Excellent read. I always like Jacques but more so after reading his autobiography.
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Yes on the technique, but I cringe at his use of metal utensils in the nonstick pans.
I hadn’t noticed. I do see that he’s a bit casual about reaching into the salt bin and then handling raw chicken, back and forth. I’m somewhat guilty of that at times, too.
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I loved watching him in season 11 of Top Chef, where he fileted fish made the tomato flowers
I got Top Chef on the brain. So many things he’s good on. I have that book. I should probably read it.
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Here’s Pepin making a French omelet in a nonstick pan, scraping it with the fork.
Listening to this one
Listen to Black Cherry Blues by James Lee Burke on Audible.
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I just finished A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle, again. I still love it.
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I met an architect who told me he loved all the books, even the one written by his “dog.” So I read all of them too and enjoyed them.
Have you read the Herriot books? I’ve read all of them and still remember the stories of this vet in Yorkshire, Tricky Woo etc.
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How To Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable by Ben Aldridge. So far, interesting.
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Now this one, although it’s a bit more of a struggle.
A Morning for Flamingoes by James Lee Burke
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I’ve enjoyed reading his “caper” books.
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Funny timing on the Herriot books. Big J was just gifted a stack of them. I haven’t read any yet but am looking forward to starting soon.
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I’ve only read his Provence books and tend to disappear into them. I’ll have to try some of his “caper” series. If they’re written like his others, they’ll also make a nice escape.
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Another great essay by Celeste Davis. Self-actualization is overrated.
It’s the strength of one’s interpersonal relationships, stupid! 
"In 1938, Harvard researchers wanted the answer to the question- what is the most important contributor to human happiness? They interviewed hundreds of participants from all around the world and followed up with them every two years- recording their incomes, health records, relationship statuses, air quality and dozens of other metrics.
85 years later and the same study is still on-going. They have concluded that the #1 most important indicator in predicting someone’s life long health and happiness—more important than diet, fitness, air quality or wealth—is the strength of their relationships.
Strong relationships don’t just make you happier than diet and exercise- strong relationships make you HEALTHIER and extend your life more than diet and exercise do.
Crazy right?"
Watching TV introduced him to us:
https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2025/0330/1504857-ken-bruen-death/
When we first faced having only one unread Jack Taylor volume, we wouldn’t dare borrow it from the public library until a new release hit the market. Now we’re in a quandary with presumably the last manuscript just being published.
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I’m about 70% through Very Cold People, which is a sad book, if hard to put down. It’s a quick read. I guess it got a lot of accolades but I’m not settled on how I feel about it yet.
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Beatrice Ojakangas’ Homemade.
Finnish cookbook author, creator of some famous commercial foodstuffs and teller of tales growing up in Minnesota in the 1930’s
and beyond.
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10% Human: How Your Body’s Microbes Hold the Key to Health and Happiness by Alanna Collen.
The title says it all. Very interesting information about how our internal and external bacteria influence everything from mood to nutrient absorption to choosing a partner. Well presented and entertainingly written.
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Another brilliant essay by Celeste Davis, the followup to this earlier one.
Cannot recommend these enough for any parents out there.
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Listening to The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo on Audible.
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