Jacques Pepin is a famous French chef. He started cooking when he was 13 years old. He worked in fancy restaurants in France. He even cooked for the French president.

After he moved to the United States, Jacques had a cooking show on TV. People loved to watch him cook French dishes. Many viewers learned to cook by watching his show. 

His daughter, Claudine, didn’t learn to cook. She loved her dad and his show. But she wasn’t interested in being a chef. She went to college and studied politics instead.

Then one day, Jacques was cooking for an audience at a food festival. He pulled Claudine on stage. “I’m going to teach you how to cook,” he said. And he did.

Jacques and Claudine started cooking together on TV and in real life. They wrote cookbooks together. People enjoyed their show because Claudine was learning just like they were. Some viewers thought Claudine was acting. But she was really learning to cook for the very first time.

A favorite dinner for Jacques and Claudine is chicken, potatoes, and salad. Jacques calls this a perfect meal because the chef can give it a twist. Jacques likes to use butter on his potatoes. Claudine cooks hers with cheese.

The father and daughter still cook together often. And now Jacques cooks with his granddaughter, too. The three generations wrote a cookbook together called Kids Cook French. Jacques hopes his love of cooking will live on through his family.