Some press articles about La Vie du Chateau’s Cookery Courses & Culinary Holidays
Article on Living France magazine
…Read the full article on The Good Life France
Tag Archives: french cooking courses
Culinary Vacations in France – The Open Market
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!
Roasted-Marinated Bell Peppers
Roasted-Marinated Red Bell Peppers
Ingredients
Red bell peppers
Salt
(I use Fleur de Sel but regular salt is fine)
Garlic cloves
Olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven broiler to 400F and arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven.
- Put a sheet of foil in the bottom as the liquid from the peppers will drop down.
- When oven is hot place the peppers directly on the rack and roast, turning once so they blacken a bit on both sides, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, place in a plastic bag and let cool for about 20 minutes.
- Peel the skins off and slice open to get out all the seeds, liquid and cut out the membranes.
- Then cut in strips lengthwise about 1/3 “ wide.
- Place strips neatly in a rectangular or square shaped container layer by layer.
- Sprinkle each layer with salt, garlic and cover with olive oil.
- Refrigerate.
- I suggest you prepare a day or more in advance and you can keep this well refrigerated for at least a week.
French Cookery Courses, Culinary Holidays in France
French Cookery Courses in English, authentic Culinary Vacations and the art of French living at Château de La Barbée, in the heart of the Pays de la Loire.
Our 4 Day and 5 Day French Cookery Courses & Holidays are all-inclusive, with accommodations at the château, all meals and drinks, hands-on cooking classes and fun excursions around the beautiful regional countryside.
We will cook many of our family’s favorite recipes together. We’ll discuss the history of the château, planning a menu, preparing a cheese platter, and wine and food pairing. Our goal is to help you learn the basics of french cookery and master dishes you will be comfortable preparing back in your own kitchen for everything, from weekday family meals to dinner parties.
Cooking classes take place in the family kitchen, covering the basics, shortcuts, and tips for preparing meals when time is limited.
The cookery courses take advantage of seasonal produce and local farm products and we will make regular trips to the markets to select the freshest seasonal ingredients for our classes.
After meals, relax in the Grand Salon or take a walk by the river.
We’ll explore the diverse local culinary culture and the Loire Valley‘s rich history. We will shop town markets for ingredients; visit medieval villages and historic châteaux; and enjoy private tours of the Anjou vineyards, tastings at their wineries and visits to their cellars–some of which are carved into the hills.
Château de La Barbée is one of many private châteaux in the Loire Valley – but few offer an experience like this. We welcome you into our 18th Century home for an authentic “vie du château” experience, where we live, cook, eat, and play.
The most important thing is to have a lot of fun on your cooking vacation in France. We do!
Learning French cooking in a beautiful setting
★★★★★
“
I convinced a group of friends to acompany me, to celebrate my 50th birthday. Chateau de La Barbée was the perfect setting. Mary and Xavier welcomed us into their home (home for them is a Chateau!), and Mary's program of cooking and sightseeing was the perfect combination of education mixed with touring mixed with relaxation and fun. And the food was fantastic. Can't recommend this more to anyone interested in a very special vacation. The countryside is gorgeous, and off the beaten track, not too touristy. Such a nice change of pace! Highly recommended!”
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Nora Mitchell
Perfect end to a perfect trip to France!
★★★★★
“
After whirlwind trip around France for my 40th, my husband and I paused for a much needed break at Chateau de la Barbee, WHAT a fabulous time we had - everyone back home was so jealous. Mary is great fun and her husband, the 'lord of the manor' is just hilarious - he and my husband got on like a house on fire. Everyday was packed full of cooking and eating and drinking - it was like a gourmet all inclusive. The wine never stopped! We learnt some great recipes and Mary will be proud to hear that we have indeed done most of them since we got home AND I have never used store-bought salad dressing since! The recipes vary from simple to complex so there's something for everyone. It was not as hands-on as we would have liked but the size of the class was perfect, the people were fabulous, and the chateau.....well, wow. What a treat. You stay in a chateau that has been in the family since it was built. We were there for 4 days, 3 nights which was just perfect. Thanks, Mary, for an epic end to our adventures!”
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K J Lee
An excellent fun cooking experience!
★★★★★
“
Mary & Xavier were the most gracious hosts. Not only was the Château beautiful but also the surrounding with the refreshing river close by. Mary made the cooking fun and all the fancy dishes we made seemed easy. I will make them all for sure back home! We really got to see the French country side at its best and I wish to go there again and again and again....”
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Erika Badal
A beautiful and incredible place
★★★★★
“
It's a beautiful and incredible place, I totally recommended for holidays, or a weekend.”
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Laura Garcia
Cooking direction was superb
★★★★★
“
I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a night here over the weekend before Thanksgiving with a group of other American exchange students currently living in Angers, France and I can't think of a more rewarding and special way that we could have spent that time! Mary was amazing and her cooking direction was superb - our food for both lunch and dinner was absolutely mouthwatering! I loved being able to stay in her château, and the culture and history surrounding me was absolutely phenomenal. If you have the chance before you leave, I absolutely suggest walking the grounds of her château if you get the chance - her rose gardens and the back path are absolutely gorgeous! And her pets are pretty cute too!”
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Danica Andersen
Best trip ever!
★★★★★
“
I recently spent a totally delightful stay at the Chateau de La Barbee, cooking, eating, and sightseeing under the wonderful direction of Mary Pochez. We were a group of 6 women friends celebrating the 60th birthday of one with a 2-day stay in Paris and a 5-night stay at the chateau. The chateau itself is incredibly beautiful and charming, filled with antiques and lovely art and portraits, but also very lived in and comfortable. You don't feel that you are in a museum, but rather in a home that has been loved and cared for by many generations of Mary's husband's family. Xavier is a very charming co-host with lots of knowledge about French history, the chateau, and local wines. Everywhere you look, both inside and out the windows, you see beauty. The French cooking classes were fantastic- so much fun and so well taught. Mary is a very knowledgeable and casual cook and makes you feel that you can make the dishes with ease. She instills confidence along with all her recipes and tips. Every single dish we prepared (and ate!) was mouth watering delicious, from the fish baked in salt to the beef Bourguignon to the cheese souffle to the potato dishes to the baked peaches and chocolate cake. We all had fun cooking in her wonderful kitchen with walls of copper pots and and fresh cut flowers and produce everywhere. We learned a lot of dishes and loved them all! And the program of excursions was wonderful too- the drives through the charming villages to visit other chateaux, the evening at an ancient abbey listening to monks sing Gregorian chants, the local farmers' market, the 14th century tapestries displayed in the chateau in Angers. This is a trip I will remember, in detail, my whole life. It was educational, fun, and lovely in every way. Get together a group of friends and go! Or go with your partner! You will love it too! THANK YOU for sharing your home and your vast knowledge of all things French, Mary and Xavier!”
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Catherine Rosenfeld
Overall rating:
4.9
out of 5 based on
24 reviews.
Read more Cooking Course Reviews
A lovely aerial video of the château and the nature surrounding it, made by one of our cooking students