Some press articles about La Vie du Chateau’s Cookery Courses & Culinary Holidays
Article on Living France magazine
Some press articles about La Vie du Chateau’s Cookery Courses & Culinary Holidays
Article on Living France magazine
I don’t know why, when we think about cookery courses, it’s often a woman that comes to mind.
I can honestly say that of the numerous men I’ve been so happy to have in our French culinary holidays, they’re some of the best cooks!
Our weekly Wednesday market is a foodies dream come true! The 2nd largest in our region, with 180 vendors displaying products from near and afar.
Most notable is the abundance of local products, from fruits and vegetables grown right next door to displays of cheeses, charcuteries and the freshest seafood you can get. They arrive straight from the seaside early in the morning and the fish are all clear eyed with bright red gills. Piles of fresh perrywinkles, whelks, muscles and venus clams are all lined up next to the live (still jumping) shrimps.
Christine comes straight from Guérande with her beautiful selection of rock salt, fine salt, fleur de sel and other spices including fresh vanilla pods and salicorne.
You can also find beautiful baskets, kitchen utensils, live chickens and ducks, antique knick knacks, and all sorts of other goods.
The longest line is at the horse meat vendor, but I never go there. Not that I don’t have time to wait but although I am very open minded and sometimes I could eat a cow, I will never eat a horse!
Of course, I have selected my favorite vendors and have become pretty efficient in finding and choosing what I need for the days-weeks cooking. I usually go with menus sketched out in my head, but with a very open mind and let my inspiration go with all the exciting food to be found.
And then there’s the Sunday market, smaller and in a pretty little square in front of the town theater. The main attraction is the fresh oysters and clams but there is always the usual abundance of produce, poultry, dairy products and flowers… all local!
It’s so fun when I get back to my kitchen and spread out all the ingredients on the table and start preparing delicious dishes, old and new!
All throughout France people wait impatiently for the third Thursday of November.
And a great reason to have some friends over and decide which one we like best!
Quince is our last jelly-jam of the year before the winter cold arrives. While we are enjoying the most glorious autumn, the morning freezes are arriving and I figured this is the last chance to get those remaining quinces and make some nice jelly to enjoy this winter. This strange and inedible fruit makes a sublime red jelly that goes so well with foie gras or served with game.
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 kilos of quince
800 grams of sugar
Instructions
Ingredients
Red Bell Peppers
Green Beans
Mushrooms
Instructions
Ingredients
Red bell peppers
Salt
(I use Fleur de Sel but regular salt is fine)
Garlic cloves
Olive oil
Instructions
Ingredients
1 rabbit - completely de-boned, gutted, etc.
Try to get your rabbit provider to do this for you as it is quite a lot of trouble to do yourself (but do-able).
Thin slices of back fat (barde), enough to line the bottom of the terrine.
250 grams of thick bacon slices, cut into small strips
2 carrots- sliced
2 small to medium onions – finely sliced
2 bay leaves
2 cups of white wine, preferably riesling
1 shot glass of cognac
2 sheets of gelatin or 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin powder (Knox?)
Thyme, salt and pepper
Instructions
Mère Poulard makes the most legendary omelette in France. Cooked over an open fire, in a copper pan with a very long handle. Although her recipe is a well kept secret, many french chefs claim to know the secret and there is a plethora of theories.. no whites, whites whipped separately, adding creme fraiche, using good fresh normandy butter, etc etc. But no one really knows! So if you visit Mont Saint Michel, and can afford a €35 omelette, it’s a historic experience.
Ingredients
4 eggs
12 cl of creme fraiche
Salt and pepper
40 gr of butter
Optional: Mushrooms, cheese and lardons.
Instructions
My French Cooking Tour in the US!…During the Thanksgiving and Christmas season I did a series of cooking classes in Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
I had such a great time traveling around, with special ingredients in tow, sharing some of my favorite french recipes in family’s and friends’ homes…to spice up their holiday dinners.