Jacques Pepin's Magic Wand

I first heard the name, Jacques Pepin, from my mentor, Helen McCully, Food and Wine editor of “House Beautiful” magazine, a lifetime ago. Helen told me she had met a remarkable young chef from France and she became his mentor as well, handing him around New York’s culinary establishment. They collaborated on a cookbook, “The Other Half of the Egg, Or, 180 Ways to Use Up Extra Yolks or Whites” (1967). I bought Pepin’s books as they came along—his style suits me to a T. His roast Chicken with Cognac in “A French Chef Cooks At Home,” 1975, was where I learned to roast chicken at high heat--400 degrees—15 minutes on one side, 15 minutes on the other side, 15 to 20 minutes breast up. (How young he looks on the cover!) Although I was writing cookbooks by then, I immersed myself in Pepin’s large-format-books-with-great-photographs, “La Technique” (1978) and “La Methode” (1979), soaking up the fine points.
Cut to a couple of weeks ago when I was on my hands and knees cleaning my apartment’s carpet. I turned on the television to cheer me up, it was set on PBS, and there was Pepin making squash soup. When the chunks of squash and its seasonings were tender in the saucepan, Pepin stuck this sort of fat wand into the pot, I heard a brief whirring sound, and the camera panned down to show a smooth golden puree. Lordy. I had an immersion blender once but it was useless, gave it away…
I looked up the wand on amazon and sent for it. Took it with me on my visit to the mountain. Fitted the wand into one of its cups (it comes with several bells and whistles) with avocado and onion and had guacamole in the flicker of an eyelash. Few nights ago, I minced four shallots just as quickly. Wow. Last night, I cooked a potful of spinach, stalks and leaves, they looked so unpromising, but I stuck in the wand, pushed the button. Plush emerald puree!
Now I must confess I am a gizmo girl. It runs in the family. When Henry Ford sent out his first automobiles, my father’s father in Chicago took the engine apart then put it back together. My father collected gizmos almost as passionately as books.
I didn’t realize one of Pepin’s sponsors is Cuisinart, but I must say ever since a friend told me about the new invention called a food processor, I’ve never been disappointed by Cuisinart. This, too, is an exceptionally useful kitchen tool—particularly if you’re cooking for just one or two. It not only purees and chops, but there’s a whisk as well—I whipped cream in a twinkling. And clean-up is much faster and easier than with a food processor—rinse, rinse, shake dry. I'm pleased my splurging turned out not to be an extravagance but money well spent. I regard the Smart Stick Hand Blender with Whisk and Chopper Attachments a bargain—$47.50 from amazon.
Just thought you’d like to know.
Now thank goodness my rug is clean so I can stay away from Pepin and temptation…
At least for a while.