Cooking In Paradise: Culinary Vacations Around the World

by Joel Naftali, Lee Naftali

Overview

Cooking in Paradise is a rich, definitive guide to hands-on gourmet cooking vacations around the world.

Ever dream of sauteing in Sicily? Or having a master divulge the secrets of perfect patisserie in Paris? How about mincing in Morocco? Cooking in Paradise will show you how to get there, and scores of other places, with over 150 listings for cooking-vacation programs around the world (and a handful right here in the United States, too).

Joel and Lee Naftali give details about famous courses--like Patricia Wells's "at home" in her eighteenth-century Provencal farmhouse--but have also unearthed truly unusual fare, from a kosher-cooking course in Tuscany to an Australian country house gourmet retreat to a Mexican cuisine class held at a working hillside farm in Oaxaca.

Cooking in Paradise provides all the information you need to book a cooking vacation today, but with its evocation of far-flung locales and over 50 unusual recipes from the schools included, it's perfect for the stay-at-home chef as well.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466872417
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Publication date:	05/27/2014
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Joel and Lee Naftali live in Maine. Cooking in Paradise is their third book; their other titles include Generation E: The Do-It-Yourself Business Guide for Twentysomethings and Other Non-Corporate Types and You're Certifiable: The Alternative Career Guide to More Than 700 Certificate Programs, Trade Schools, and Job Opportunities.

Joel Naftali lives in Maine. He is the coauthor, with Lee Naftali, of Cooking in Paradise: Culinary Vacations Around the World; Generation E: The Do-It-Yourself Business Guide for Twentysomethings and Other Non-Corporate Types and You're Certifiable: The Alternative Career Guide to More Than 700 Certificate Programs, Trade Schools, and Job Opportunities.

Lee Naftali lives in Maine. She is the coauthor, with Joel Naftali, of Cooking in Paradise: Culinary Vacations Around the World; Generation E: The Do-It-Yourself Business Guide for Twentysomethings and Other Non-Corporate Types and You're Certifiable: The Alternative Career Guide to More Than 700 Certificate Programs, Trade Schools, and Job Opportunities.

Read an Excerpt

Cooking in Paradise

Culinary Vacations Around the World

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By Joel Naftali, Lee Naftali, Greg Koller, Erica Ritter

St. Martin's Press

Copyright © 2001 Joel and Lee Naftali
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4668-7241-7

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CHAPTER 1

FRANCE

FROM PARIS to Gascony to Provence to Burgundy — all the regions of France are open to you, with their colorful and fragrant outdoor markets, favorite local wineries, and unique regional cuisines. You can watch beekeepers spin honey into glass jars, follow shepherds on their cheese-making rounds, or play croquet on an expansive château lawn, wine glass in hand. You can soar in a hot-air balloon over the vineyards of Bordeaux or hunt wild boar on a private estate in Limousin. You'll meet famous chefs and truffle hunters, professional sommeliers and master potters, traditional cobblers and the finest wine makers.

And you'll learn to cook: simple meals composed of ingredients harvested fresh from the kitchen garden, and complex sauces elegantly paired with the perfect wine. But more than cooking — more even than enjoying elaborate, multicourse meals — is learning a new pace. A pace arranged not around "to do" lists and crisis management, but around the French love of food — a regard that begins in the fields and farms, blossoms in boisterous markets, and finally flowers in the kitchen and around the table.

At Home with Patricia Wells

If you've read any of Patricia Wells's many excellent cookbooks and culinary guides to France (such as The Food Lover's Guide to France or Patricia Wells at Home in Provence), the emphasis of her cooking vacation will come as no surprise. Patricia opens her home several times a year to teach guests about the food, wine, and culture of Provence — from the freshest ingredients to Patricia's own organic red wine to traditional Provençal recipes.

Patricia's home, Chanteduc, is a classically restored eighteenth-century Provençal farmhouse located in Vaison-la-Romaine, about thirty miles from Avignon. Vaison-la-Romaine is a lively village with extensive Roman ruins and fabulous open-air markets full of seasonal fruits and vegetables — asparagus, artichokes, peaches, pears, figs, cherries, grapes, and berries — fresh lamb, farm-raised pigeons and chickens, olives and olive oils, and goat's and sheep's milk cheeses. It's also the heart of the Côtes-du-Rhône wine region (Patricia's farm produces an organic Côtes du Rhône, Clos Chanteduc), and your meals will be accompanied by local vintages.

