Today, Jacques Pépin shares some of his best untold stories. Before his 30 cookbooks and three decades on TV, he stood up to the mob, turned down JFK, and reinvented frozen meals for the American supermarket. This week, we share the first part of our special series all about Jacques Pépin, reported by Otis Gray and Grace McNally. Plus, Chris and Sara answer your calls about handpies and the perfect breakfast; and A Way With Words teaches us the language of ending a meal.
Photo credit: Jacques Pépin Foundation

Questions in this episode:

"I’m trying to make meatloaf at home but am having problems with it. It crumbles and falls into pieces, and the mixture is uneven. Help!"

"I enjoy a simple breakfast: eggs, toast, and a cup of tea. The toast, however, always gets cold by the time the eggs and tea are done. How can I get everything from the stove to the table steaming hot?"

"I have been entering the savory hand pie competition in the Kentucky State Fair for a few years now. You all suggested I make a pâté pie, but I went with a mushroom hand pie instead. Thoughts?"

"How do I recognize when a dish needs acid?"

"I use all purpose flour almost exclusively when baking. I also measure all of my baking ingredients on a scale in grams. But I've noticed that the range of weights for a cup of all purpose flour varies. What do you use and does it really matter?"