Ah Jacques. Jacques, Jacques, Jacques. I love you. I mean it I do. You’re like a family member, a friend! I get the warm and fuzzies every time I happen to catch your cooking show on PBS. This book is massive. This is another French cookbook, but I was sent this by a cousin and I wanted to try a French cookbook from an actual Frenchmen, not a traitor American.
the introduction
This is a short and sweet introduction for such a massive monster book. Its only five pages long, and it explains the thinking behind this book. These recipes span the many decades of his work as a chef. He has been cooking professionally since he was 13! during WWII! These recipes had to be updated for the modern times, as they came from multiple decades of trends in food. You know why I think I like him so much? His cooking philosophy is not so different from mine! He says he “emphasizes on taste rather than presentation or originality”. As I always say, creativity is for losers. My favorite part of the intro was when he used the term “Gustatory Voyage” which I think I am going to use regularly from now on when I think something tastes good. Kit Kats are a gustatory voyage.
the food
Jacques Pepin is so laid back. Many chefs would get a bit snippy if you were to use store bought stock instead of making your own. But not Jacques, he gets it. We Americans are listless and hungry after working all day. We wanna eat now, not in 3 hours. Psh freeze the stock? My freezer is full of breast milk, get outta here with that.
Categories of in this cookbook are: Soups, Salads, Eggs and Cheese, Pasta/Rice/Grains/Potatoes, Bread/Sandwiches/Pizza, Shellfish and Fish, Poultry and Game, Meat, Charcuterie and Offal, Vegetables and Side Dishes, Fruit Desserts, Puddings/Sweet Soufflés/ Crepes, Cakes/Cookies/Candies, Tarts/Pies/Pastries, Frozen Desserts, and Basics. I’m going to make Wine Merchant Steak, Braised Sweet and Sour Cabbage, Stuffed Mushrooms, and Pistachio Floating Island (this is a desserted island).
Pistachio Floating Island: Jacques says this is basically a baked meringue with a delicate finish, perfect dessert for a heavy meal. It is simple to make. Whip up some egg whites, Mix in some sugar, fold in some pistachios and some diced strawberries and bake in a loaf pan. I had no problems with any of these steps. I felt a little like a pioneer woman shelling the pistachios MYSELF because I couldn’t find shelled unsalted pistachios. I mean that was really roughing it for me. I had to shell upwards of 50 nuts. The meringue is meant to be chilled before serving so I made this the day before. I also made the sauce which was made of pureed strawberries, berry jelly, and Creme De Cassis. I also made this before hand and stuck in the fridge to chill.
When I dislodged this log from the pan, there was a lot of sticky liquid that needed to be sopped up. I did a half assed job of cleaning it up but I DID try to make things pretty with some sliced strawberries. The look of the recipe is…interesting. You are supposed to spoon the sauce on the plate and place a slice of the loaf on top.
See my photos below. This book has no pictures but I took plenty of my own.
Floating Loaf 
Loaf 
Loaf and Friends
Do it taste good? It was light like eating a cloud! It dissolves in your mouth like air and then you get to chew on little bits of nuts and strawberries. The sauce is necessary because without it, the loaf is a bit too eggy. I liked it and would make it again and would like to try different variations of it.
Stuffed Mushrooms: Jacques says that stuffed mushrooms are great with grilled meat or served with drinks. The stuffing in these mushrooms are onions, celery, and other mushrooms. You first bake the mushroom shells, then you sauté the vegetables and pan fry bread crumbs in a load of butter. To assemble you stuff the mushrooms and then pat the bread crumbs on top. The bread crumbs were delicious and I would eat just bread crumbs in butter all the time. By the bowl. I’d like to coat myself in bread crumbs. You bake them again and boom their done.
I read that taking photos of food on wrinkled place mats makes things look more rustic
Do it taste good? Oh yeah these were excellent. Savory little mouth sized portions of delicious mushroom.
Braised Sweet and Savory Cabbage: Jacques says that the apple cider and apple cider vinegar are what give this dish its name sake. For this dish you chop up red cabbage, onion, and apple and throw it in a pot with raisins, apple cider and apple cider vinegar. You then let it simmer on the stove for 45 minutes. This was a great side to make when you invite company over because you can just set it to the side and work on the main affair. It keeps warm in its pot and you don’t have to worry much about timing everything right.
Wine Merchant Steak: Jacques says this is a bistro dish. He says it’s steak with a sauce made of wine, shallots, garlic and mushrooms. Which is exactly what it is. The recipe said to cook the steaks for 2 minutes per side and then sauté the shallot and garlic in the pan drippings. Then you add the wine, cook down, then add chicken stock and cook down again. Then swirl butter in to thicken.
I’m really good at photography, have you seen my use of soft focus?
Do it taste good? I loved the braised cabbage and will make this again with other greens as well. The flavor was really balanced and I even liked the raisin, which reanimate into grapes when you cook them. The steak was fine, though under cooked for my liking. It was very rare! Yes I know I could have cooked it to my liking but I just did what the man said. The sauce was great and I would like to try this on other cuts of beef.
final thoughts
I had my mom over while I made this meal. I would like her to know that I get all my cooking abilities from her. She is creative, and risk taking when she cooks and is always up for a challenging dish. She knows A LOT about food. After the meal she helped with dishes and said “you have some great kitchen gear!” and I felt really flattered. She has temporarily moved to Raleigh to help us take care of our little baby girl and I am so glad to have her down here. I love you mom! (I know your reading this)
My life has changed in some big ways. For one, after moving to the first house in North Carolina, we moved again…to another house in North Carolina. We moved because this nagging awful mold smell that would just not go away. It was enough for us to get the air ducts tested for mold and for me to want to move again even though I was 33 weeks pregnant. This new house is nice and has a lot of space and fantastic neighbors. However, this kitchen BITES. There is no counter space and no dish washer so…that took some wind out of my sails.
You know what else takes the wind out of your sails? A baby. Roxanna was born in October. Just in time for me to try baking Christmas cookies when I was NOT ready. The resulting cookies: terrible. My self esteem: flushed down the toilet. But gosh darn it what they say is true. It does get better. I am now ready to do some things other than take care of a baby and work from home at the same time.
the offenders
mmm..dried dog poop from the yard 
ooh delish a pile of pee
Looks Weird Tastes Good 