French dishes like cassoulet and bouillabaisse might sound intimidating, but the best place to learn and get comfortable with classic cooking is on a cooking school vacation in France. French cookery is all about technique and using fresh, quality ingredients. It is a form of cooking that anyone can master with some practice and guidance. Cooking school vacations in France provide the perfect opportunity to learn the backbone of French cuisine and the culture that inspires it.
Benefits
French cooking provides the basics for all other cooking. The cooking school vacations in France are designed to teach participants translate French cooking into their everyday meals using classical techniques. Many of the schools offer advice on the various cuts of meats to buy, what to look for in deciding if fruits and vegetables are fresh and the kinds of fish to use in a bouillabaisse.
Cooking school vacations in France also offer an opportunity to learn about the varieties of French wine and pair wine with a particular dish. The schools take the mystique out of French cuisine and make it more user friendly for the home cook.
Types
Cooking school vacations in France are available to meet any schedule. If you only have a weekend to spare in France, there are schools that offer one-hour sessions or short classes that cover everything from cooking to baking. You could also take a few courses during your vacation in France at the famous Le Cordon Bleu culinary school.
Most cooking school vacations range from one week to 10 days and include overnight accommodations. Others are mini cooking school vacations that offer a two to three day course in French cooking.
Class Presentation
Throughout the regions of France, chefs hold cooking school classes for vacationers in their own unique style. Some choose to utilize kitchens in chateaus where participants dine and stay in the same location. Under chef supervision, class participants make their meals for the day.
Other cooking school vacations combine chef demonstrations with actual hands-on cooking. Class venues are diverse, with a historic farmhouse, an old candy factory, an outdoor kitchen, or an elegant villa among the settings.
Several of the cooking school vacations in France are structured so that participants go out to shop for a dish's ingredients at a local purveyor and then return to cook the meal. All cooking school vacations incorporate French culture into their presentations by taking trips to local vineyards, artisan cheese makers and area farms.
Which Region to Select
Cooking school vacation options are available in all regions France. Since each region has its own distinct cuisine, you should select a school based on the style of cuisine you want to learn.
Paris and the central region have the most diverse style of cuisine because it is the hub of the country. In Champagne, game and ham are more commonly used, while Alsace is influenced by German cuisine.
Schools on the coastline of France focus on dishes made with fish, while those in the northern areas are geared toward stews. Lessons at cooking schools in Burgundy include an array of meats, fish and poultry, as well as specialty cheeses, oils, Dijon mustard and currants.
In the Rhone Valley region, cooking school vacations feature cuisine rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry, sausages and specialty cheeses. Those located in the Oleron-Marennes area use mainly oysters, mussels, cattle, poultry, cream, mushrooms and goat cheese.
French cooking that focuses on pates, confits and foie gras is found in cooking school vacations in the southwest of France, which includes Bordeaux. Lighter fare is cooked in the Provence region where citrus fruits, olives, vegetables and herbs grow and are paired with beef, lamb and sausages.
Skill Level Requirements
Most cooking school vacations in France accept all skill levels, from beginner home cook to professional chef. Class sizes are usually small to allow for individual attention and hands-on cooking at your own pace.
Some level of understanding the English or French language is needed since most of the classes are taught in English.
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