Honoring the 90th Birthday of Jacques Pépin

Beloved chef, author, teacher, and artist Jacques Pépin turns 90 in 2025. Widely regarded as one of the greatest culinary educators of our time, he has inspired generations through more than 30 cookbooks and 13 public television series.

KQED has worked with Pépin since 1991, when the station produced Today’s Gourmet for distribution on PBS. The chef would go on to produce several series with KQED up through the present, including Fast Food My Way, Essential Pépin, Jacques Pépin Heart and Soul, and Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home.

In partnership with the Jacques Pépin Foundation, KQED is celebrating his extraordinary legacy throughout 2025—on KQED 9, YouTube, social media, and at a special KQED Live event at Napa’s Uptown Theater on November 2. The Jacques Pépin Foundation is also launching its most ambitious effort yet: the 90/90 Dinner Series, a nationwide slate of ticketed dinners supporting culinary education, as well as a Home Cook campaign, Home Cook offers everyone an opportunity to participate and show their appreciation for this beloved icon.

KQED Live Event: A Legacy of Heart and Soul

On November 2 at Napa’s Uptown Theater, KQED Live and the Jacques Pépin Foundation will bring some of his closest contemporaries – including cookbook author and TV personality Sara Moulton, celebrity chef Chris Costentino, and his daughter and onscreen counterpart Claudine Pépin – together with KQED’s Cecilia Phillips, for a lively conversation inspired by iconic moments from his groundbreaking television career.

The afternoon culminates in an intimate, heartfelt interview with Jacques himself. Tickets on sale now.