The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Creating art, in the kitchen and out
Is there such a thing as a creative gene? Perhaps. Nature versus nurture and all that. But it does seem that most tremendously talented people are gifted in more than one way. Great actors can often sing and dance, talented musicians can play more than one instrument and write their own music, superb athletes excel at more than one sport.
World-renowned chefs can also be gifted artists whose works are very desirable.
I first recall being introduced to Jacques Pepin in late 1992. He came for dinner at the elegant Robert Henry’s Restaurant in New Haven, where I was maître d’. Robert Henry’s was from a bygone era, owned by the matriarch Jo McKenzie; a white glove establishment with porcelain-dome service and very haute French cuisine that eventually morphed into The Union League Café. And then we met again in 1999, when he and Julia Child were wrapping up their book tour for “Julia and Jacques, Cooking at Home.” They had a spirited question and answer session/book signing at The New Haven Lawn Club, followed by a sold-out dinner at Union League Café. I was lucky enough to be with my friend Dorie Greenspan (who wrote “Baking with Julia”) and we sat at Jacques and Gloria’s table in the bar, while Julia graced the main dining room.
He was delightfully warm and funny. I still have my copy, of course, sitting right next to “La Technique,” “Chez Jacques,” “Jacques Pepin’s Kitchen.”
Fast-forward nearly 20 years and I’m waiting in line at the door of the newly remodeled Alforno Restaurant in Old Saybrook on a chilly Tuesday night. We’re all here for another book signing and sold-out dinner with Jacques, only this time it’s a celebration of Jacques Pepin the artist. As I slowly wind my way through the line and into the bar, there are a number of his colorful prints, drawings and paintings hanging.
Jacques is basking in the excitement of the moment, engaging as he signs copies of his latest release, “Menus, A Book for Your Meals and Memories.” It’s a beautiful book with 200 or so pages of wonderfully illuminated blank menu pages, just waiting for you to inscribe them with your own menus, quips and recipes, those memories waiting to be rekindled every time you open the book. The illuminated borders and calligraphy were designed and painted by Jacques over many years and countless celebrations, all collected and curated by his longtime friend and photographer Tom Hopkins.
At Alforno, the terrific four-course dinner by Chef and co-owner Ben Zemmel was Piedmont- inspired, with some spectacular boutique Italian wines. Between courses Jacques and Gloria were kind enough to take questions, giving us a small glimpse into their lives, past and present. Tales of his childhood growing up near Lyon, his mother and two aunts who owned restaurants. His time in New York in the ’60s working with Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey, attending Columbia University at the same time, where he took his one and only art class. Their love of dogs and travel. Their boule group. When my friend Jim (former owner of Cuckoo’s Nest) asked Jacques how old he was he replied, “93 minus 10.”
To me, the works in this exhibit, as with Jacques’ work in general, evoke the south of France. There is a kind of a Mediterranean breeziness that is reflected in his palette, subject matter and composition, beautifully expressed with confident technique.
When I corresponded with him earlier this month by email, I asked him how he would describe his style, he said, “eclectic.” It’s no coincidence that his favorite artist is Picasso, “because of his extraordinary range of expression.”
When I asked if he had a favorite piece of his own, he replied, ”I always have a favorite piece of my own, and then it changes.” Jacques has illustrated his own cookbooks, of course. The first was “The Shortcut Cook,” released in 1990. I asked him if there was a connection between his cooking and his art and his reply was surprising, “I don’t think there is a connection. Both satisfy me in different ways and I need both. I’ve been drawing and painting since the early ’60s but I still don’t consider myself an artist.”
Jacques still leads an incredibly active professional life and walks daily on the beach with his dog. With the accolades too many to count, and still piling up, he is the culinary director for Oceania Cruise Lines, a dean at The French Culinary Institute, teaches in the gastronomy department of Boston University, and writes for Food and Wine Magazine. I asked if he painted every day, “No, I don’t. Sometimes I let pictures I’m working on go for days.”
What’s next up for Jacques and his art? You can catch his show at The Guilford Art Center from June 21-July 21. Jacques’ latest book is “Menus, A Book for Your Meals and Memories,” available at bookstores or online. You can view and purchase Jacques Pepins artwork @jacquespepinart.com.