Video

Jacques Pépin Fast Food My Way — Jacques Pépin, the man who taught millions of Americans how to cook, shares the techniques he honed in the most famous kitchens of the world to show you how to create simple, special meals in minutes. This 4-hour, 2-disc DVD set, adapted from the new PBS series, pays tribute to a very simple cuisine, with recipes that require little work and fit nicely into the fast-paced lifestyles of today. Use the interactivity of the DVD format to learn how to create 8 complete menus — 30 great-tasting dishes — all special enough for company, yet easy enough for those weekday evenings when you have no time. Easy and fast can still be deliciously elegant — with Jacques Pépin Fast Food My Way.

Lesson 1: • thirty minute cassoulet • zucchini & tomato salad • smoked salmon timbales • orange & cream cheese

Lesson 2: • mock tiramisu • smoked trout salad with horseradish cream • chicken breast on mashed cauliflower with red hot salsa

Lesson 3: • salmon tartare on cauliflower salad • chickpea ragout • breaded pork scaloppine with mushroom sauce • caramelized peaches

Lesson 4: • pasta, ham & vegetable gratin • romaine & radicchio with salsa dressing • crab cakes in red sauce • big almond macaroons with apricot filling

Lesson 5: • egg & tomato gratin • stuffed scallops on mushroom rice • greens with quick cream dressing • pineapple wedges in caramel

Lesson 6: • sausage & potato packets • devil shrimp • mushroom & walnut salad in sour cream dressing • apple peel granite with apple puree

Lesson 7: • asparagus custards • slow-cooked tuna steaks with tomato relish • apple skillet cake

Lesson 8: • tomato tartare with tomato water sauce • rigatoni & mussels with saffron • puree of peas with mint & cilantro • strawberry shortbread panachee

Jacques Pépin's Chanukah Celebration — Celebrate the Jewish "Festival of Lights" with a light, French-inspired Chanukah dinner menu. It begins with a sparkling Consommé Printanier with a colorful sprinkling of carrot, turnip, zucchini, and miniature Chicken Quenelles. Then it's a silky Cold Mousse of Chicken and Pistachios with a beautiful garnish set in aspic. A soulful Veal Roast with buttery braised lettuce is the hearty centerpiece of the meal. And Jacques serves it with crispy, golden Vegetable Pancakes Tempura — his homage to the traditional Chanukah potato latke. For dessert, there's a spectacular Frozen Citrus Soufflé surrounded by a crown of freshly-baked lady fingers served alongside a classic rum-soaked Holiday Fruit Cake, brimming with Jacques' own homemade candied fruit. Run Time: 90 minutes. Also included in the Jacques Pépin's Fall/Winter Celebrations Set.

Jacques Pépin's Christmas Celebration — Here is the Christmas feast of your dreams, starting with Oysters on the Half-Shell served over rice with a tangy Mignonette Sauce, a perfect counterpoint to silky Home-Smoked Salmon, served in delicate bundles filled with Cucumber Salad. It wouldn't be a Pépin Christmas without foie gras, and Jacques prepares both a classic baked terrine of Foie Gras in a delicate Cognac Aspic as well as a simple Salt-Cured Foie Gras served with roasted nuts, crunchy sea salt, and sweet preserves. The centerpiece is Braised Duck with a tangy honey sauce, Glazed Shallots, and Honey Sweet Potatoes. A Black Truffle Salad with lemon dressing is an elegant addition. For dessert, it's back to the classics, with a step-by-step lesson in creating a Bûche de Noël, a beautiful Yule log with all its enchanting decorations, as well as an English Christmas Pudding with raisins, nuts, candied fruit, and old-fashioned Hard Sauce. Run Time: 90 minutes. Also included in the Jacques Pépin's Fall/Winter Celebrations Set.

Jacques Pépin's Easter Celebration — In this surprise-filled celebration of Spring, Jacques and Claudine prepare a sumptuous Easter dinner for friends, starting with Caviar served with Buckwheat Blini and Frozen Vodka — the perfect adult answer to Easter eggs. Salmon Steaks with a tangy, fresh Sorrel Sauce and delicate little cucumber balls make an easy first course. And of course, there's lamb — in this case, spring Lamb Loins in Ambush, coated with a ground lamb and vegetable mousse, served over fresh fava beans. Jacques' Leek-and-Mushroom Pie brings just the right earthy flavors to go with the lamb. And on the side, there are Eggplant "Cushions" garnished with lightly stewed tomatoes; and Artichoke Bottoms stuffed with brown-butter spinach, topped with a golden-brown gratin sauce. The meal ends as it began, with more grown-up Easter eggs: fluffy Caramel Snow Eggs floating in custard cream. In a classic Pépin pairing, this ethereal dessert is served with Jacques down-to-earth, old-fashioned Oatmeal! Cookies dipped in sumptuous chocolate. Run Time: 90 minutes. Also included in the Jacques Pépin's Spring/Summer Celebrations Set.

