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Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home: A Cookbook
Two legendary cooks invite us into their kitchen and show us the basics of good home cooking.
Julia Child and Jacques Pépin are synonymous with good food, and in these pages they demonstrate techniques (on which they don’t always agree), discuss ingredients, improvise, balance flavors to round out a meal, and conjure up new dishes from leftovers. Center stage are carefully spelled-out recipes flanked by Julia’s and Jacques’s comments—the accumulated wisdom of two lifetimes of honing their cooking skills. Nothing is written in stone, they imply. And that is one of the most important lessons for every good cook.
So sharpen your knives and join in the fun as you learn to make:
Ìý
� Appetizers: from traditional and instant gravlax to your own sausage in brioche and a country pâté
� Soups: from New England chicken chowder and onion soup gratinée to Mediterranean seafood stew and that creamy essence of mussels, billi-bi
•ÌýEggs: omelets and “tortillasâ€�; scrambled, poached, and coddled eggs; eggs as a liaison for sauces and as the puffing power for soufflés
•ÌýSalads and Sandwiches: basic green and near-Niçoise salads; a crusty round seafood-stuffed bread, a lobster roll, and a pan bagnat
•ÌýPotatoes: baked, mashed, hash-browned, scalloped, souffléd, and French-fried
•ÌýVegetables: the favorites from artichokes to tomatoes, blanched, steamed, sautéed, braised, glazed, and gratinéed
•ÌýFish: familiar varieties whole and filleted (with step-by-step instructions for preparing your own), steamed en papillote, grilled, seared, roasted, and poached, plus a classic sole meunière and the essentials of lobster cookery
•ÌýPoultry: the perfect roast chicken (Julia’s way and Jacques’s way); holiday turkey, Julia’s deconstructed and Jacques’s galantine; their two novel approaches to duck
•ÌýMeat: the right technique for each cut of meat (along with lessons in cutting up), from steaks and hamburger to boeuf bourguignon and roast leg of lambÌý
•ÌýDesserts: crème caramel, profiteroles, chocolate roulade, free-form apple tart—as you make them you’ll learn all the important building blocks for handling dough, cooking custards, preparing fillings and frostings
•ÌýAnd much, much more . . .
Throughout this richly illustrated book you’ll see Julia’s and Jacques’s hands at work, and you’ll sense the pleasure the two are having cooking together, tasting, exchanging ideas, and raising a glass to savor the fruits of their labor. Again and again they demonstrate that cooking is endlessly fascinating and challenging and, while ultimately personal, it is a joy to be shared.
Julia Child and Jacques Pépin are synonymous with good food, and in these pages they demonstrate techniques (on which they don’t always agree), discuss ingredients, improvise, balance flavors to round out a meal, and conjure up new dishes from leftovers. Center stage are carefully spelled-out recipes flanked by Julia’s and Jacques’s comments—the accumulated wisdom of two lifetimes of honing their cooking skills. Nothing is written in stone, they imply. And that is one of the most important lessons for every good cook.
So sharpen your knives and join in the fun as you learn to make:
Ìý
� Appetizers: from traditional and instant gravlax to your own sausage in brioche and a country pâté
� Soups: from New England chicken chowder and onion soup gratinée to Mediterranean seafood stew and that creamy essence of mussels, billi-bi
•ÌýEggs: omelets and “tortillasâ€�; scrambled, poached, and coddled eggs; eggs as a liaison for sauces and as the puffing power for soufflés
•ÌýSalads and Sandwiches: basic green and near-Niçoise salads; a crusty round seafood-stuffed bread, a lobster roll, and a pan bagnat
•ÌýPotatoes: baked, mashed, hash-browned, scalloped, souffléd, and French-fried
•ÌýVegetables: the favorites from artichokes to tomatoes, blanched, steamed, sautéed, braised, glazed, and gratinéed
•ÌýFish: familiar varieties whole and filleted (with step-by-step instructions for preparing your own), steamed en papillote, grilled, seared, roasted, and poached, plus a classic sole meunière and the essentials of lobster cookery
•ÌýPoultry: the perfect roast chicken (Julia’s way and Jacques’s way); holiday turkey, Julia’s deconstructed and Jacques’s galantine; their two novel approaches to duck
•ÌýMeat: the right technique for each cut of meat (along with lessons in cutting up), from steaks and hamburger to boeuf bourguignon and roast leg of lambÌý
•ÌýDesserts: crème caramel, profiteroles, chocolate roulade, free-form apple tart—as you make them you’ll learn all the important building blocks for handling dough, cooking custards, preparing fillings and frostings
•ÌýAnd much, much more . . .
