French cooking classes - a week in Provence
. . . a unique hands-on culinary and cultural vacation of a lifetime

Join your hosts Anne and David Reinauer and renowned French Chef Daniel Bonnot for five fun-filled days of cooking and excursions deep inside Provence.

Twenty minutes northeast of Nyons, the olive capital of France, nestled in the hills of Provence just outside the village of Condorcet, lies the Eighteenth century farmhouse which has been lovingly restored and brought back to life by David and Anne. This wonderful location is a corner of Provence where you can enjoy the stillness and peace of its rural isolation . . . a truly Provencal setting with a micro-climate said to be among the most agreeable in all of France.

You have probably heard others sing the praises of the landscape of Provence, with its cobalt blue skies, sunlight in all its shades and shadows, old farmhouses of yellowed stone and mottled clay-tiled roofs, and its holy trinity of lamb, goat and olive . . . now find out for yourself how wonderful this special corner of France truly is.

Join Anne and David and Chef Daniel Bonnot for the experience of a lifetime in Haute-Provence, where the cuisine always has a hint of garlic and a scent of sunshine . . . where thyme, lavender and rosemary grow wild just outside your door, and where you will experience an unforgettable vacation.

During your stay, each day is organised to provide three to five hours of culinary instruction and actual meal preparation. There is an emphasis on student participation - a real hands-on class. You will learn classic French methods using the flavors and techniques of Provencal cuisine, taught in English by a chef born in Paris and trained the old-fashioned French way.

French cooking classes - a week in Provence

Your week in Provence cooking vacation begins with your arrival on a Tuesday afternoon and ends the following Monday after breakfast.

From the Wednesday through to the Sunday, your day is centred around three to five hours of hands-on cooking classes under the guidance of French master chef Daniel Bonnot and excursions into this sun-drenched and historical corner of Provence. In addition, depending on the availability, season and local village festivals, you will:

• Visit a local goat farm and goat-cheese producer

• Visit a duck farm to buy meat for confit and can observe the gavage

• Visit two hundred and fifty year old factory where olive oil filters are still made the old fashioned way

• Visit a trout farm - select fresh fish for the table

• Tour a Chateauneuf du Pape chateau or an area wine producer with a special lecture and tasting

• Bottle our own wine (with an extra to tuck into your suitcase)

• Experience a bit of French / Roman history - tour a medieval village - visit remarkable Roman ruins

• Tour an olive oil mill founded in 1847 with special tasting, or the famous Nyons olive co-op

• Tour an old style lavender distillery and participate in a perfume workshop

• Find time to shop for those beautiful Provencal fabrics and ceramics

• Explore the renowned, sprawling and animated open-air market in Nyons

• Enjoy a special chocolate workshop, taught by a classically trained and immensely popular Chocolatier

There will also be ample time to relax by the pool, read on the terrace, hike up the mountains through the wild lavender and thyme, stargaze or simply nap in your room. Sleep with windows open. Soak up the ambience of Provence.

Included in the program:

• Six nights accommodations
• Six breakfasts
• Three lunches
• Six dinners with unlimited wine
• All planned group excursions
• Five cooking classes of between three and five hours

Master Chef Daniel Bonnot

The French cooking classes will be taught by master Chef Daniel Bonnot who was born in France. During his early career he worked under Parisian chefs for seven years before moving to London where he cooked at the world renowned Savoy Hotel made famous by the renowned Chef Auguste Escoffier.

After several years cooking at the Savoy Hotel in London, he moved to Guadeloupe, where he learned to integrate Creole cooking with French cuisine, and was chef saucier at La Caravelle. In 1979 he moved to New Orleans where he was the proprietor and the head chef of his own restaurant Chez Daniel which was followed more recently by Bizou (which means "little kiss") described by one enthusiast as "the best little bistro in downtown".

He was the mentor to the famous New Orleans Chef Susan Spicer who began her cooking career as an apprentice to Chef Daniel Bonnot at the Louis XVI. He was named Chef of the Year in New Orleans in 1980 and 1995, and Bizou was named one of the Ten New Best Restaurants in the Country by John Mariani in Esquire in November 1996. Chef Bonnot has been a frequent celebrity chef at the March Jazz Fest in Juan-les-Pins (on the French Riviera), on luxury liners and around the world. He is known as an outstanding teacher and a chef’s chef and this is your opportunity to learn from a true professional who believes food preparation should be enjoyable, flexible and satisfying.

Anne and David Reinauer

Anne and David Reinauer are your hosts for your week in Provence where you will be staying at their wonderful French farmhouse. They bought and restored the farmhouse, and it is their wish to share with you their French friends, the tranquility of the countryside and their passion for this beautiful country corner of France. You will indulge your senses through the wonderful French cooking classes of Chef Daniel and the bounty of the fresh local ingredients.

Anne is a former French teacher and antique store owner . . . and a good cook in her own right. David has a real estate firm. For three years they lived full time at the farmhouse which is known as Moutas, and have owned the house over twenty years . . . they know the area intimately and have many French friends in the area. You can be sure that you will be well looked after and will not miss out on the delights of this corner of Provence.

Your hosts welcome you to Moutas . . . their authentic Eighteenth century, three storey stone Mas - Provencal farmhouse.

There are three separate guest rooms each with private baths and the two bedroom, one and a half bath apartment are comfortably furnished for your privacy and enjoyment. Each spacious bedroom has at least two beds, private bath and outside entrance.

The large terrace which has a stunning view of the valley, where on a clear day you can see Mt. Ventoux, is perfect for sharing and showing off the meals that you have prepared.

A stream-fed pool is an ideal spot for relaxation, conversation and a cooling swim before aperitifs and dinner. Fossils are often found during a short walk up the stream.