French Cooking Classes: A Week In Provence
Condorcet, Provence

About the location: Approximately twenty minutes east of Nyons, the olive capital of France, lies an 18th century farmhouse, “Moutas,” nestled in the hills outside the village of Condorcet. This is a breathtaking rural location with a microclimate said to be among the most agreeable in all of France. All bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, and the stream-fed pool is an ideal place to relax. Your hosts Anne and David Reinauer will insure you every need is attended to. Anne, from Lake Charles, Louisiana, is a retired French teacher, and David, a real estate developer, bought their French “Mas” 17 years ago as a seasonal retreat. In the mid-1980’s, the Reinauers, along with their two youngest children, lived year-round in the farmhouse while they painstakingly restored it and immersed themselves in French life and culture. In 2000, Anne, with her love of France and food, along with her personal friendships with several top New Orleans chefs, decided to open her Provençal home and share her love of French cooking and culture.

A Week in Provence is a fantastic opportunity to experience a spectacular region of France and truly engage in the life, culture and cuisine of the country. Although cooking classes form the cornerstone of the program, we are offering a truly unique mix of activities with the aim of showing participants the origins of traditional ingredients in French cuisine and exposing our guests to many facets of French culture. All is taught and mastered here, from picking cherries, apricots or plums off the trees outside for a clafoutis or tarte, to a daube Provençal or duck confit or salmon mousse, with rosemary and thyme wild for the taking.

About the cooking lessons: Your instructor, Master Chef Daniel Bonnot, is a superb teacher, both charming and knowledgeable. Born in France, Chef Bonnot worked under Parisian chefs for seven years, followed by a stint at the five star Savoy Hotel in London and La Caravelle in Guadeloupe. Seventeen years again he made New Orleans his home, where he was chef/owner of Chez Daniel and Bizous. He has been named Chef of the Year in both 1980 and 1995 and Bizou was named one of the 10 best new restaurants by Esquire Magazine. You will experience the benefit of his vast talent in five, 3-5 hour cooking lessons.