Throughout this richly illustrated book you’ll see Julia’s and Jacques’s hands at work, and you’ll sense the pleasure the two are having cooking together, tasting, exchanging ideas, and raising a glass to savor the fruits of their labor. Again and again they demonstrate that cooking is endlessly fascinating and challenging and, while ultimately personal, it is a joy to be shared.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
12 people are currently reading
1855 people want to read
About the author
Julia Child
94Ìýbooks791ÌýfollowersJulia Carolyn Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 16, 2016
I'll never be finished with this book - Love it!
July 7, 2016
This book is completely essential for a well rounded human experience.
April 4, 2018
Excellent companion cookbook to the PBS series. This is what cookbooks should be. It's focused on teaching skills and trustworthy recipes, not silly trends or silly oversharing that screams "Like me, oh, please like me!" that have become so common place among "celebrity" and blogger-derived cookbooks.
March 9, 2024
I always enjoy watching these two French chefs on PBS and found their cookbook to be just as informative and delightful.
May 24, 2020
I’ve had this cookbook since 1999 and never really sat down to read it from front to back. The recipes from these two legends are delicious.
The commentary from Julia and Jacques is the true gift. Their love of food. Searching for the best ingredients and how to make each flavor sing.
I love the stories they share and the two different perspectives which emphasize that cooking is an art. Mostly, I love how they describe the food... fresh peas, mushrooms, breadcrumbs and the techniques to enhance flavors.
The one recipe I’ve consistently made over the last 20 years and love is the Eggplant and Zucchini Gratin. I’m so excited it’s summer again and this will be on my table soon.
The commentary from Julia and Jacques is the true gift. Their love of food. Searching for the best ingredients and how to make each flavor sing.
I love the stories they share and the two different perspectives which emphasize that cooking is an art. Mostly, I love how they describe the food... fresh peas, mushrooms, breadcrumbs and the techniques to enhance flavors.
The one recipe I’ve consistently made over the last 20 years and love is the Eggplant and Zucchini Gratin. I’m so excited it’s summer again and this will be on my table soon.
August 10, 2021
Separate Julia and Jacques are masters in French cooking and in their styles. Together is nothing short of perfection with their years of mastery. This was nice to see in such a way that not only do you get recipes, but you get two-for-one. The unique styles of each recipe is wonderful for the reader because it helps show the creativity and individuality of the cook in each recipe as well as allow the reader to be able to master said recipe then inspire them to make it their own.
June 16, 2022
I love, love the book. Two of my all time favorite chefs. I have watched both cook an omelet so effortless. Just marvelous. I was so very pleased Julia's beef bourguignon was included. And Jacques's chicken pot pie looks terrific. I must admit, the appetizer section was the least interesting to me and some of the recipes look much more complex than they seem in the book. Overall, a great book. Looking forward to cooking some of the recipes.
February 23, 2018
Written along with a PBS series, this book captures Julia and Jacque’s personalities, their food sensibilities, their commonalities and differences. The recipes are fabulous and the techniques taught trustworthy. One of my favorite go-toos. Just savor the chapter on burgers! Or, Roast Chicken, my favorite entree!
June 16, 2020
I have always wanted a Julia Child cookbook. I found this one on a used book site. So very happy I got it.
I'm about half way through it, I can hear Julia's voice as I read.
I can't wait to try some of the recipes and improve on some of my tried and true ones.
I'm about half way through it, I can hear Julia's voice as I read.
I can't wait to try some of the recipes and improve on some of my tried and true ones.
December 16, 2021
All hail Julia and Jacques! Oh, how I love this book. It brings back such wonderful memories of the two of them cooking together on PBS. I can’t believe it has been 25 years. Sole meunière that melts when you bite into it.
December 19, 2021
I loved reading their different points of view (why she prefers one method, with his counterpoint reasons for his method) and the depth of their knowledge.
Since I borrowed this book, I am xeroxing some of the recipes for possible future cooking.
Since I borrowed this book, I am xeroxing some of the recipes for possible future cooking.
December 2, 2016
This is my most treasured cookbook. I loved Julia and Jacques together on TV and I love how they collaborated on this cookbook.
April 9, 2018
Did not like the organization. It was hard to find tips that I'd like without reading the whole book/relevant section
June 16, 2018
I love Julia. Life without Julia would be like food without salt.
November 26, 2019
This is a classic.
October 31, 2021
I mean...how could it not be 5 stars?
September 20, 2022
One of the greatest cookbooks ever written. Pepin and Child made a fantastic duo, with practical recipes, helpful hints and a warmth that comes through the pages. This will be a go to cookbook.
October 1, 2022
As lovely as their show.
