Jacques Pepin Celebrates a Milestone Birthday
He’s an American Culinary Legend – all caps.
Jacques Pépin is one of those rare figures who embodies both the Old-World traditions of French cuisine and the wide-open spirit of American food culture. Born in Bourg-en-Bresse, France in 1935, Pépin was raised in his parents’ small restaurant, where he absorbed the rhythms of the kitchen from an early age.
By 13, he was already an apprentice, learning the precise techniques that would carry him to Paris and, later, to the kitchens of French presidents – yes, Jacques Pepin cooked for Charles de Gaulle at the age of 24. That early grounding was important, but what has defined Pépin in the American imagination is not his pedigree—it’s the way he chose to share it. Pepin is not only a genius culinarian–he teaches food and cooking at a professor-level–it’s like morphing Beethoven and Cezanne into one person.
Arriving in the United States in the late 1950s, Pépin could have remained a restaurant chef, building an elite
Powerhouse Smoothies – A Billion $$ Start To The Day
Smoothies are evolving into health powerhouses. Consumers are mixing in superfood boosters like chia seeds, goji berries, spirulina, and maca to enhance energy, skin health, and immunity. These functional ingredients are becoming table stakes in modern smoothie-making.
Another exciting trend in the smoothie world is the rise of functional smoothies, which are tailored to meet specific health goals. Whether you’re looking for a smoothie that aids digestion, boosts immunity, or enhances post-workout recovery, there’s a recipe out there for you. SF recommends a balance of fruit, liquid and protein for maximum nutritional (and flavor!) value.
Best Recipes – Pizza Dough
Pizza. One word. So many positive thoughts, memories and images. Do you have a favorite pizza spot? Some low-key joint or a shiny pizzeria that serves the best pizza in the world? You walk in and that beautiful smell “punches you right in the nose”–that’s a SpokenFood shout-out to Mark Iacono, who happens to make the best pizza in NYC at Lucali in Carol Gardens in Brooklyn.
Whether Neapolitan-style dough is your thing, or if you love the crackly bite of a thin crust or tavern style ‘za (there’s a difference), pizza is one of the greatest
$8 for Cashews? That’s Nuts!
I love cashews. Absolutely love ’em, love ’em, LOVE ’em. I always get my nuts from my local Walgreens. They carry the ‘Nice’ brand and these are good-quality, tasty little things–all of them. I especially enjoy their cashews. I only buy these when they go on sale and Walgreens does do some fairly aggressive markdowns.
See the drop from $7.99 to $2.99? It could be a ‘loss-leader’ or more likely, clearing inventory before it approaches the expiration date. It’s a common practice in the grocery biz.
But look at that label in the middle. $8 for a small-ish bag of nuts?
Email Congress–A Call To Action
SpokenFood recently published a story with graph support showing the comparison between Diesel fuel (calculated by the Environmental Information Administration–(EIA) and your groceries, aka ‘Food-At-Home’ compiled monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This story continues to get deeper and deeper, but here is an opportunity for you to reach out to Congress and ask those Congresspersons, Reps and Senators (who work for you, btw) to write/sponsor/support brand-new
How To Make GREAT Mayonnaise!
August is National Sandwich month (and it’s almost over!) This story is an archived beauty from the old ‘JackBlogsFood’ blog on Wordpress.
The sandwich, in and of itself, could very well be my favorite food category. I love the taste of steak. I’m captivated by the richness and texture of crab legs or lobster. Blueberry pie gives me chills. Salads are so tasty and versatile. But…nothing hits all the right notes quite like the versatile sandwich.
Start with good bread, which simply reminds you of home. Add a meat or a fish element–some kind of base ingredient. Add a texture component, like shredded lettuces or crisp veggies or Durkee Fried Onions or potato chips. Then add a last flavor booster like a vinaigrette or a signature sauce, and there you have it. The perfect food.
Restaurant Review – Jersey Mike’s Subs
Way back before SpokenFood.com there was a blog site called ‘JackBlogsFood’. This is one of our original reviews from 2014. The Jersey Mike’s store in Woodbury, MN liked it so much, they laminated it and taped it to the wall in the back, so JM employees could see they were appreciated. And so it goes to this day.
WalletGate: A New Conspiracy?
In the 1970’s, the United States government, including the President of the United States, Richard Nixon himself, conspired to lie to the American people about a political cover-up that became known as the Watergate scandal. In the food distribution world, since the end of the Covid era–beginning in 2022–we at SpokenFood.com have uncovered an equally disturbing trend with massive national effect, even possible government implications.
We’re calling it WalletGate.