad it is an 81 degree November day, I was able to open all the windows to air out the smoke. It makes a 12" pie and could easily serve 8 instead of the suggested 4-6 servings.

• Rinshin on October 17, 2015

  Artichoke Hearts and Peas (page 296). So simple and so delicious. Pepin is right about using frozen artichokes instead of canned or jarred. Since the frozen peas I used wasn't very sweet tasting, I added a smidgen of sugar. He calls himself French Mex chef, but this recipe was definitely very French.

• Rinshin on October 16, 2015

  oh my gosh I love, love this book. Just received yesterday and I'm reading through the book in detail and finished about 1/3 already. Every single recipe I want to try. I love all his comments and find that I share so many of his food philosophies such as stockpot for making soup instead of garbage cans for less than ideal, wilted vegetables, dried out ham or cheese pieces. It is his best book yet.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Green salad with mustard dressing

  • TrishaCP on November 20, 2021

    Very simple but this makes a fabulous dressing.

• Rack of lamb with spice crust

  • TrishaCP on June 10, 2018

    We liked this too. We used the full amount of cayenne, and I thought it was still pretty mild. We grilled the lamb, and rather than heating up the oven, just left it on the grill (indirect heat).

  • chawkins on March 06, 2016

    Delicious, I only used about a third of the cayenne called for and it was spicy enough for us. My grill was out of commission, so I had to do the initial cooking on the stove top in a cast iron skillet. The lamb was medium rare after the called for time in the oven, it was fine for me, but my husband liked his a bit more cooked.

• Eggplant-tomato gratin

  • apattin on September 14, 2019

    Used regular eggplant.

• Spinach-stuffed pork loin chops

  • chawkins on May 23, 2021

    This is wonderful, very flavorful and not overly complicated.

  • Rinshin on May 12, 2022

    We enjoyed this but the taste of gruyere was missing once cooked so use of any less expensive and more available cheese would work here like jack and cheddar cheeses. I marinated the pork in shio koji for about 4 hours and that always makes pork become tender, juicy, succulent, and savory with minimal seasoning. The sauce of chopped tomato, green onion, kalamata olive and hint of garlic went very nicely with pork. Photo added.

• Smoked ham glazed with maple syrup

  • chawkins on January 11, 2016

    Interesting way to treat a ham and I like it, the slow simmering and soaking before baking essentially removes some of the salt and chemicals used to cure the ham and at the same time kind of brines it, so the ham won't dry out during baking. The glaze was very well behaved, it stayed on the ham, very little run off and the Sriracha gave it a kick, my husband liked it but I preferred my normal glaze made with Dijon and marmalade.

• Artichoke hearts and peas

  • Rinshin on May 23, 2019

    So simple and so delicious. Pepin is right about using frozen artichokes instead of canned or jarred. Since the frozen peas I used wasn't very sweet tasting, I added a smidgen of sugar. He calls himself French Mex chef, but this recipe was definitely very French.

• Chicken and rice with cumin and cilantro (Arroz con pollo)

  • Rinshin on December 07, 2020

    Made this tonight in honor of Jacques Pepin’s wife of 54 years passing. Comforting recipe that can be modified easily. Subbed rotel tomatoes in place of regular tomatoes, added frozen mixed vegetables, and sazon seasoning. Easy recipe perfect for cold winter nights with a side of green salad and dry white wine.

• Sautéed tilapia

  • mharriman on December 20, 2017

    An easy, nice, hearty late Fall dinner dish. Cooked exactly as directed and it turned out very well. The mushroom pieces and beans do a lot for the tilapia. Served with a green salad for a complete meal. Will add to our rotation!

• Salmon fillets poached in oil with pimiento and tomato sauce

  • mharriman on June 19, 2018

    The sauce for this salmon is heavenly! I could have just eaten it by itself and called it a meal. I’m always trying to find new ways to prepare salmon since I serve it once or twice a week, and this recipe looked intriguing. Unfortunately, the pairing didn’t appeal to either my husband or me. My side dish of orzo and kalamata olives drizzled with EVOO went better with the sauce than the salmon. I’m bookmarking this recipe so I can repeat the sauce and add clams, mussels, and/or chunks of white fish and serve it over the orzo. The oil-poached salmon served atop this sauce was weird tasting to us.

• Red snapper with two sauces

  • mharriman on August 12, 2019

    Amazingly good! This produces a restaurant quality entree. I didn’t have luck finding any yellow tomatoes other than the ones mixed in with other grape tomatoes, so that’s what I used, and they were fine. For the red, I was able to use two from our garden. Such a taste treat.

