Discover Normandy - NEW
Benoitville (Basse-Normandie)

About the location: There is something for everyone in Normandy! Boasting 350 miles of rolling coastlines, everchanging, verdant landscapes, a rich culture and history, and world-class food and drink, Normandy is definitely a region worth discovering on this unique 3-night cooking vacation. You will find a blending of maritime traditons and a rural way of life during your stay, and your hosts will provide a unique insight into the art de vivre à la française, where socializing and mealtimes are an integral part of everyday life, whether you are in the kitchen, the garden, on the beach or in the school canteen. Your cooking courses will be at an 18th-century restored farmhouse, located in the breathtakingly beautiful Cotentin Peninsula in a tiny, typical Norman village. You will be just a few miles from the nearest sandy beaches and less than 15 miles from the lively port town of Cherbourg. The nearest market town, Les Pieux (literally meaning ‘the Sticks’), is just a couple of miles down the road.

For history fans, Normandy calls to mind D-Day, and you will be just a 45 minute-drive from the first village liberated on June 6, 1944, Sainte Mère Eglise and Utah beach, and just over an hour from Omaha Beach and the US military cemetary. And yet Normandy is more than just a war memorial: its culture extends to its gastronomy, its people, and its intimate, country way of life. Apple orchards dot the landscape, the fruits of which appear in many traditional Norman dishes; its fertile interior yields a cuisine famous for its simple, good, hearty dishes, its fresh local produce, exception seafood, dairy herds, and presalé lambs— the so-called “pre-salted” stock that grazes on sand dunes near Le Mont St. Michel.

The farmhouse is still undergoing renovations, and after May will feature charming ensuite bedrooms (one double and two double twins). Until it is ready, however, your accommodations will be at a lovely B&B just down the road.

About the cooking courses: Your hostess, Sinéad, is Irish by birth, but she and her husband Philippe, the local veterinarian, moved to Normandy over 15 years ago. Sinéad quickly realized that her culinary background transcended borders and she delved into the gatronomy and way of life of her new home: she learned to ride a horse, speak French fluently, raise chickens (and kids!), and embrace the simple yet delectable food traditions of Normandy. The results will be yours to enjoy, as she leads you on your culinary discovery of Normandy’s fresh ingredients and rich flavors. Sinéad and Philippe’s philosophy is simple: to share their experience of everyday life with their guests, to open their homes, hearts and kitchens so that you can get an taste of the local culture and the simple, authentic country life of rural Normandy.

Your hands-on cooking classes will take place in Sinéad’s homey 18th-century farmhouse kitchen, except for one afternoon during which you prepare the food at Sinéad’s, but head to a local farm to cook the meal in a post-French Revolution boulangerie oven—the ulimate foodie experience! While the bread rises you will explore this slice of French rural life by visiting the village, mill, and gardens of this exceptional property. Classes last around 3 hours and generally include the hands-on preparation of a complete French meal: an apéritif, generally followed by a seasonal starter, main course, salad, cheese, dessert and coffee…. with the emphasis on seasonal, locally-produced ingredients. Dishes might include: Kir Normand; black pudding and home made bread or roasted goat’s cheese with vegetable escabèche; roast pork stuffed with andouille (chitterling sausage) and camembert (Normandy’s most famous cheese), or beef on the bone cooked over the open fire, served with roasted seasonal vegetables; and teurgoule (Norman rice pudding) or apricot, honey and almond tart. Sinéad’s cooking courses usually focus on regional Norman specialties, but she is always open to requests!