February 16, 2023
Interesting book with a variety of recipes.
February 11, 2025
Pork recipes look amazing.
February 23, 2011
Well since it will probably be forever before I actually sit down and read her most famous books "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," and I actually saw some of the episodes of this show on PBS in the 1990s, I figured this would be a good book to read. I liked how they set up the recipes with over 300 pictures, and then the commentary by Julia and Jacques on the sides in different colors. Now I don't necessarily want to know how to debone and section a fish or separate cuts of beef/pork, it is nice that they broke it down so that you could save a little time and money by doing it yourself. The recipes I would more likely make for a dinner party or special occasion rather than a average weekday night, however they all look delicious. I think this volume would have a lot of repeats from her most famous cookbook, then again it is another French cookbook. I was a little disappointed that aside from Brioche and Focaccia, there were no bread recipes and a very limited selection of desert recipes.
August 16, 2011
I really need to buy this book.
Instead, I have borrowed it from the library - 7 times, and when I went to renew it today, someone else has put a hold on it - how rude! Don't they know I'm still using it! (lol)
I adore and idolize both of these chefs - their talent is straight forward and not complex just for confusion. I know if there is a finicky step in a recipe, there is a reason, though I'll check J. Pepin's to see if he agrees as his recipes are often simpler.
If anyone wants to get me a Christmas/birthday/Easter/Hanukkah gift - this is high on my wish list!
Instead, I have borrowed it from the library - 7 times, and when I went to renew it today, someone else has put a hold on it - how rude! Don't they know I'm still using it! (lol)
I adore and idolize both of these chefs - their talent is straight forward and not complex just for confusion. I know if there is a finicky step in a recipe, there is a reason, though I'll check J. Pepin's to see if he agrees as his recipes are often simpler.
If anyone wants to get me a Christmas/birthday/Easter/Hanukkah gift - this is high on my wish list!
August 17, 2010
As a long-time devotee of PBS cooking shows, I thought this book was delightful. The back-and-forth between Julia and Jacques that makes their show so interesting is well-represented with numerous sidebars and notes from each chef. Both parties provide their own takes on recipes and ingredients, which adds both information and depth, so readers can mix and match to their heart's content. They may even have convinced me to try souffle!
July 31, 2011
I got this out of the library when I was watching the PBS series the cookbook is a companion to and while these two really elderly cooks who were champions in their time are marvelous to watch cook--both because they both clearly know their way around the kitchen, and because they are clearly fond of each other, but the cooking is just not my style--heavy use of butter and cream, very traditional preparation, and I already have 5 Julia Child cookbooks that I can go to for that sort of food.
Read
July 19, 2015A more manageable introduction than Mastering the Art of French Cooking, this captures Julia's voice brilliantly. The push and pull as well as camaraderie between her and Jaques makes for interesting reading. It's especially interesting to see this dynamic exposed after reading Provence 1970; Julia obviously found better ways to collaborate if not always agree after her partnership with Beck dissolved and I love the agree to disagree flavor of the writing here.
June 21, 2007
These are meals for special occaisons. The ingredients are expensive and the recipes are involved and time consuming. The most memorable recipe I've made so far is the poached pears, which are delicious. I'm sure you can find an easier recipe for poached pears, but that recipe wouldn't be chock-full of pictures of my two favorite chefs then, would it?
September 11, 2007
The book is laid out with pairs of commentary on facing pages by the two authors. Fewer recipes and less content than I expected, but a lovely idea for a book by two friends. If I made a book like this with my other half, his would contain a list of phone numbers for take-out joints - greasy thai, carbohydrate bomb pizza, and maybe some orange smudges from the cheese doodles gone astray.
February 3, 2008
Julia and Jacques present their variations side-by-side on some classics. Julia has a great technique for garlic mashed potatoes and their recipe for Creme Anglaise is excellent (if you have the courage to make it). The chocolate-creme chantilly roulade is excellent and very impressive for any formal get-together.
February 24, 2010
Good luck getting your hands on this book, which was put out in conjunction with J&J's tv show of the same name, apparently in a small print run. I've been trying to get a used copy at a reasonable price for months. Big, beautiful format, with advice on each recipe from each chef. The tv show is also charming, with Jacques gamely being the smiling perfect gentleman, no matter what Julia says!
February 6, 2017
So much great information here ! Julia and Jacques are the two chefs that I grew up watching, learning from, and admiring. This cookbook not only gives you all the techniques, tip and tools you need to create beautiful French dishes with ease! But, bonus you not only get one chefs tips you get two!!
A wonderful addition to you cookbook library!!!
A wonderful addition to you cookbook library!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
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