Jacques Pépin's Graduation Celebration — A family friend is graduating from college, and Jacques and Claudine need no better excuse to create a splendid al fresco buffet lunch. There's delicate Smoked Trout with a creamy Egg-and-Pepper Salad — just right for a sunny June afternoon. And Jacques' classic Chicken Galantine — a boneless chicken stuffed with pork, black mushrooms, pistachios and armagnac, poached in a rich stock and served in it's own aspic — might be the world's most elegant picnic food. A succulent baked Ham Georgia with a tangy apricot-mustard glaze and a deep, sweet-savory peach sauce is an impressive do-ahead entrée for a party. Jacques pairs it with a simple side dish of buttered Red Swiss Chard. For the cheese course, he shows Claudine how to make creamy fresh-herb Fromage Blanc served with roasted garlic and garnished with a beautiful coral tree. Two show-stopping desserts complete the buffet. Chocolate Cloud Cake is a spectacular layered confection, with the contrasting textures of! fluffy sponge cake, cognac whipped cream, and crunchy chocolate cookie crust, all topped with a bittersweet chocolate glaze. And Cherry-Raspberry Pillow tops off the summer fruit desserts — fresh cherries and berries baked in a free-from puff-pastry pie. Run Time: 90 minutes. Also included in the Jacques Pépin's Spring/Summer Celebrations Set.

Jacques Pépin's Summertime Celebration — It's a special one-hour tribute to two great cultures and two great cuisines, as Jacques and Claudine create a French-American "fusion" celebration of the Independence Day and Bastille Day. A whole, poached Salmon with a light, creamy Mousseline Sauce is an easy, elegant way to feed a large group. It's followed by charming little crocks filled with Rillettes of Rabbit — the classic French party spread that's perfect with country bread and a crisp white wine. For the main course: a whole Grilled Shoulder of Veal, served with lemon-herb butter. And Jacques' creamy Potato-and-Corn Packages are just right for the occasion. For dessert, there's an all-American sponge cake soaked in sweet summer berries and brandy with a silky custard sauce and a very French Chocolate Gourmand — a decadent chocolate mousse you can serve right out of the bowl. Run Time: 90 minutes. Also included in the Jacques Pépin's Spring/Summer Celebrations Set.

Jacques Pépin's Thanksgiving Celebration — Jacques is fond of saying that Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday — after all, it's the one holiday devoted entirely to cooking and eating. In this tribute to turkey with all the trimmings, we get a peek at how one of the world's greatest French chefs prepares Thanksgiving dinner in his American home. It begins with two appetizers made from Jacques' "Instant" Home-Cured Salmon: Salmon Tartare with a delicate cucumber salad and salmon caviar; and velvety Salmon Gravlax cured with cognac, served with cucumber, sweet onion, and rye bread. Then, it's on to the main event: a plump, juicy Roasted Turkey with apple cider glaze and buttery Bread-and-Mushroom Stuffing. On the sideboard, there are Jacques' Brussels Sprouts, a creamy, bubbly, decadent Gratin of Butternut Squash, and an alternative to traditional cranberry sauce, a spicy Cherry-Ginger Chutney. Two sensational desserts complete the feast: a Chocolate-Bourbon-Prune Cake with Caramelized Pecans and whipped cream; and Pears Poached in Citrus Juice with a simple, country style "home cake." Run Time: 90 minutes. Also included in the Jacques Pépin's Fall/Winter Celebrations Set.

Julia & Jacque Cooking at Home — Julia Child and Jacques Pepin join together with fire, fun and culinary genius in what has become another classic hit for public television. Viewers are charmed by the special magic America's favorite cooking duo conjures up in Julia's legendary kitchen and enticed by the mouth-watering great food they prepare and enjoy. Julia's and Jacques' warmth and conviviality shine through the programs along with their spirit, whimsy and remarkable skills, as they offer techniques, tastes and recipes at the heart of today's cooking. From Hamburgers and Halibut to Chicken Pot Pie and Artichokes, they reach the hearts of the audience who loves them for their easy camaraderie, step-by-step instructions and great talent. The complete Emmy Award-winning series. 10 hours, 22 Episodes and over 85 recipes. Run Time: 440 minutes. A great companion to the book, Julia & Jacque Cooking at Home.