The hands-on cooking classes take place in Patricia's home kitchen (which boasts a La Cornue range, rotisserie, and a wood-fired bread oven, fed with vine clippings from the vineyard) and emphasize simplicity, fresh ingredients, and good kitchen habits. You'll cook with herbs freshly picked from the garden, grapes from the vineyards, and olives from the groves. The recipes are largely based on traditional Provençal specialties such as Saumon Entier Roti en Papillotte, Salade Gourmandine aux olives, Soupe au pistou, Pommes de Terre au Foin, Gratin de Courgettes, Tarte aux Abricot and Amandes, and Tarte Tatin.

When not enjoying the meals you've prepared or sipping homemade aperitifs with Patricia and the rest of the group, you can slip into the village to view the ruins, tour one of the many local vineyards, go hiking, biking, or swimming, or play tennis. You'll also go on several trips to local bistros for a truly Provençal dining experience.

Once a year, Patricia also offers a black truffle workshop. This four-day event includes a truffle hunt, a trip to one of the silent truffle markets, and a tour of one of the better truffle processing plants, where Patricia says, "just breathing the fragrant air is a rarefied experience." Wine tastings and truffle discussions also enhance the workshop, and of course you'll learn how to cook with truffles.

Accommodations are not included in either of Patricia's programs, but she's happy to make lodging recommendations.

THE DETAILS: The regular cooking program runs five days and is offered May through September. The truffle workshop runs four days and is offered in February. Group size is limited to eight. The cost for each program includes all meals, excursions, and cooking lessons.

Cooking Program: $3,000
Truffle Workshop: $3,000

Contact:

Deborah Orrill
7830 Ridgemar Drive Dallas, TX 75231
Phone: NA
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Web site: www.patriciawells.com

From the kitchen of Patricia Wells

SOUPE AU PISTOU: PROVENÇAL VEGETABLE SOUP

SERVES 12

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 plump fresh garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthwise Bouquet garni (several bay leaves and sprigs of thyme wrapped with the green part of a leek and tied securely with cotton twine)
Sea salt to taste
1 pound fresh small white (navy) beans in the pod, shelled, or 8 ounces dried small white beans
1 pound fresh cranberry (pinto) beans in the pod, shelled, or 8 ounces dried cranberry (pinto) beans

VEGETABLES 1

3 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, scrubbed, quartered, and finely sliced
8 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into thin triangles (paysanne)
2 medium onions, halved and cut into thin rings
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
10 plump, fresh cloves of garlic, peeled and quartered lengthwise

VEGETABLES 2

12 ounces zucchini, cut into thin triangles (paysanne)
12 ounces tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound green beans, trimmed at both ends and quartered
3 quarts (12 cups) cold water
Sea salt to taste
1 cup very fine pasta, such as angel hair pasta or orzo 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated 1 cup imported Gruyère cheese, freshly grated

PISTOU SAUCE

4 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Sea salt to taste
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves and flowers
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

In a large, heavy-bottomed 10-quart stockpot, combine the oil, halved garlic, bouquet garni, and salt. Stir to coat with the oil. Sweat over moderate heat until the garlic is fragrant and soft, about 1 minute. Add the fresh or prepared dried beans (see note, below), and stir to coat with the oil. Cook for 1 minute more.

Add the leeks, carrots, onions, potatoes, and quartered garlic (Vegetables 1) and soften over moderate heat, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes. This will give a lovely color and rich flavor to the final soup.

Add the zucchini, tomatoes, tomato paste, green beans, and three quarts of cold water (Vegetables 2) and salt to taste. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the navy and cranberry beans are tender, about 30 minutes. (Cooking time will vary according to the freshness of the beans. Add additional water if the soup becomes too thick.)

Add the pasta and stir frequently to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot, simmering until the pasta is cooked, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.

For the pistou sauce: If you have a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and a little salt to form a paste. Add the basil, little by little, grinding the two together to form a paste. Slowly add the oil, continuing to form a paste until all the oil has been absorbed and the mix is homogenous. Taste for seasoning. Stir before serving.

If using a food processor, place the minced garlic, salt, and basil in the bowl of a food processor and process to a paste. Add the oil and process again. Taste for seasoning. Stir before serving.

(The pistou can be stored, covered and refrigerated, for 1 day, or frozen up to 6 months.)

Serve the soup very hot, passing the pistou sauce and cheese to swirl into the soup.

Note: If using dried beans, first rinse and pick them over to remove any pebbles. Place the beans in a large bowl, add boiling water to cover, and set aside for one hour. Drain the beans, discard the water, and add to recipe when needed.

