Chicken may not be a fancy or extravagant ingredient, but for master chef Jacques Pépin, it is the one he turns to regularly.

In his newly illustrated book The Art of the Chicken: A Master Chef’s Paintings, Stories, and Recipes of the Humble Bird, Jacques reminisces on his life through the lens of the humble bird, from his childhood in rural France, where he chased chickens and watched as his maman turned them into her poulet à la crème, to his demanding apprenticeship and long, illustrious career—cooking Chicken Chasseur for Charles de Gaulle and his family, turning down a chance to work as JFK’s White House Chef for a job at Howard Johnson’s, and appearing on television alongside food-world luminaries like Julia Child. Join us when he shares stories, favorite recipes and perhaps even is coaxed into displaying some of the dozens of his stunning paintings of chickens. “If it clucks or scratches, it’s likely that Jacques has painted it,” he says.

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