Jean-Pierre Jacob, a third-generation chef from Savoie, decided to become a chef at 15 and cooks with produce from around Lac du Bourget at his restaurant Le Bateau Ivre.
I am 59 years old. I was born in Aix-les-Bains, a town of thermal springs in the Savoie region near Lac du Bourget, 10 km from where my restaurant stands today. The best fish in the world swim in this lake, and I cook with the products that grow in my area.
I am the third generation of chefs in our family. In this hereditary profession there are two paths: either you dive into it from childhood, or you realize it is a crazy profession, because you spend ninety percent of your life at work. I chose to stay in this profession, which demands so much in return.
When you wake up in the morning, you should feel the joy of what you do. It is a profession in which you have to be happy and which you have to enjoy.
My father was a man who loved people, and cooking is a profession in which you have to love people. The most important things I took from him are kindness and generosity. Interestingly, I put a lot of effort into achieving things, but I still haven’t reached my father’s heights. I have something to aspire to.
I decided to become a chef at 15. I realized it was the only thing I wanted to do in my life; it seems to me I had always wanted this profession. It’s also important that my father never forced me into it. I think that matters a lot, because parents should never force their children into any line of work, especially a family business.
I don’t know what good fortune is made of, but I think I’m a lucky man. That is largely thanks to my profession, because it lets me meet new people every day. Yes, I am a happy man.
In fact, it’s not even a question of happiness but of motivation. And that’s the hardest part, because you have to fight for it every day and find something every day that keeps you moving forward.
The most important thing in life is moments of happiness. We need to cling to those moments and always remember them. And one more thing: people like to complain. What matters most is not to complain, because if you wake up in the morning healthy, you are happy.
We must always stay humble and simple. You should never think you have reached the top. There is a new generation of chefs now: as soon as they hear that a report or a TV show has been made about them, they get so puffed up they can’t fit through the door.
I don’t usually expect awards. But when I got my first award, I realized it wasn’t my personal achievement alone: it was the merit of the whole team that worked with me. The most important thing is never to stop.
Ours is a very difficult profession, because we sell pleasure. If a person leaves our restaurant without a smile, we got something wrong. And it’s very hard, because every day and every time you need to make people happy. We sell pleasure.
I like Asian food. I like cooking without a lot of fat, based mostly on plant products, with a mix of three tastes: sweet, bitter and sour. Asian cuisine seems very balanced to me.
Still, food can’t really be compared, because a cuisine isn’t special in itself, but a particular dish can be. For example, Ukrainian borscht is simply a unique dish for me: I like the taste of beets, the crunch of the vegetables and the fresh aroma of sour cream.
That’s why I say cooking is a special profession and a very rich one, because it holds the wealth of the world. So every cuisine is special in its own way.
A dish from the chef: Roasted Salmon Steak with Carrot Puree, Ginger and Spicy Sauces. Three simple ingredients, and the dish has beautiful colors. It is very simple, without fat, cream or butter, because when I cook I always think about women’s figures; I don’t want them to gain weight.
