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Ritz Escoffier School Paris

Auguste Escoffier, who served as the first Executive Chef of the Ritz in Paris said "good cooking is the foundation of true happiness". So after having tried out dozen of cooking classes in Provence I thought it was time I gave the Ecole Ritz Escoffier, the reference in French culinary arts, a try.

Michel Roth and his team of chef instructors run a fine tuned set of culinary workshops in ultra modern kitchens on the beautiful Place Vendôme. Classes vary in duration and a full set of menus are posted so that you are sure to select a class that is of particular interest. Culinary classes are available for adults and even children 6 yrs and up so that they too can become familiar with the basics of gastronomy. And if you have a desire to learn about making pasteries, cocktails or even floral designs this is the place to go.

When entering the basement you'll pass brigades of chefs and their teams preparing thousands of macaroons, apertizers, hors d'oeuvre before entering a private kitchen for your class. After choping, grating, mixing and stirring you'll dine with the other students in a cosy dining room to enjoy the feast.

But hurry as the Ritz has programmed a massive restoration and refurbishment project. Demolition of some parts of the hotel begin this month and the entire hotel will be closed by summer 2012 for a 2 year period. You can visit their website at: www.ritzescoffier.com

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Free-Range Escargots

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Snail farming or héliciculture in French (from the scientific term Helix which is one of the varieties of snails that can be farmed) is making a come-back. They aren’t really completely free-range as the giant pens have an electric fence so that they don’t just wonder off and so that their natural predators, like hedge hogs and birds don’t get there first.

Just outside of the medieval town of Menerbes in the Luberon a husband and wife team recently started their own snail farm. Over 150 000 part time residents (a mixture of petits gris and gros gris or Hélix Aspera and Hélix Aspera Maxima) hide in the shade of the vegetation by day and come out to feed by night or just as soon as the sprinkler system goes off. The season runs from April through October at which time the larger ones are harvested and those not quite ready to go from field to table are put in cold chambers (4°C) for a little hibernation.

Snails are invertebrates with soft bodies that belong to the Mollusca family which is broken down further into 9 classes including bivalves (clams, mussels), cephalopods (squid, octopus) and gastropods (snails and slugs). Snail meat is high in protein and low in fat.

France is still the world’s largest consumer of snails but the country has to import over 40% of the produce. At the farm in Menerbes www.ferme-auberge-aubongres.fr you can buy them whole or as spreads like the Escargot Provençale to which tomatoes, onions, and peppers have been added or Escargot truffé (with added truffles, parsley and shallots).

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