American Masters: Jacques Pepin: The Art of Craft Discover the story of Chef Jacques Pépin, a young immigrant with movie-star looks, a charming Gallic accent, and a mastery of cooking and teaching so breathtaking he became an early food icon - joining James Beard and Julia Child among the handful of Americans who transformed the way the country views the food world. Not content cooking in French palaces, where he was the personal chef to three French presidents including Charles de Gaulle, Pépin's American journey took him through the kitchens of Howard Johnson's, bringing his commitment to great taste, craftsmanship and technique to American popular food. With his landmark cookbooks and television shows, he ushered in a new era in American food culture - a story that continues to unfold.

1) Jacques Pépin demonstrates omelettes
In this timeless excerpt from his 1995 television series Jacques Pépin's Cooking Techniques, Jacques definitively demonstrates two traditional techniques for making omelettes - country style and classic French fines herbes.

2) José Andrés on a memorable Pépin moment
Renowned Spanish chef/restaurateur José Andrés remembers the profound effect of watching Jacques performing a public cooking demonstration.

3) Rollie Wesen on his iconic father-in-law
Chef-educator (and Jacques' son-in-law) Rollie Wesen describes the experience of having a professional legend in the family.

4) Filmmaker interview: Producer/Director Peter L. Stein
Documentary maker Peter L. Stein describes some of the special on- and off-screen challenges of bringing Jacques' story to the screen, and recalls his longtime collaboration with Jacques as producer of many of his early public television series.

5) Flashback: the first episode of Today's Gourmet 1990 (excerpt)
Jacques' television career took off with his 1990 series Today's Gourmet. This excerpt from the very first episode ("My Mother's Favorites") includes a cameo by Jacques' mother Jeannette, the delightful title sequence, and Jacques' preparation of potato-leek soup.

6) 80th birthday tribute
On the occasion of Jacques' 80th birthday in 2015, his longtime producer Tina Salter created this tribute video complete with bloopers and fond memories from food-world luminaries.

Producer: Peter L. Stein
Production Company: KQED, Thirteen Productions LLC's American Masters for WNET
Production Year: 2017
Copyright Year: 2017
Director: Peter L. Stein
Actors: Stanley Tucci, Jacques Pepin
Talent: Jacques Pepin
Writers: Peter L. Stein, Steve Siegelman
Discs: 1
Subtitles: Y
Subtitle Language: English (SDH)
Language track: English
Audio Format: Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen