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Learn to Cook with a Friend in Paris
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cooking schools
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Learning to cook in Paris has been an American dream ever since Audrey Hepburn failed her soufflé lesson at the Cordon Bleu. Eternally inspired by the 1954 film, "Sabrina", a lot of people who know they´ll never become French chefs still try to squeeze in a class or two during their Paris vacations. But what a lot of people may not know is that Paris offers a more personal and casual option to the venerable Cordon Bleu: tiny, informal schools run by chefs in their own kitchens. Lessons, private or in small groups, consist of cooking and then eating a three-course French meal. A session can also include a visit to an open-air market, introductions to specialty gourmet shops, tips on setting your table French-style, and lively discussions about French etiquette, culture, and customs.
These mini-schools are relaxed and friendly. It´s more like making a new friend and being invited over to help cook lunch than it is attending a school. Despite the casual atmosphere, however, the chefs who run these classes are knowledgeable and experienced. They combine a love of cooking with education at some of the best schools in France. Equipment, ingredients, aprons and recipes are provided, as well as a glimpse into a real Paris apartment building. Most important, these French chefs speak fluent English!
Promenades Gourmandes with Paule Caillat
One of the best of these intimate schools is "Promenades Gourmandes" operated by Paule Caillat out of her apartment in the trendy Marais neighborhood of Paris. Paule makes a day of it. You start by shopping for the ingredients for the lunch you´re going to make. Then it´s over to Paule´s apartment on the rue du Temple. Lunch will be the standard three courses, perhaps a cheese soufflé as appetizer, then a main dish such as poulet au vinaigre (chicken with a dash of vinegar and a complex sauce of crème fraĆ®che, tarragon and tomatoes). The meal will be topped off by a typically French dessert such as tarte au chocolat or the famous apple upside-down cake Tarte Tatin. Read onâ¦
Cours de Cuisine with Françoise Meunier
A fresh clean apron awaits you in Françoise´s sunny kitchen, as well as personalized recipes and everything you need to prepare a complete three-course meal. You might make cream of asparagus soup for the first course, salmon fillets or beef bourguignon for the main dish, and strawberry charlotte for dessert. Along the way, you´ll learn how to tell when asparagus is old or how to easily bone salmon. And if complicated charlotte recipes have intimidated you in the past, they won´t any more after you´ve helped dip the ladyfingers and layered the ingredients in the pan. Doing is learning. Read onâ¦
Other Cooking Schools to Explore in Paris
At Home with Patricia Wells
Marie-Blanche de Broglie´s La Cuisine de Marie-Blanche
Le Cordon Bleu
Ecole Ritz Escoffier
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