Charles de Gaulle's former personal chef is a star in the United States
He is one of those who introduced French gastronomy to the American public. French chef Jacques Pépin, a cooking star in the United States, will soon be celebrating his 90th birthday.
Chef Jacques Pépin celebrates his 90th birthday on December 18. The author of numerous cookery books, he has also hosted television shows on the other side of the Atlantic. In the 1990s, his shows such as Cooking at Home were a huge success. Together with American chef Julia Child, they formed a duo much appreciated by viewers. Americans appreciate his patience, calm and creativity. Some viewers recount memories of their parents following Jacques Pépin's recipes, presented with great naturalness. They describe his dishes as elegant and easy to reproduce, and his explanations as intuitive.
From family restaurants to presidential kitchens
Jacques Pépin was born in Bourg-en-Bresse in 1935. at the time, his parents were restaurant managers. After training at the Grand Hôtel de l'Europe in Morlaix, he moved to the capital and the kitchens of the Plaza Athénée hotel.he subsequently became personal chef to several of the last Council presidents of the IVᵉ République: "Félix Gaillard, Pflimlin, de Gaulle", he told Le Figaro in 2023.
From the age of 22 to 24, he cooked for Charles de Gaulle. After this final French experience, he moved to New York to join the ranks of Le Pavillon, a leading French gastronomy establishment. He was offered a job in the White House kitchens under Kennedy, but turned it down. instead, he decided to devote himself to the research and development side of a major American restaurant chain: Howard Johnson's.
Cooking as a means of integration
In 2016, Jacques Pépin set up a foundation. It promotes food education and offers vocational training in the catering industry. Among the students who benefit from support are people experiencing difficulties or problems with professional integration.
Today, Jacques Pépin's YouTube channel has over 156,000 subscribers. His French omelette video has been viewed over 2 million times. It's also why the chef is so popular: he shows techniques for cooking simple, everyday dishes. He doesn't use sophisticated utensils, and is content to show as many people as possible the techniques they need to know to enhance their everyday cooking. His books and videos, which showcase French gastronomy, are aimed at both individuals and professionals. The famous New York Times devoted a long profile to her, highlighting her culinary skills and her incomparable buttercream icing recipe.
In his latest cookbook, published in 2025,"The Art of Jacques Pépin: The Cookbook", his recipes are illustrated by his own paintings. On the eve of his 90th birthday, his foundation organized 90 gastronomic events throughout the year and across the United States. The aim: to raise funds to continue Jacques Pépin's fight to help the underprivileged reintegrate into society through cooking.
