It\u2019s with gratitude that we sat down with legendary chef Jacques P\u00e9pin, delving into his love for culture, cuisine, and of course, travel.<\/p>\n
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Jacques P\u00e9pin is a hospitality legend whose name is synonymous with food, wine, and travel. A former columnist for the\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0and Julia Child\u2019s co-star on PBS, he\u2019s earned global accolades throughout his esteemed career. He\u2019s also taken his culinary endeavors from land to sea as Oceania Cruises\u2019 Executive Culinary Director, where passengers can indulge in an award-winning culinary experience, aptly named The Finest Cuisine at Sea\u00ae. Visitors can also dine at his specialty restaurant\u00a0Jacques<\/em>\u00a0aboard the cruise line\u2019s\u00a0Marina<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Riviera<\/em>\u00a0ships \u2013 from duck\u00a0foie gras<\/em>\u00a0and baked\u00a0escargots<\/em>\u00a0to\u00a0bouillabaisse<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>he brings an elevated culinary experience to cruising that we\u2019re certainly thankful for.<\/p>\n Q:\u00a0What are your\u00a0favourite places to visit and what make them special?<\/strong><\/p>\n In Malaga, on the coast of Spain, there is a restaurant called\u00a0Intero<\/em>\u00a0where they bring piles and piles of fresh fish. They have enormous grills where they cook the fish and shellfish and bring them to the dining room saying, \u2018Mira, mira<\/em>!\u2019 (Look, look!). You pick what looks good to you and you pile up your plate. It\u2019s extremely fresh, inexpensive and there\u2019s good wine to go with it. It\u2019s an ideal spot for me. I love all the warm spots of the Mediterranean \u2013 Provence, Spain, Italy and Portugal.<\/p>\n Q:\u00a0Why is travel an integral part of your life?<\/strong><\/p>\n I got my first taste of travel by immigrating to the United States in 1959 and I really haven\u2019t stopped since. I\u2019ve been back to Europe many, many times, but I\u2019ve also traveled everywhere from West Africa to Russia to Spain, as well as all the different states. When I travel, I always learn and expand my mind. It\u2019s good to see how other people live, what other people think, and it\u2019s always good to learn about people and appreciate them.<\/p>\n Q:\u00a0What do you love about cruising?<\/strong><\/p>\n My favourite parts of cruising are relaxing, the diversity of the cuisine and all the activities. The quality and care that we get on Oceania is unmatched.<\/p>\n Q:\u00a0How might the onboard culinary offerings for Oceania change based on current trends?<\/strong><\/p>\n The trends are important, but if you buy the best possible ingredients of the highest quality possible, and so long as you have talented chefs on board, and you present everything with care and love, then that is what\u2019s important.<\/p>\n Q:\u00a0How do you pick restaurants when you go on vacation?<\/strong><\/p>\n To start, I ask friends if they have any recommendations. Then I always ask local people I happen to meet along my way. It\u2019s really the best option to live an authentic experience and immerse yourself in the culture of the destination.<\/p>\n Q:\u00a0Is there a dish you’ve tried\u00a0in your travels that you crave?<\/strong><\/p>\n I will always go back to the food of small bistros in the French countryside, serving food that I had as a child such as snails, frog legs and amazing bread and butter.<\/p>\n Q:\u00a0What makes a memorable food experience for you when you travel?<\/strong><\/p>\n The memorable part is to share it with loved ones. There is no good food that you eat by yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s with gratitude that we sat down with legendary chef Jacques P\u00e9pin, delving into his love for culture, cuisine, and of course, travel. Jacques P\u00e9pin is a hospitality legend […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":16402,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n