• Camembert with pistachio crust

  • mharriman on December 26, 2017

    Delicious. Two caveats: Mr. Pepin makes it sound easy to add chopped pistachios to the sides of the round; it wasn’t easy. I gave up after adhering a few. I tried to chop the pistachios in my food processor and they were inconsistent- some were pulverized to powder, others were in very small chunks- not all all looking like the cookbook photo. I’d chop by hand next time. End result: the cheese with honey, pistachios, and dried cranberries was wonderful. Even with caveats, this makes a very festive looking and tasting appetizer for the Christmas holiday season.

• Veal chops Dijonnaise

  • mharriman on January 06, 2018

    Sauce is Restaurant quality. The mustard sauce for this would work nicely for chicken or pork as well. Rich, savory, over the top delicious. One big caveat: pan sauntering the chops, if they are thick like mine were, takes much longer than the 2 minutes per side Mr Pepin states. Even at five minutes per side, my chops registeted at 92 degrees f. Next time I’d start with pan sautéing, then bake in oven to finish.

• Chicken livers in mushroom Port sauce

  • mharriman on August 13, 2019

    A hearty and delicious way to serve chicken livers. I’m way more of a fan than my husband, and he said if he’s going to have them, this recipe is how he wants them. I didn’t change anything except used shiitake mushrooms; followed the directions, and they turned out well. Fast cooking if you have everything chopped and prepped ahead. Served with brown rice made in my rice cooker.

• Dirty rice for Gloria

  • mharriman on May 16, 2022

    I substituted 3 ounces chorizo for the pancetta and only used half of the EVOO called for, but otherwise followed the ingredients and directions. We liked this as a side dish for chicken liver skewers. This was a new-to-us recipe as neither my husband nor I are from the American south and don’t recall having tried this dish. Makes 6+ one cup servings. Served for just husband and me, so most of ours went into the freezer for later.

• Spinach and ricotta lasagna

  • mharriman on April 27, 2020

    We thought this lasagne was okay to good (3.5 stars) but it was too bland for a higher nod. I felt the directions to add a cup and a half of water to the diced tomatoes would have turned the sauce to a watery soup, even after simmering. The directions didn’t specify whether to drain the diced tomatoes. I didn’t drain them, and added 8 oz. of tomato sauce and a half cup of water, and had an almost too juicy lasagne after baking for 60 minutes. The lasagne had a stronger depth of flavor the second night but was cheesier the first. Bottom line: This creates a healthier version of lasagne but it’s not one I’ll rush to make again.

• Egg and Swiss chard gratin

  • Debineire on May 03, 2016

    I made this substituting diced baby broccoli for the Swiss chard. Followed his directions for hard cooked eggs and they were the best I've ever made. Unusual to find a veg gratin that is not watery; his cooking directions ensure this is not. And the addition of eggs adds substance that transforms this into a one-dish meal. Cooked it in one larger dish for convenience. This was absolutely perfect and leftovers just as tasty. Will become a regular go-to recipe!

• Shrimp burgers on zucchini

  • inflytur on August 09, 2018

    Incredibly delicious yet simple recipe. Works well with other herbs like tarragon, chervil or even parsley.

• Chicken jardinière

  • GiselleMarie on July 19, 2022

    This is very European, and my husband and I both loved it! The flavors are mild with no predominant taste, just a wonderful combination, adding up to a dish of comfort food. I love the fact that this recipe calls for only everyday ingredients and that it’s fun to make. I doubled it because I wanted plenty of leftovers. Next time I’ll cut the chicken legs from the thighs to make them easy to maneuver in the pan. This has less broth than a soup or a stew, but is still best eaten in shallow soup bowls.

• Red cabbage, pistachio, and cranberry salad with blue cheese

  • FoodieNC on May 15, 2021

    Nice combo of flavors and not too time consuming. Might need more oil and vinegar to taste.

• Black lentil salad with eggs

  • FoodieNC on May 15, 2021

    Tasty recipe without a zillion ingredients. Also flexible if you want to add or sub-capers, olives, fresh herbs

• Mushroom and Gruyère pizza

  • mjes on September 26, 2021

    When I followed the recipe and used tortillas, I was not impressed. When I switched to a naan bread, I loved this. I can't explain my prejudice but puree on tortilla just seemed "wrong".

• Eat Your Books by Jenny Hartin

  Jacques Pepin puts his heart and soul into everything he does. Join him in his kitchen.

  Full review

• Eater

  The king of French-inspired cookbooks steps farther afield in this book, bringing in flavors from Latin America and Asia, North American classics...It's how Pepin cooks at home, and it's pretty great.

  Full review