French Cooking Classes: A Week… (trip)
French Cooking Classes: A Week In Provence
- Culinary & Wine Travel
“The class was fantastic! Half cooking, half touring, it was a great opportunity to see the "real" Provence. Our hosts,… ”
7 Days, from $2,980* per person. June, September.
Accommodations: Boutique. Exertion level: 3 (7 is most strenuous)
Overview of French Cooking Classes: A Week In Provence
About the location: Approximately twenty minutes east of Nyons, the olive capital of France, lies an 18th century farmhouse, “Moutas,” nestled in the hills outside the village of Condorcet. This is a breathtaking rural location with a microclimate said to be among the most agreeable in all of France. All bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, and the stream-fed pool is an ideal place to relax. Your hosts Anne and David Reinauer will insure you every need is attended to. Anne, from Lake Charles, Louisiana, is a retired French teacher, and David, a real estate developer, bought their French “Mas” 17 years ago as a seasonal retreat. In the mid-1980’s, the Reinauers, along with their two youngest children, lived year-round in the farmhouse while they painstakingly restored it and immersed themselves in French life and culture. In 2000, Anne, with her love of France and food, along with her personal friendships with several top New Orleans chefs, decided to open her Provençal home and share her love of French cooking and culture.A Week in Provence is a fantastic opportunity to experience a spectacular region of France and truly engage in the life, culture and cuisine of the country. Although cooking classes form the cornerstone of the program, we are offering a truly unique mix of activities with the aim of showing participants the origins of traditional ingredients in French cuisine and exposing our guests to many facets of French culture. All is taught and mastered here, from picking cherries, apricots or plums off the trees outside for a clafoutis or tarte, to a daube Provençal or duck confit or salmon mousse, with rosemary and thyme wild for the taking.
About the cooking lessons: Your instructor, Master Chef Daniel Bonnot, is a superb teacher, both charming and knowledgeable. Born in France, Chef Bonnot worked under Parisian chefs for seven years, followed by a stint at the five star Savoy Hotel in London and La Caravelle in Guadeloupe. Seventeen years again he made New Orleans his home, where he was chef/owner of Chez Daniel and Bizous. He has been named Chef of the Year in both 1980 and 1995 and Bizou was named one of the 10 best new restaurants by Esquire Magazine. You will experience the benefit of his vast talent in five, 3-5 hour cooking lessons.
Operated by The International Kitchen.
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Locations visited/nearby
French Cooking Classes: A Week In Provence , Cooking classes , France , Southwest France , Wine , Food , Cook , Provence
1 testimonial about this trip
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Reviewer: Cynthia F.
located in
Illinois
USA
The class was fantastic! Half cooking, half touring, it was a great opportunity to see the "real" Provence. Our hosts, Anne and David, are dear people who, through the friendships they have forged over the years, get you off of the tour bus and into the countryside for a look at traditional techniques in a variety of industries such as an olive mill, lavendar distillery, vineyard, the creation of hand-made mats used in commercial products (and cute for the home, too), a goat cheese farm, and a goose farm, as well as a trip to a European market and great little restaurants. Speaking of food ... the chef was incredibly knowledgeable; it was a joy to watch him at work -- and to eat our creations!
2 testimonials about the provider, The International Kitchen:
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Reviewer: Thomas & Christine L.
located in
NC
USA
I'd like to start by saying, this was the best vacation of our lives. The Relais Oasi Olimpia is a five star hotel with a four star rating. Every member of the staff was warm hearted and friendly, and totally dedicated to our needs and well being. The rooms were large and comfortable, especially compared to the so-called four star hotel we stayed at in Rome. Carmen Mazzola the general manager was extremely competent, resourceful, and accommodating. Whenever we made a request, or a scheduling change was necessary due to weather or some other reason, she handled all with speed and good nature, always exclaiming, "It's nothing!" when we thanked her. The cooking lessons with Marco the Chef were just what we had hoped them to be. Nothing too intense, (after all we were on vacation) but informative and easy to execute. I'm happy to say, Christine and I are quite competent now in producing a variety of delectable dishes we would be proud to serve anyone. Our boat tour to Positano was wonderful, our host Antonio piloted the boat to the picturesue little town, and later stopped at a cove where we swam in the Mediterranean and had an expertly prepared lunch. Our favorite tour was of the Mozzarella Factory, I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Suffice to say, don't miss it. Being Italian-American, this vacation awakened feelings in me long hidden. Personality traits that I have are prevalent in Southern Italy. I felt like I was among my own kind at last. I want to go back.
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Reviewer: Katie P
located in
UK
I just wanted to let you know that Chris and I had a wonderful time at Chateau de Berne last week. Mayung took very good care of us as ourhostess, and Jean-Louis is great! And of course the location is absolutely beautiful, as you know. We were made to feel very welcome the whole time we were there. I'm a few months pregnant, and Mayung did a great job of juggling our schedule so that I got some rest when I needed it but we also managed to fit in a lot of activities (including a visit to the market, a winery tour and wine tasting and a visit to a local abbey as well as some shopping on our own).And the cooking lessons were very well done. Chris and I were the only students (and in truth, Chris was the only one really cooking with Jean-Louis -- my job was to take notes and pictures!), so it felt like a one-on-one tutorial. Jean-Louis is a patient teacher and he did a good job of explaining everything he was doing. As the week progressed, Chris took a more and more active role in the food preparation, and the hands-on approach was very educational too. Everyone at Chateau de Berne was warm and friendly, and they really did make us feel very welcome there. This program was Chris's birthday present (his 40th) and I'm very pleased with how well it worked out! Thank you!
Disclaimers
*Travel product and pricing information are the travel provider’s base estimates, published here as a convenience to TravelDragon users without verification by TravelDragon. Your actual price will vary depending upon length of trip, travel dates, number of traveling guests, transportation (e.g. airfare, rail passes, etc.), and optional service features such as room categories or individualized food requirements. This base price estimate may or may not include all necessary fees, taxes, government-imposed surcharges. Be sure to confirm availability, total price and trip details with the travel provider using the contact information provided here.
Max group size: 12
Itinerary
Day 1 - Tuesday
* Your cooking vacation begins with your arrival in Condorcet Tuesday afternoon, either with the pickup transfer from Montelimar or Valence or by car.
* Time to settle into your room and get to know your surroundings before the first dinner.
Days 2 Through 6 - Wednesday Through Sunday
Wednesday through Sunday, each day is designed around 3 – 5 hours of hands-on culinary instruction and excursions into this sun-drenched and historical corner of Provence. Depending on the availability, season and local village festivals, you will experience some of the following activities throughout the week:
* Visit a local goat farm and goat-cheese producer
* Visit a duck farm to buy meat for “confit” and observe the “gavage”
* Visit a 250 year old factory where olive oil filters are still made the old fashioned way
* Visit a trout farm – select fresh fish for the table
* Tour a Chateauneuf-du-Pape chateau or an area wine producer with a special lecture and tasting
* Bottle our own wine (with an extra to tuck into your suitcase)
* Experience a bit of French/Roman history – tour a medieval village – visit remarkable Roman ruins
* Tour an olive oil mill founded in 1847 with special tasting, or the famous Nyons olive co-op
* Tour an old style lavender distillery and participate in a perfume workshop
* Find time to shop for those beautiful Provençal fabrics and ceramics
* Explore the renowned, sprawling and animated open-air market in Nyons
* Enjoy a special chocolate workshop, taught by a classically trained and immensely popular “Chocolatier”
During Your Free Time
* In your free time, you have a myriad of possible activities to while away the time:
* Relax by the pool,
* Read on the terrace,
* Hike up the mountains through the wild lavender and thyme,
* Ride horses up into the hills,
* Bicycle,
* Star-gaze or simply nap in your room.
* Sleep with windows open.
* Soak up the ambiance of Provence.
Day 7 - Monday
* The program ends Monday morning after breakfast. Bon Voyage!
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