I’ve written in the past about my one personal encounter with global superstar chef Jacques Pépin, but in case you didn’t read it — did I mention that I once met Jacques Pépin?! But enough about me. The culinary legend is turning 90 on Dec. 18, and the achievement has turned into a yearlong celebration.
The longtime celebrity chef on PBS is using the occasion to stage a national fundraising event for public television stations across the country at a time when their sources of funding are continuously threatened by political theater.
On Friday, Nov. 7, from 12:30 until 2 p.m., Pépin will sit down with food writer and host of The Splendid Table Francis Lam for a wide-ranging discussion of the chef’s incredible career, from his position as personal chef to French President Charles de Gaulle to consulting for Howard Johnson’s. There will also be time set aside during the Zoom call for viewers to submit questions to the chef — but remember that this is a national event, so he might not answer your particular question.
Tickets for the closed-circuit call are $81.88 and include a hard copy of Pepin’s latest book, The Art of Jacques Pépin, which should arrive in time for holiday gift-giving. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit local PBS affiliates, including Nashville PBS and also WCTE, which provides important coverage to the Upper Cumberland where Nashville network affiliates don’t always reach.
Take a long lunch on Friday, Nov. 7, buy your tickets online and learn from a legend while supporting public television!
