This June, I'll travel once again to the Food and Wine Magazine

Jacques Pépin, master of the culinary arts and gentle teacher to generations, once said: “This June, I’ll travel once again to the Food and Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen, Colorado. For many years, my dear friend Julia Child and I have teamed up to teach classes together at the event; for the past seven years, my daughter, Claudine, has been my cooking partner on stage.” In this tender reflection, Pépin reveals not only his love for the craft of cooking, but the deeper treasures of friendship, tradition, and family. His words are more than the memory of festivals; they are a hymn to continuity, to passing on wisdom, and to the joy of sharing one’s gifts.

The first light of meaning lies in the act of travel to Aspen each year. For Pépin, this is not mere routine, but pilgrimage. Just as the ancients would journey to temples or holy cities, he journeys to a gathering where food, wine, and fellowship are celebrated as sacred. The annual rhythm signifies something eternal: that tradition is not built in a single moment, but in the repetition of devotion, year after year, until it becomes part of one’s soul. His return each June is a return not only to a place, but to a sacred rhythm of teaching and sharing.

At the center of his remembrance is his friendship with Julia Child, a titan of culinary history. Together, they stood before crowds not only as chefs, but as guides, weaving recipes into stories, and turning technique into joy. Their partnership reminds us of the ancient masters and apprentices, or of philosophers debating side by side, each sharpening the other. Julia and Jacques, together, became more than teachers; they became symbols of fellowship, showing that art flourishes not in isolation, but in companionship.

Yet Pépin’s words do not dwell only in the past. For where Julia once stood beside him, now stands his daughter, Claudine. This passing of the torch is as old as humanity itself. The wisdom of the elders, to remain alive, must flow into the hands of the young. Pépin does not hoard his craft, but shares it with his own blood, inviting her to step upon the stage with him. Here the lesson is powerful: what begins in friendship continues in family, and what begins in one generation must be carried onward by the next.

History gives us echoes of this truth. In ancient Athens, the philosopher Socrates taught Plato, and Plato taught Aristotle, each generation receiving wisdom and transforming it anew. In Japan, the way of the tea ceremony or the sword was passed carefully from master to apprentice, father to son, ensuring the art would never die. Pépin’s teaching with his daughter is part of this same eternal chain. In food as in philosophy, the living flame must be tended and passed, lest it go dark.

There is also humility in his remembrance. Though honored as a legend, Pépin does not speak of fame or accolades. Instead, he speaks of the joy of teaching, the bond of friendship, the pride of working with his daughter. True greatness does not boast of its triumphs—it cherishes its companions. This is a lesson for all: what makes a life meaningful is not the heights you reach, but the hands you hold as you walk.

Thus, the teaching of Jacques Pépin’s words is this: honor tradition by returning to it, year after year. Honor your companions, for they give strength to your journey. And above all, pass what you know to the next generation, so that your art, your wisdom, your love, may outlive you. For the true measure of mastery is not how high you climb, but how well you prepare others to climb after you.

Practical counsel follows: cherish your mentors, for they are bridges to greatness. Share your craft with your children, your friends, your students, so that the knowledge does not die with you. Return faithfully to the traditions that give your life rhythm, for in them you will find grounding and renewal. And when you look back, let it be said of you as it is of Jacques Pépin: that you traveled, you taught, you loved, and you passed on the flame.