Cooking, Entertaining, Boxing… and Jacques Pepin Skyping

Sure he can whip up an impeccable classic French omelette, but can he Skype?!  Jacques Pepin, the legendary French Chef and television personality, joined media types at PS7’s Restaurant Monday evening as they previewed the upcoming Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show (Nov 5-6)


Pepin, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis and Guy Fieri headline the show at the Washington Convention Center, which features all aspects surrounding food — from making it to meeting up around it.  As explained Monday night, guests will taste items fresh off the James Beard Cooking Stage, judge the National Beef Cook-Off, shop from over 400 specialty food exhibitors, and meet the authors of their favorite bestselling cookbooks.


A beer, wine and spirits pavilion highlighting local mixologists is also sure to be a showstopper according to the evening’s preview, and especially if the boxing gloves come out from behind the bar (It’s a crush cocktail competition: Check out the video here!) Gina Chersevani and Owen Thompson allowed attendees advance sips of their best spirit concoctions. 


Pepin – though present in more than spirit himself – had to talk food more than taste it.  “I’m going to cook with my daughter [at the show]… we’ll make a ragout of mushrooms with polenta and a little steak and glazed carrots, and crepe suzette…” he tempted.  “And I’ll go see Michel [Richard] and eat with him and cook with him,” he said of his French compatriot (also in attendance at the preview), who was later questioned about who may be the better Chef.  


“Oh, Jacques, for sure!  He has more experience.  I’ve only been cooking for 50 years!”