The Château Country Cooking Course

The Domaine de la Tortinière, a nineteenth-century manor house converted into a château-hotel, is located in the heart of the Loire Valley. It has been the home of the Capron family for many years, and when you arrive Denise Olivereau-Capron and her son, Xavier, will join you for an aperitif in the salon.

The next day, your cooking lessons begin. During the week you spend at la Tortinière, your classes will progress through the order of a meal: First, you learn starters and sides, then fish dishes (using fish that arrives daily from local rivers), then meats and sauces, and finally, desserts. And after spending mornings in the kitchen, you spend afternoons sightseeing.

On Monday, you'll visit the caves of one of the finest producers of Vouvray wine in the region, for a tour and a tasting. On Tuesday, you'll visit the Château de Chenonceau, also known as the Château of Six Women, celebrated for its fascinating history, magnificent architecture, and lavish grounds. Before returning to la Tortinière, you'll stop at the ferme Bellevue, where you'll learn about the production of goat cheese and taste the fromage de chèvre with a glass of local wine.

You will spend Wednesday in Tours, the economic and cultural center of the region, and home of one of the largest flower markets in France. You'll have lunch at a typical Breton creperie, and can then visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts or go antique shopping on the Rue de la Scellerie.

On Thursday, you'll have a picnic in the countryside before visiting the sixteenth-century gardens of the Château de Villandry. Thursday is also market day in the medieval village of Chinon (the home of Rabelais) — you'll stop to explore the market and town.

And you'll devote Friday, your last full day, to an exploration — and comparative tasting — of many of the outstanding wines for which the Loire Valley is famous.

You can also wander along the wooded paths of the château park which lead down to the banks of the Indre River, dive into the heated swimming pool, play tennis, go fishing or boating on the river, and stroll throughout the thirty-acre park. Golf and horseback riding are available nearby.

DETAILS: The program runs one week and is offered March, April, October, November, and December. Group size is limited from eight to twelve. The cost includes accommodations, all meals with wine, cooking lessons, and excursions.

The Cost: 11,000 francs (approx. $1,765)
Single Supplement: 1,500 francs (approx. $240)

Contact:
Le Domaine De La Tortinière
37250 Montbazon-en-Touraine FRANCE
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Chez Madelaine Cooking Tours

Madelaine Bullwinkel taught French cooking at the Chez Madelaine Cooking School for more than twenty years before, in 1994, she formed a partnership with the Count and Countess de Sainte Croix. Now the Count and Countess ("Jacque and Claude to their guests," Madelaine says), open their impeccably restored eighteenth-century château, Château de Sannat, to Madelaine's cooking trips three times a year.

The château, a listed historic monument with a formal park and a commanding view of the surrounding countryside, is tucked away in the Limousin region of France, about two hundred miles south of Paris. "The Count and Countess are both present to welcome us," Madelaine says. "To travel with us around the area and give informal tours of this great house. It's a very personal experience for the guests: living, cooking, and eating seasonal specialties in a château filled with the warmth and hospitality of a private home."

Madelaine offers several tours per year: French Delicacies: Foie Gras and Truffles, Grandes Vacances, and Hunting and Mushroom Gathering. All the tours highlight the medieval flavor of Limoges. You'll see the beautifully restored Rue de la Boucherie, the miniature chapel to St. Aurelian (the patron saint of butchers), the bustling city market housed in a building designed by Gustave Eiffel, the massive eighteenth-century two-story kiln on the outskirts of town, and the porcelain museum.

French Delicacies: Foie Gras and Truffles also includes visits to the Foie Gras Festival in Brive-la-Gaillarde and Europe's largest wholesaler of wild mushrooms and truffles, and lunch in Brive at the renowned restaurant, La Cremaillere, with a special menu prepared by Chef Charles-Raoul Reynal. You'll also attend two cooking classes in the château kitchen featuring foie gras of duck and goose, confit of duck, and fresh black truffles.

Highlights from past trips include: a trip to the Haviland factory; lunch in the home of J. Paul and Danielle Pouret; a stroll into the town of Bellac for a tour of the famous eleventh-century chassé (reliquary); shopping in Limoges; and visiting the village church that houses the enameled reliquary of St. Etienne.

The Grandes Vacances program begins with a day trip to the tapestry center of Aubusson, during which you'll tour both the royal factory St. Jean and the city's tapestry museum. You'll have lunch at an elegant restaurant, travel to Lac Vassiviere, stroll the forested modern Sculpture Park and Aldo Rossi's Contemporary Museum (accessible by footbridge on an island in the lake), and participate in an evening celebration of Bastille Day in the old town of Bellac. You'll also attend two cooking classes featuring summer produce from the château's eighteenth-century-style kitchen garden and Blazon Rouge (Red Label) Limousin beef.

