IGX

I picked up Pepin's recent cookbook in hardback, "Fast Food My Way" a while back, didn't get around to dipping into it, but I kept meaning to. Supposedly, this is the kind of food he cooks at home when he's done doing his Escoffier number at work and just wants to get something on the table in 30-40 minutes.

Then I happened to notice he had a show on a PBS channel ("Create") on Friday nights, while I was flipping through the cable guide. It turned out to be a series of 30 minute shows based on recipes in the book.

Man, this guy is a class act. He's got to be about my dad's age at this point, but he just cruises along, slicing shit up, searing things, assembling things, throwing stuff together, making it all look easy. I have no idea what he is "really" like, but on camera he's modest, understated, mildly self deprecating and witty. And even a tyro in the kitchen like myself can assemble some of these goodies without having to hit more than a couple stores. The most expensive part of the recipes tends to be the fresh herbs , but nothing here would really put you out more than a night of grilling steaks on your Big Green Egg.

Anyway, cool guy, nice to see him still going strong after all these years (he started out as a contemporary of Julia Child decades ago). Rachel Ray may have "invented" the 30 Minute meal concept, but Mr. Pepin proves he has what it takes to roll with the youngsters.

http://www.shopcreate.org/webapp/wcs/st ... &langId=-1