A Grandfather's Lessons

May 15, 2017
Pépin is a familiar face from decades of television shows and cookbooks (Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen), and in 1996 he introduced his daughter Claudine (Kids Cook French) to audiences. Now he brings his granddaughter, Shorey, into the family business with this endearing cookbook that is accompanied by links to 10-minute videos hosted by Sur la Table. Sections on proper table manners and napkin folding impart an old-fashioned feel, and while Pépin admonishes parents not to coddle children but to serve them adult food, the book overflows with typically kid-friendly American dishes, such as English-muffin pizzas, curly hot dogs with relish, and raspberry Jell-O with strawberry sauce. More challenging projects include a loaf of bread hollowed out and stuffed with fish and shellfish (then baked until crusty), and chocolate cups made by dipping inflated balloons into melted chocolate. Recipes that showcase specific techniques—such as a combination of sausages, potatoes, onions, and mushrooms cooked en papillote—are useful. As always, Pépin is a gently encouraging guide, and he makes an able spokesperson for family dinner, but no new ground is broken, and pull quotes from Shorey about how much she adores her “Papi” and loves cooking give little hint of her personality.

August 1, 2017

Revered chef Pepin and his granddaughter Shorey recently appeared together on the KQED network television series Jacques Pepin Heart & Soul. Their time cooking together inspired this collection, which aims to bring families closer and to maximize fun for young children. Recipes include ultrasimple crowd-pleasers (curly dogs with pickle relish, meringues) as well as palate-expanding gourmet foods (Chinese mushroom salad, sushi salmon cubes), and while a touch more refined than those in other cookbooks for kids, they're perfect for parents who want to jump-start their child's gastronomic education. Retailer Sur La Table has sponsored a series of online videos to accompany this book, which will help readers to visualize various cooking and garnishing techniques. VERDICT Easy enough to prepare every day, these kid-friendly recipes will also satisfy adults.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
In this slim cookbook, renowned chef and author Pepin teaches classic cooking techniques and principles with just one pupil in mindShorey, his granddaughter. He begins with the absolute basics of dining (setting the table and practicing proper table manners), before introducing a full range of dishes from hors d'oeuvres to dessert. Throughout are endearing photos of grandfather and granddaughter cooking together (alongside unfortunately insipid quotes from Shorey). Most recipes typically include a lesson that is applicable in many other dishes, such as how to make hard-boiled eggs, in this case for deviled eggs with salmon roe, or how to peel tomatoes, this time for fusilli with concasse, a fresh tomato sauce. The chef covers steaming en papillote, prepping the all-challenging artichoke, and emulsifying a sauce. Some recipes, however, may strike the reader as oddly elementary for a cookbook. Do we need Pepin to teach us how to microwave bacon or griddle a hamburger? The answer may well be yes for a young kitchen novice, which appears to be the audience for this book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)