Other highlights: a dinner in the Renaissance château of the Count and Countess du Monstiers- Merinville; attending a mass sung in Gregorian chant; and a visit to the small abbey museum in Châteauponsac.

The Hunting and Mushroom Gathering tour provides opportunities to hunt upland game, roe deer, and wild boar on private lands, forage for wild mushrooms with a trained specialist, and go on a guided walking tour of the Monts de Blond, an area studded with ancient dolmans and charming hamlets. Two hands-on cooking classes in the château kitchen focus on cooking with game meats, wild mushrooms, and locally grown nuts and apples.

At the end of your stay at Château de Sannat, you have the option of spending an additional weekend in Paris. This includes two nights in a small hotel in a charming neighborhood, customized group and self-guided touring by foot and Metro, and two dinners in restaurants offering fresh interpretations of classic French cuisine.

In addition to gourmet travel, Madelaine offers many workshops in her home in Hinsdale, Illinois.

THE DETAILS: All of the programs run eight days. French Delicacies: Foie Gras and Truffles is offered in February, Grandes Vacances is offered in July, and Hunting and Mushroom Gathering is offered in October. The Paris Weekend is offered at the end of each of the three trips. All group sizes are limited to twelve. The cost for each program includes accommodations, most meals (with the exception of a handful of restaurant meals), two cooking classes with Madelaine and one in a local restaurant kitchen, and excursions. The Paris Weekend includes accommodations and some sightseeing.

French Delicacies: Foie Gras and Truffles: $2,500
Grandes Vacances: $2,500
Hunting and Mushroom Gathering: $2,500
Hunting license (required for hunters): $300
Hunting fee per day: $200
Single Supplement for each program: $500
Paris Weekend: $500

Contact:
Chez Madelaine Cooking Tours
Madelaine Bullwinkel
425 Woodside Avenue Hinsdale, IL 60524
Phone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
web site: www.chezm.com

From the kitchen of Chez Madelaine Cooking Tours

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BABKA

MAKES 20–24 SLICES

¾ cup unsalted butter (6 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon at room temperature
1/3 cup ground almonds, plus 2 tablespoons
1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 cups unbleached flour measured after sifting
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ tablespoon powdered vanilla
¾ cup milk, warmed
½ cup dried sour cherries
1 tablespoon high quality cocoa dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Preheat the oven to 300°. Use the tablespoon of butter to generously butter a bundt pan. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of ground almonds. Set aside.

Beat the butter for 3 minutes with a paddle attachment in an electric mixer. Add the sugar and beat another 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time and continue beating another 2 minutes.

Sift together the sifted flour, salt, baking powder, and powdered vanilla. Add it to the butter and eggs in three installments alternating with the warm milk.

Beat the egg whites to firm peaks. Fold the whites into the batter in three installments. Fold in the cherries.

Spoon the batter into the prepared mold. Drizzle the chocolate mixture and the almonds over the top and swirl them into the batter with a circular motion using a fork.

Bake for 50 minutes. The internal temperature of the babka should reach 200°. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Unmold and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.

Cooking in Burgundy

Encounters, Ltd.

This cooking vacation is based in a two-hundred-year-old farmhouse hidden among the hills of Burgundy, below the floodlit ramparts of the fortified village of Grancey le Château. The classes are strictly hands-on, and cover traditional French cuisine adjusted to modern cooking styles. Flavor and presentation are emphasized, and classes include such highlights as collecting wild mushrooms and asparagus with an expert guide in the local forests.

Penny Easton and Chef Michel, who run the program, describe their cooking as "traditional French with a modern touch, using fresh seasonal ingredients." Michel was trained in Paris, and ran a hotel and restaurant in a small château for twenty years. Penny, trained in England, took years off to raise her family; then, in the early nineties, she converted her French farmhouse for the purpose of offering cooking classes and, with Michel's help, has been doing so ever since.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Cooking in Paradise by Joel Naftali, Lee Naftali, Greg Koller, Erica Ritter. Copyright © 2001 Joel and Lee Naftali. Excerpted by permission of St. Martin's Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
Introduction,
1. France,
2. Italy,
3. Asia,
4. United States and Canada,
5. Mexico,
6. Austria, Brazil, England, Greece, Ireland, Morocco, Spain, and Turkey,
Also by Joel and Lee Naftali,
Copyright,