Cocktail Recipes with Cognac or Armagnac
Filed Under Recipes, Wines & Spirits France, USA
Brandy is a subject that comes up frequently in our blogs, in our office conversations, and on our French culinary vacations. There are so many types of brandies in France alone that it's no wonder we return time and again to this wonderful spirit. If you thought brandy was just, well, brandy think again! It is at heart a spirit distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice, but the results… Read
Post
Five Things to See in France
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips France
Have you been to France? If so, chances are you've visited Paris, seen the Eiffel Tower, explored the Louvre, and walked along the Seine. But France is full of other wonders to see, and today we'll talk about a few of them that are off the beaten path that you can find on our culinary tours in France. Five Sites Not to Miss in France Verdon Gorge Perhaps it's a… Read
Post
Boles de Picolat (French Catalan Meatballs)
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Recipes France
Boles de Picolat is also known as Catalan meatballs … and it's a dish you'll often find on our culinary tours in southern France, in particularly the Languedoc-Roussillon region. But wait, you might be wondering, isn't Catalonia in Spain? It very much is, but the northern part of the region is actually in the south of France. As such, there are some interesting overlaps in culinary traditions between Spain and… Read
Post
French Recipe for Ratatouille
Filed Under Food History, Recipes France
The south of France is known for a number of famous meat dishes (Cassoulet anyone?) but it is also a land full of wonderful vegetables found in the local open-air markets which you can make on a French culinary vacation. And many of these vegetables get combined in one of the most famous of southern French dishes, the vegetables stew known as "ratatouille." This hearty dish is made even more… Read
Post
Our Favorite Cities on our Provence Cooking Vacations
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips France
This week we're featuring the south of France, and we thought we'd start with everyone's favorite: Provence! Everyone knows or has heard of the charms of the Provencal countryside: fields of lavender, perched rocky villages, acres of vineyards, and so much sunshine! But Provence features some really amazing cities as well, each worth exploring in its own right on our Provence cooking vacations. So what are our favorites? 1) Marseille… Read
Post
French Recipe for Daube de Cèpes
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, Recipes France
We're finishing up our week-long discussion of hearty dishes that you can make on our cooking classes in France with a wonderful French recipe from the Languedoc part of southern France. Hearty dishes can be vegetable (or in this case mushroom) based. Of course, to be hearty there has to be fat, and here that is provided by rendered duck fat and pancetta! Browse our cooking vacations in France. Daube… Read
Post