Pépin Sans Pépins

A Deliciously Stress-Free Cooking Series Inspired by Jacques Pépin

I’ve received fantastic feedback from my French Mother Sauces series — thank you to everyone. I had started that series looking to reconnect with my French Canadian heritage. And while I still have much to explore, I’ve developed a taste for French cuisine and want to keep developing my skills.

I’ve also written about all that I learned from that project. One thing that surprised me was how much I thrived on having a project. I’m always doing something, but having a project, or doing many things with a common purpose, is something I usually do only at work. A home project was something new to me. And I loved it.

I’ve taken some time away from writing to think about how much I enjoy having projects in my life. While I was happy to have a little break following the Mother Sauces series, I noticed that I stagnated only a few weeks later. I didn’t read or write nearly as much without a specific project to move forward. I didn’t know where to put my creative energy.

I now have a few outstanding projects in mind, and the first I’d like to share is a project I’m calling Pépin sans pépins. Something specific that I’ll look forward to doing in my free time.

What’s in a name?

It is probably evident to those who have been following me for a while, but I am a fan of Jacques Pépin. There are many reasons for this, and I’ll explore many of those reasons in my posts. But for today, I’d like to focus on the name Pépin. Jacques often says that his name, Pépin, means seed in French. A “pépin” is a tiny seed from various small fruits. He says it often — nearly every time he pulls the seeds from an apple.

The French word “pépin” also has another meaning, which translates to hitch, difficulty or complication. In other words, a “pépin” is a small problem.

I find this interesting since Jacques Pépin is the Master Instructor — He is such a great teacher. Following his instructions, you encounter very few problems. So what’s in a name? Pépin sans pépin translates to Pépin without complications.

I’ll share my takes on many dishes Jacques Pépin has inspired and created in this series. Pépin sans pépins — or Stress-free Cooking inspired by Jacques Pépin.

What’s this about, then?

I’ll use this series to write about recipes, dishes and stories inspired by Jacques Pépin. I’ve discussed at length how convoluted and contentious attributions can be in the world of cooking. I have no intention of adding to this. Jacques Pépin will inspire everything in this series. I will also discuss the dish’s history, origin and variations. Still, I will rarely make specific attribution to Pépin, or anyone else, unless there is overwhelming evidence to support my claims.

“You should always try the recipe at least once to understand what it is supposed to be. After that, you can start making changes until it becomes YOUR recipe.” — Jacques Pépin.

While Jacques is a French Chef, he has always presented dishes from around the world. He has made many world dishes available to the masses. As such, while this series will discuss many preparations with French origins, I’ll also include meals from around the world.

Jacques Pépin is humble, rarely taking credit for the creations he shows us how to make. I will say in this series that Pépin will have inspired my designs. After all, once I understand the dish and make some changes, it really is my recipe.

Cooking for Wellness

I’ve always found cooking a great way to manage mental wellness. It’s a creative outlet, helps reduce stress, creates a sense of accomplishment, and provides a sense of purpose and structure.

And while the Pépin sans pépins series will focus more on the cooking and techniques and the origins and meanings of the dishes, I will sprinkle bits of wellness tips and tricks as appropriate.

As always, if you are feeling stressed, give cooking a try. Better yet, cook and write about it. I’d love to hear about your exploits.